(This article first appeared online on 6th December 2023 on Live Mint, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/christmas-winter-food-drink-poland-111701796198786.html)
Showing posts with label POLAND. Show all posts
Showing posts with label POLAND. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Wroclaw, Poland's Gnomes
(This article first appeared in print on page 10 and online on 3rd December 2022 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/big-story/the-humour-and-satire-in-wroclaw-s-army-of-gnomes-111670292796229.html)
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Bells, Broken Hearts and Paper Cranes
Celebrating the innocence of childhood in their own unique ways, this trio of monuments around the world are places of immense beauty and gut-wrenching despair in equal measure
By Raul Dias
Decades ago, a wise one close to me had prophesied that this day would come. “One day, you are going to mourn the loss of your childhood!”, a precocious, 13-going-on-30-year-old me was warned.
This, after I was caught doing something no child of 13 should have ever indulged in. With the insufferable insouciance of an approaching adolescence as my ally, I cast aside that prophecy like a pair of smelly socks. But now, I grieve.
And it took a pandemic to put it all into perspective. I long for the days of my childhood when I feared so very little that plagues the adult me today. The health of loved ones, work-related stress and most of all, that big, dark question mark looming over our collective, uncertain future. All constantly piercing thorns in my side.
So today, as India celebrates Children's Day, I have decided to take a short little detour from my worldly worries. And go back to three places around the world, which in some way or form have helped me recoup a little bit of my lost childhood as I visited each of them at different points in my life as a travel writer. Places reflective of immense beauty and gut-wrenching despair in equal measure. Each dedicated to children and childhood--both lost and found.
Peals of peace
Lying on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria's unremarkable capital, the Business Park suburb with its monoliths of glass and steel seems like an unlikely place to find a monument honouring children. But in 1979, when the Kambanite Park was established, the area was nothing more than a grassy woodland with abundant wildlife gambolling about at the base of the Vitosha mountain.
Besides being the year of my birth, 1979 was also declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Child. As part of the International Children’s Assembly's 'Flag of Peace' events held across the world, Bulgaria decided to up the ante and construct its very own monument to commemorate it. Named after the Bulgarian word for bells, “kambanite”, the monument's main bell tower is composed of four, 37-meter vertical concrete pylons that meet at the top to form a hollow sphere symbolising the earth, with its seven bells representing the seven continents.
But what makes it the largest percussion instrument in Europe are the 133 (and growing!) bells sent in by countries around the world to reaffirm their commitment towards the betterment of the lives of children. These bells are arranged in four semi circles around the base of the main bell tower and range in shape, size and even age.
While Bulgaria’s bell weighs in at a whopping 1,300 kgs, in honour of the 1,300th anniversary of the country's birth as a nation in 681AD, the oldest bell dates back to the 11th century. Each of the bells are emblazoned with a message of peace from the children of that particular nation. While an inscription at the monument’s base reads, “Children of the future accept the eternal, fiery call of immortality - Unity, Creativity, Beauty.”
Soaring high
I travel way back in time once again to my childhood, as I find myself sitting in my fifth grade origami crafts class, willing my chubby fingers to fashion a sheet of red marble paper into a crane bird. That year, my school was among the chosen few from India called upon to send in a couple of hundred such origami paper cranes all the way to Hiroshima, Japan. To add to Sadako Sasaki's collection. Housed in a dozen or so glass cabinets, our paper cranes would form part of the thousands of others sent in every year by children around the world to Hiroshima's Children's Peace Memorial, we were told.
It would be a good 23 years later in 2012, on my first trip to Hiroshima, that I would finally understand the underlying message of Sadako's story and of the memorial. When at age 10 she developed leukaemia--which was believed to have been a result of radiation from the atomic bomb's (ironically called 'Little Boy') explosion--Sadako decided to do something that she believed would help her recover. She embarked on a mission to fold 1,000 paper cranes. As cranes are believed to be emblems of longevity and happiness in Japanese culture. Sadly, Sadako passed away in 1955 falling a few hundred paper cranes short of her target.
The memorial, as it stands today, was built in 1958 and is located in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, flanked by the glass cabinets filled with colourful paper cranes. It depicts Sadako standing atop the structure, holding a wire crane above her head. On the left and right of her are suspended bronze statues of a girl and boy, respectively. These, I was told, are beacons of a bright future, hope, and most importantly, peace for children around the world.
Never forgotten
Nothing about the city of Lodz that lies about 130km southwest of Poland's capital Warsaw is easy on the senses. Its bleak, dreary countenance is totally devoid of any charm, punctuated by the absence of those almost de-facto cobblestone squares the rest of the country’s towns and cities are blessed with. Even the name Lodz's pronunciation is an unlikely "woodge" that means 'boat' in Polish.
Having earned the moniker of 'Poland's Manchester' thanks to its prowess as a textile industry powerhouse in the 19th century, Lodz often falls off the 'must-see' list on a typical Polish trip itinerary. But not mine. For you see, Lodz has a rather dark secret tucked away within its grimy folds.
Often referred to as 'Little Auschwitz', Lodz was once home to a concentration camp solely for children aged between 6 and 16 years. Perhaps, the only one of its kind in Europe during World War II, the camp on Przemyslowa street was set up during the German occupation of Poland and held as many as 3,000 children on an average at any one day.
Today, on the edge of the city's Szare Szeregi Park lies the beautiful Children's Martyrdom Monument also called the Monument of the Broken Heart. Unveiled in 1971, the monument is dedicated to Polish children who either perished or were murdered while being imprisoned in the camp.
I found myself at this spot on a blisteringly cold December morning, staring bleary eyed at the monument that is shaped in the likeness of a heart broken down the middle. A figure of a small child gloomily peeking through the vertical crack giving it solemn gravitas. A plaque besides it reads: "you were stripped of your life, today we only give you memory."
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 14th November 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 17 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/three-monuments-dedicated-to-children/article33091946.ece )
Monday, April 10, 2017
Picture Perfect Poland!
With everything from cities made of salt and mysterious
Neolithic tunnels carved out of flint, to a relaxing soak in a thermal bath and
a cuisine—that’s a comfort food lover’s dream come true—Poland has a lot to
offer the adventurous traveller.
By Raul Dias
A truly multi-faceted country like no other, Poland is
a dream destination for those who seek a holiday with a difference. With 13
UNESCO sites—some of which are whole city complexes—like the old towns of
Warsaw and Kraków, Poland is filled with some truly fabulous experiences and
wondrous sights. These take the form of beautiful town squares, castles, and fascinating
museums. Due to its turbulent history, each Polish city is different in its culture,
style, and history. Poland is also a paradise for nature lovers. It is one of the
few countries in Europe that is lucky to have a great variety of landscapes: a
long Baltic Sea coastline with beautiful sandy beaches and rolling sand dunes,
lake provinces with more than 10,000 lakes, lowlands, hilly regions and diverse
mountain ranges, including the magnificent Tatra Mountains.
Here are a few top travel experiences for you to savour on your next trip to this beautiful northern European country:
Here are a few top travel experiences for you to savour on your next trip to this beautiful northern European country:
Marvel
at the ‘City of Salt’!
Lying within the Kraków metropolitan area, and a tourist attraction since the 15th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of Poland’s premiere must-visit places. The historic underground ‘city’ forms an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245 km of galleries, excavated on nine levels at the depth of between 64 m and 327 m underground where one can visit unique places, chambers cut out in solid rock, amazing underground lakes, majestic timber constructions, genuine salt figures, and see the marvelous machines and tools once used by ancient miners.
Lying within the Kraków metropolitan area, and a tourist attraction since the 15th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of Poland’s premiere must-visit places. The historic underground ‘city’ forms an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245 km of galleries, excavated on nine levels at the depth of between 64 m and 327 m underground where one can visit unique places, chambers cut out in solid rock, amazing underground lakes, majestic timber constructions, genuine salt figures, and see the marvelous machines and tools once used by ancient miners.
Enjoy
Chopin’s living legacy
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Frédéric François Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here, he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw, you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection. Make sure to visit the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its number one attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It is only on closer inspection of the monument that you will notice that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that is said to be symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Frédéric François Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here, he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw, you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection. Make sure to visit the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its number one attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It is only on closer inspection of the monument that you will notice that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that is said to be symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
Pay
homage to Poland’s ghastly past
The very well-appointed Schindler’s Factory Museum located in the old Jewish district of Kazimierz in Kraków is a sad reminder of the city’s five-year Nazi occupation during World War II. In fact, the Academy Award-winning movie Schindler’s List was even partially filmed in this original factory building. Today, a multi-level museum packed with remnants of the past, including Oskar Schindler’s original writing desk, this place was once the location of Schindler’s factory of enameled vessels ‘Emalia’. Today, ingenious exhibitions combine period artifacts, photos and documents with multimedia and set-piece arrangements in an attempt to create a full-immersion experience.
The very well-appointed Schindler’s Factory Museum located in the old Jewish district of Kazimierz in Kraków is a sad reminder of the city’s five-year Nazi occupation during World War II. In fact, the Academy Award-winning movie Schindler’s List was even partially filmed in this original factory building. Today, a multi-level museum packed with remnants of the past, including Oskar Schindler’s original writing desk, this place was once the location of Schindler’s factory of enameled vessels ‘Emalia’. Today, ingenious exhibitions combine period artifacts, photos and documents with multimedia and set-piece arrangements in an attempt to create a full-immersion experience.
Visit
the Opatowskie Flint Mine
The underground Neolithic Krzemionki Opatowskie Flint Mine is located eight kilometers north-east of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in central Poland. The popular Tourist Route that is 465m long, descending 11.5m at the deepest point, takes you through the Neolithic pillar-chamber mining pits, with connecting sections excavated in limestone rock that pass inside the natural striped flint-bearing bank. All this seen through special inspection windows.
The underground Neolithic Krzemionki Opatowskie Flint Mine is located eight kilometers north-east of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in central Poland. The popular Tourist Route that is 465m long, descending 11.5m at the deepest point, takes you through the Neolithic pillar-chamber mining pits, with connecting sections excavated in limestone rock that pass inside the natural striped flint-bearing bank. All this seen through special inspection windows.
Partake
in a Polish feast!
At first, Polish food may seem like a close cousin of Russian cuisine thanks to the ubiquitous blood red beetroot borscht and potato blinis pancakes anointed with lashings of thick sour cream and chives, but to discount the unique dishes of Poland would be sacrilegious. Make sure to tuck into a bowl of the lighter than air chicken vegetable and noodle soup called rosol and a plate of pierogi which are semicircular stuffed dumplings that are boiled and then pan fried, holding within their plump bellies various fillings like cheese and cabbage, meat and cabbage and mushroom and cabbage. The local yummy smoked goat cheese called oscypek is sold in fat cylinder and spindle shapes in markets across the country and should not be missed, particularly in its grilled form, topped with sweet raspberry jam and best had with a warm bagel that was invented in Poland.
At first, Polish food may seem like a close cousin of Russian cuisine thanks to the ubiquitous blood red beetroot borscht and potato blinis pancakes anointed with lashings of thick sour cream and chives, but to discount the unique dishes of Poland would be sacrilegious. Make sure to tuck into a bowl of the lighter than air chicken vegetable and noodle soup called rosol and a plate of pierogi which are semicircular stuffed dumplings that are boiled and then pan fried, holding within their plump bellies various fillings like cheese and cabbage, meat and cabbage and mushroom and cabbage. The local yummy smoked goat cheese called oscypek is sold in fat cylinder and spindle shapes in markets across the country and should not be missed, particularly in its grilled form, topped with sweet raspberry jam and best had with a warm bagel that was invented in Poland.
Burrow
your way down to the Museum Rynek in Kraków
The Museum Rynek is probably the most unusual museum you’ll ever encounter. It lies ‘buried’ 4m below the Main Square and is the actual location of the ancient Kraków city center. The main exhibit called “In the footsteps of Kraków’s European identity”, makes use of holograms constructed by using projectors alongside fog machines and several dozen screens to recreate the atmosphere of Kraków 700 years ago.
The Museum Rynek is probably the most unusual museum you’ll ever encounter. It lies ‘buried’ 4m below the Main Square and is the actual location of the ancient Kraków city center. The main exhibit called “In the footsteps of Kraków’s European identity”, makes use of holograms constructed by using projectors alongside fog machines and several dozen screens to recreate the atmosphere of Kraków 700 years ago.
Rest
and Relax…
Make sure to end your Polish holiday with a rejuvenating dip only a thermal bath can provide. As the largest thermal complex in the region, the Chocholowski Termy thermal bath is located in the town of Podhale, a few hours’ drive from Kraków en route to the scenic Tatra Mountains. Opened in June 2016, the pools in this complex are filled with curative water extracted from the depth of nearly 3,600 meters. Additionally, besides a spa, the Chocholowski Termy also has 30 pools and barrels of different size and specificity, including Poland’s first outside swimming pool filled with thermal water.
Make sure to end your Polish holiday with a rejuvenating dip only a thermal bath can provide. As the largest thermal complex in the region, the Chocholowski Termy thermal bath is located in the town of Podhale, a few hours’ drive from Kraków en route to the scenic Tatra Mountains. Opened in June 2016, the pools in this complex are filled with curative water extracted from the depth of nearly 3,600 meters. Additionally, besides a spa, the Chocholowski Termy also has 30 pools and barrels of different size and specificity, including Poland’s first outside swimming pool filled with thermal water.
(A shorter, edited version of this piece was first published in the April, 2017 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)
Friday, February 10, 2017
Krakow Calling!
The magical city of Krakow is one of Poland’s oldest
and largest cultural strongholds that abounds with everything from history and
food to some stellar museums and basilicas, discovers Raul Dias on a winter trip in and around the city that sits on the
banks of the Vistula River
Pics courtesy: Polish Tourist Organisation, Wieliczka Salt Mine Archives, Chocholowski Termy and Raul Dias
As much as I pride myself on being well-travelled,
having experienced almost every sort of climatic condition the earth keeps
throwing at me, I’d never been privy to that magical phenomenon of the season’s
first snowfall. The kind where snowflakes softer than cotton blossoms caress
your cheek, transporting you straight into the pages of Dostoyevskian winter
classics like White Nights…
So, imagine my sheer delight when almost as soon as I stepped outside Krakow’s John Paul II International Airport, a solitary snowflake came gliding down, and settled on my left cheek. “It’s the season’s first!” my friend and host Emilia Kubik let a by-now-delighted me know. With a welcome like that, how could my next two days in Krakow be anything but magical?
So, imagine my sheer delight when almost as soon as I stepped outside Krakow’s John Paul II International Airport, a solitary snowflake came gliding down, and settled on my left cheek. “It’s the season’s first!” my friend and host Emilia Kubik let a by-now-delighted me know. With a welcome like that, how could my next two days in Krakow be anything but magical?
The
Heart of It
As the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland, situated on the banks of the placid Vistula River, Krakow as a city dates back to the 7th century. And since then it has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life. And at the very heart of it all is the magnificent Main Square in the old city, the largest in all of Europe.
The whole district of the old city is divided into two sections by the Royal Road, the coronation route traversed by the erstwhile Kings of Poland. The route begins at St. Florian’s Church outside the northern flank of the old city walls in the medieval suburb of Kleparz; passes the Barbican of Krakow built in 1499, and enters Stare Miasto through the Florian Gate. It leads down Floriańska Street through the Main Square, and up Grodzka to Wawel, the former seat of Polish royalty, overlooking the Vistula River.
Along the route, making stops at the St Mary’s Basilica and the Museum Rynek Undergrounds are imperative to get a feel of the ancient city. The former is a Gothic edifice from where the hejnal mariacki—the city’s famous bugle call—is played every hour on the hour. One of the city’s most enduring traditions, the tune deliberately breaks off mid-melody in honour of the mythical trumpeter who was shot in the neck while warning the city of Mongol invaders.
The Museum Rynek is a rather unusual museum, I was soon to discover, in that it lies ‘buried’ below the Main Square and is the actual location of the ancient Krakow city center. The main exhibit called “In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity”, makes use of holograms constructed by using projectors alongside fog machines and several dozen screens to recreate the atmosphere of Krakow 700 years ago.
As the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland, situated on the banks of the placid Vistula River, Krakow as a city dates back to the 7th century. And since then it has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life. And at the very heart of it all is the magnificent Main Square in the old city, the largest in all of Europe.
The whole district of the old city is divided into two sections by the Royal Road, the coronation route traversed by the erstwhile Kings of Poland. The route begins at St. Florian’s Church outside the northern flank of the old city walls in the medieval suburb of Kleparz; passes the Barbican of Krakow built in 1499, and enters Stare Miasto through the Florian Gate. It leads down Floriańska Street through the Main Square, and up Grodzka to Wawel, the former seat of Polish royalty, overlooking the Vistula River.
Along the route, making stops at the St Mary’s Basilica and the Museum Rynek Undergrounds are imperative to get a feel of the ancient city. The former is a Gothic edifice from where the hejnal mariacki—the city’s famous bugle call—is played every hour on the hour. One of the city’s most enduring traditions, the tune deliberately breaks off mid-melody in honour of the mythical trumpeter who was shot in the neck while warning the city of Mongol invaders.
The Museum Rynek is a rather unusual museum, I was soon to discover, in that it lies ‘buried’ below the Main Square and is the actual location of the ancient Krakow city center. The main exhibit called “In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity”, makes use of holograms constructed by using projectors alongside fog machines and several dozen screens to recreate the atmosphere of Krakow 700 years ago.
And just like an onion, there are many myriad layers that make up the ‘Krakow experience’, a few of which lie outside the city limits waiting for the intrepid traveller to peel them back and discover the wonders that they hold within…
With
a Pinch of Salt
A tourist attraction since the 15th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of Poland’s top must-visit places and one of the 12 sites entered onto the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1978. Lying within the Krakow metropolitan area and opened in the 13th century, the mine produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world’s oldest salt mines in operation.
In earlier times, touring the salt-bearing realm used to be reserved to the elite. To be granted admission, you needed the consent of the king, which was only granted to a fortunate few. Fortunately for me, all I needed was a ticket and off I went discovering the wonders of the sub-terrain wonderland. The historic underground forms an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245 km of galleries, excavated on nine levels at the depth of between 64 m and 327 m underground. The area open to the public constitutes only two percent of the entire mine.
One of the most popular sites in the mine is the miraculous Chapel of St. Kinga and to see it one must travel along the popular Tourist Route. Even our very own superstar couple Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan have done the trail!
A most extraordinary journey through the labyrinth of saline corridors, the route is a fantastic opportunity to see the most brilliant landscapes of underground chambers and discover the history and traditions of the Wieliczka mine. Going down deeper and deeper into the mine, one can visit unique places, chambers cut out in solid rock, amazing underground lakes, majestic timber constructions, genuine salt figures, and see the marvellous machines and tools once used by ancient miners. Three kilometres of meandering corridors, 800 steps descending into the mine leading 135 m underground, and at the end, you get to travel back to the surface in an authentic miners’ lift.
A tourist attraction since the 15th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of Poland’s top must-visit places and one of the 12 sites entered onto the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1978. Lying within the Krakow metropolitan area and opened in the 13th century, the mine produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world’s oldest salt mines in operation.
In earlier times, touring the salt-bearing realm used to be reserved to the elite. To be granted admission, you needed the consent of the king, which was only granted to a fortunate few. Fortunately for me, all I needed was a ticket and off I went discovering the wonders of the sub-terrain wonderland. The historic underground forms an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245 km of galleries, excavated on nine levels at the depth of between 64 m and 327 m underground. The area open to the public constitutes only two percent of the entire mine.
One of the most popular sites in the mine is the miraculous Chapel of St. Kinga and to see it one must travel along the popular Tourist Route. Even our very own superstar couple Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan have done the trail!
A most extraordinary journey through the labyrinth of saline corridors, the route is a fantastic opportunity to see the most brilliant landscapes of underground chambers and discover the history and traditions of the Wieliczka mine. Going down deeper and deeper into the mine, one can visit unique places, chambers cut out in solid rock, amazing underground lakes, majestic timber constructions, genuine salt figures, and see the marvellous machines and tools once used by ancient miners. Three kilometres of meandering corridors, 800 steps descending into the mine leading 135 m underground, and at the end, you get to travel back to the surface in an authentic miners’ lift.
Thermal
Indulgence!
Escape from the bustling city life of Krakow for a day, just like I did, and submit your every sore, tense muscle to the gentle, loving care that only a dip in a thermal bath can provide. As the largest thermal complex in the region, the Chocholowski Termy thermal bath is located in the town of Podhale, a few hours’ drive from Krakow en route to the scenic Tatra Mountains. Opened in June 2016, the pools in this complex are filled with curative water extracted from the depth of nearly 3,600 meters. Special attention should be paid to the healing zone, where barrels of raw, sulphurous thermal water and a thermal pool with brine iodinated water can be found. While sulphur water has positive effects on skin and circulatory system, it also aids in the treatment of rheumatic diseases and I was told that salt baths are specially recommended to people, who suffer from neurosis, insomnia and arthritis. Additionally, besides a spa, the Chocholowski Termy also has 30 pools and barrels of different size and specificity, including Poland’s first outside swimming pool filled with thermal water.
Escape from the bustling city life of Krakow for a day, just like I did, and submit your every sore, tense muscle to the gentle, loving care that only a dip in a thermal bath can provide. As the largest thermal complex in the region, the Chocholowski Termy thermal bath is located in the town of Podhale, a few hours’ drive from Krakow en route to the scenic Tatra Mountains. Opened in June 2016, the pools in this complex are filled with curative water extracted from the depth of nearly 3,600 meters. Special attention should be paid to the healing zone, where barrels of raw, sulphurous thermal water and a thermal pool with brine iodinated water can be found. While sulphur water has positive effects on skin and circulatory system, it also aids in the treatment of rheumatic diseases and I was told that salt baths are specially recommended to people, who suffer from neurosis, insomnia and arthritis. Additionally, besides a spa, the Chocholowski Termy also has 30 pools and barrels of different size and specificity, including Poland’s first outside swimming pool filled with thermal water.
Schindler’s
List?
Back in Krakow, make sure to end your sojourn (again, just like I did!), by paying homage to Poland’s ghastly past at the very well-appointed Schindler’s Factory Museum located in the old Jewish district of Kazimierz. In fact, the Academy Award-winning movie Schindler’s List was even partially filmed in this original factory building. Today, a multi-level museum packed with remnants of the past, including Oskar Schindler’s original writing desk, this place was once the location of Schindler’s factory of enameled vessels ‘Emalia’. It has been transformed into a modern museum devoted to the wartime experiences in Krakow under the five-year Nazi occupation during World War II. Here, ingenious exhibitions combine period artifacts, photos and documents with multimedia and set-piece arrangements in an attempt to create a full-immersion experience.
And that’s exactly how I would sum up my entire Krakow experience—immersive. To such an extent, that, today as I write this, I can still feel that first snowflake of winter settling on my cheek…
Back in Krakow, make sure to end your sojourn (again, just like I did!), by paying homage to Poland’s ghastly past at the very well-appointed Schindler’s Factory Museum located in the old Jewish district of Kazimierz. In fact, the Academy Award-winning movie Schindler’s List was even partially filmed in this original factory building. Today, a multi-level museum packed with remnants of the past, including Oskar Schindler’s original writing desk, this place was once the location of Schindler’s factory of enameled vessels ‘Emalia’. It has been transformed into a modern museum devoted to the wartime experiences in Krakow under the five-year Nazi occupation during World War II. Here, ingenious exhibitions combine period artifacts, photos and documents with multimedia and set-piece arrangements in an attempt to create a full-immersion experience.
And that’s exactly how I would sum up my entire Krakow experience—immersive. To such an extent, that, today as I write this, I can still feel that first snowflake of winter settling on my cheek…
FACT
FILE
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from India to Krakow, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Krakow on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient integrated tram and bus network make travelling within Krakow a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Embassy/Consulate in New Delhi/Mumbai.
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from India to Krakow, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Krakow on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient integrated tram and bus network make travelling within Krakow a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Embassy/Consulate in New Delhi/Mumbai.
When
To Visit
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Krakow, with the months from March to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Main Square.
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Krakow, with the months from March to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Main Square.
Accommodation
Krakow has an excellent selection of luxury hotels to choose from and some of the best are:
* Hotel Pod Róza (www.podroza.hotel.com.pl)
Krakow has an excellent selection of luxury hotels to choose from and some of the best are:
* Hotel Pod Róza (www.podroza.hotel.com.pl)
For
More Information Visit:
www.ckdezerter.pl
www.wieliczka-saltmine.com
www.chocholowskietermy.pl
www.oskarschindlerfactory.com
www.poland.travel
www.ckdezerter.pl
www.wieliczka-saltmine.com
www.chocholowskietermy.pl
www.oskarschindlerfactory.com
www.poland.travel
(A shorter, edited version of this article first appeared in the February 2017 issue of Hi!Blitz Magazine, India)
Friday, January 20, 2017
All ‘Polish’ed up!
An imposing city with a historic past, Warsaw truly
comes alive as the bountiful snowflakes transform it into a winter wonderland,
perfect for a pre-Christmas holiday. Raul Dias checks in
and checks out Poland’s stunning capital while paying obeisance to its
favourite son—Frédéric François Chopin.
Pics courtesy: Polish Tourist Organisation and Raul
Dias
“Congratulations!” the burly, mustachioed immigration
officer shouts at me the minute I hand over my passport for his perusal. I had
just landed at Warsaw’s gargantuan Frédéric François Chopin International
Airport, that, along with a host of other monuments scattered around the Polish
capital, pays rich homage to the aforementioned composer and Warsaw ‘homeboy’. But
more on that later. Mumbling a confused “Err… thanks”, I rush to the baggage
carousel only to hear my phone alerting me to the fact that a few hours ago,
Indian beauty queen Srinidhi Shetty had won the Miss Supranational 2016 title
in Poland’s beautiful resort town of Krynica-Zdroj.
On a winter business trip to Poland, with the Warsaw leg being an important part, I braced myself for the almost arctic, sub-zero temperature as I left the comfortable womb-like confines of the warm airport terminal building to face the wrath of the bone-chilling cold outside. With a souped up, WiFi-enabled van whisking me off to the center of town towards my home for the next two days—the well-appointed H15 Boutique Hotel, I was ready to take on whatever Warsaw had I store for me. And boy, was I in for a treat!
On a winter business trip to Poland, with the Warsaw leg being an important part, I braced myself for the almost arctic, sub-zero temperature as I left the comfortable womb-like confines of the warm airport terminal building to face the wrath of the bone-chilling cold outside. With a souped up, WiFi-enabled van whisking me off to the center of town towards my home for the next two days—the well-appointed H15 Boutique Hotel, I was ready to take on whatever Warsaw had I store for me. And boy, was I in for a treat!
Chopin
Away
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection.
One of the first stops my guide-for-the-day Kuba insisted we make was to the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its premier attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It was only on closer inspection of the monument that I noticed that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that Kuba said was symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
I was told that Chopin concerts are held at the foot of the monument, every Sunday from mid-May until late September. I, however, had to be content with the music emanating from the musical benches that have buttons embedded into them, that, when pressed, play the virtuoso’s most popular compositions.
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection.
One of the first stops my guide-for-the-day Kuba insisted we make was to the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its premier attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It was only on closer inspection of the monument that I noticed that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that Kuba said was symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
I was told that Chopin concerts are held at the foot of the monument, every Sunday from mid-May until late September. I, however, had to be content with the music emanating from the musical benches that have buttons embedded into them, that, when pressed, play the virtuoso’s most popular compositions.
Old
Town Blues
Interestingly, despite being hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean, Warsaw’s city emblem features a mermaid and it is her statue that forms the central focal point of its tiny and compact little cobblestoned town center. According to legend, Serena the mermaid was the sister of Amanda, the little mermaid of Copenhagen. Caught by a couple of fisherman to sell as food in the market, Serena managed to entrance a young lad—with her siren call—into cutting her imprisoning net and letting her go, promising to return to Warsaw to protect it whenever it needed her. And so, in one hand, the mermaid’s statue holds a shield and a sword in the other.
I’m sure Serena’s offer would have come in handy when almost the entire town was destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town (Stare Miasto), with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.
Interestingly, despite being hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean, Warsaw’s city emblem features a mermaid and it is her statue that forms the central focal point of its tiny and compact little cobblestoned town center. According to legend, Serena the mermaid was the sister of Amanda, the little mermaid of Copenhagen. Caught by a couple of fisherman to sell as food in the market, Serena managed to entrance a young lad—with her siren call—into cutting her imprisoning net and letting her go, promising to return to Warsaw to protect it whenever it needed her. And so, in one hand, the mermaid’s statue holds a shield and a sword in the other.
I’m sure Serena’s offer would have come in handy when almost the entire town was destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town (Stare Miasto), with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.
FACT
FILE
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Warsaw, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Warsaw on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient metro and buses make travelling within Warsaw a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Consulate in Mumbai.
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Warsaw, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Warsaw on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient metro and buses make travelling within Warsaw a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Consulate in Mumbai.
When
To Visit
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Warsaw, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Theater Square.
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Warsaw, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Theater Square.
Accommodation
Warsaw has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best value-for-money options are:
* H15 Boutique Hotel (www.h15boutiqueapartments.com)
* Mercure Warszawa Grand (www.mercure.com)
(A shorter, edited version of this article appeared in the 31st December 2016 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India http://www.afternoondc.in/mumbai-mix/all-polished-up/article_184820)
What Lies Beneath
Poland’s subterranean topography is a treasure trove
of cities made of salt, mysterious tunnels built by the Nazis, and even a
patriotic spider-infested cave!
By Raul Dias
The sheer audacity and stupidity of the ‘journey’ I
had just undertaken, was never more apparent to me than when the ancient,
miner’s lift gave a terrifying little lurch and then proceeded to hurtle at top
speed up to the surface of the mine, 327m above where I had spent the good part
of four hours burrowing my way through the serpentine passageways of the
Wieliczka Salt Mine in Wieliczka, southern Poland. It was barely four days since
the November 29, 2016 tragedy that took the lives of eight miners, when a
magnitude 3.4 earthquake caused rockfalls hundreds of metres below the surface
at Europe’s largest copper mine—Rudna—near the town of Polkowice in the western
part of the country.
Realising that adrenaline can be alarmingly addictive, I found myself craving some more subterranean action in the next few days I travelled the length and breadth of the eastern European nation. And thanks to my trusted little guidebook, I didn’t have to look too hard. Because like the old Polish saying goes, “what is most interesting is usually well and truly hidden!”
Here are a few such underground sites in Poland that can be visited all year round:
Realising that adrenaline can be alarmingly addictive, I found myself craving some more subterranean action in the next few days I travelled the length and breadth of the eastern European nation. And thanks to my trusted little guidebook, I didn’t have to look too hard. Because like the old Polish saying goes, “what is most interesting is usually well and truly hidden!”
Here are a few such underground sites in Poland that can be visited all year round:
Miedzyrzecz Fortified Region
Stretching a lengthy 80km between Gorzow Wielkopolski and Zielona Gora Dodge in Poland’s western Lubuskie region, the Miedzyrzecz Fortified Region is a warren of WWII fortifications, consisting of tunnels, railway stations and halls built tens of metres underground that visitors can take a tour of. Built over four years between 1934 and 1938 on the orders Adolf Hitler, the bunkers here are reinforced with solid steel walls and are interconnected by underground corridors, forming what is believed to be the longest defensive system in the world. Miedzyrzecz is also one of Europe’s biggest hibernation sites for bats and sees over 30,000 of the winged critters homing in for the winter.
(www.bunkry.pl)
Wieliczka
Salt Mine
Sitting 327m underground, the Wieliczka Salt Mine—located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland—has been a tourist attraction since the 15th century, when touring the salt-bearing realm used to be reserved to the elite. To be granted admission, you needed the consent of the king, which was only granted to a fortunate few. Forming an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245km of galleries, excavated on nine levels, today, one can take the Tourists’ Route to visit the vast chambers (like the one dedicated to Copernicus) hewed out in solid rock salt, the underground lake, and salt figures among other saline wonders found here. Or one can choose to undertake the arduous 3km Pilgrims’ Route that finishes at the Chapel of St. Kinga, made entirely out of salt, as is the mural copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and the statue of Poland’s ‘homeboy’ Pope John Paul II.
Sitting 327m underground, the Wieliczka Salt Mine—located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland—has been a tourist attraction since the 15th century, when touring the salt-bearing realm used to be reserved to the elite. To be granted admission, you needed the consent of the king, which was only granted to a fortunate few. Forming an impressive maze composed of 2,391 chambers and 245km of galleries, excavated on nine levels, today, one can take the Tourists’ Route to visit the vast chambers (like the one dedicated to Copernicus) hewed out in solid rock salt, the underground lake, and salt figures among other saline wonders found here. Or one can choose to undertake the arduous 3km Pilgrims’ Route that finishes at the Chapel of St. Kinga, made entirely out of salt, as is the mural copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and the statue of Poland’s ‘homeboy’ Pope John Paul II.
Krzemionki
Opatowskie Flint Mine
Straight out of the stone age with a decidedly Flintstones-eque vibe to it—with everything from a wax model of a well-endowed cave man to a recreated Jurassic Period dinosaur on full display—the underground Neolithic Krzemionki Opatowskie Flint Mine is located eight kilometers north-east of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in central Poland. The popular Tourist Route that is 465m long, descending 11.5m at the deepest point, takes you through the Neolithic pillar-chamber mining pits, with connecting sections excavated in limestone rock that pass inside the natural striped flint-bearing bank. All this seen through special inspection windows.
Straight out of the stone age with a decidedly Flintstones-eque vibe to it—with everything from a wax model of a well-endowed cave man to a recreated Jurassic Period dinosaur on full display—the underground Neolithic Krzemionki Opatowskie Flint Mine is located eight kilometers north-east of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in central Poland. The popular Tourist Route that is 465m long, descending 11.5m at the deepest point, takes you through the Neolithic pillar-chamber mining pits, with connecting sections excavated in limestone rock that pass inside the natural striped flint-bearing bank. All this seen through special inspection windows.
(www.krzemionki.pl)
Chelm’s
Chalk Tunnels
Running under Poland’s industrial city of Chelm in the east of the country, at a depth of 27m at the lowest of its five levels, only 2km of the actual 15km of the meandering chalk tunnels are navigable by visitors today. Hewn out by hand in the Middle Ages, when chalk was a much prized commodity, the network of passages were sealed off when the mining of chalk was discontinued in the 19th Century. Only to be restored to its current form in 1985. The 50 minutes tunnel tour offered, runs through three underground complexes of passageways—in the area of the Church of the Holy Apostles, and under the Old City Market Square and Przechodnia Street. En route, if you’re lucky, you may even encounter the benevolent Bieluch, the resident ghost who is said to sometimes appear as visitors pass through the galleries.
Running under Poland’s industrial city of Chelm in the east of the country, at a depth of 27m at the lowest of its five levels, only 2km of the actual 15km of the meandering chalk tunnels are navigable by visitors today. Hewn out by hand in the Middle Ages, when chalk was a much prized commodity, the network of passages were sealed off when the mining of chalk was discontinued in the 19th Century. Only to be restored to its current form in 1985. The 50 minutes tunnel tour offered, runs through three underground complexes of passageways—in the area of the Church of the Holy Apostles, and under the Old City Market Square and Przechodnia Street. En route, if you’re lucky, you may even encounter the benevolent Bieluch, the resident ghost who is said to sometimes appear as visitors pass through the galleries.
Ojcow
National Park Caves
Prima facie, the fecund Ojcow National Park 16km north of Krakow may seem like any other suburban green lung, the kind that sees picnicking families descend en masse for a weekend of ‘wilderness’. But its bowels hold forth secrets and myths that reveal themselves only to the curious. As many as 400 caves lie ensconced here, scattered around the rather diminutive (21 sq km) park with the Ciemna and Zbójecka caves being amongst the biggest. But it is the Łokietka Grotto that draws in the most number of visitors thanks to its ‘guardian’, a rather patriotic spider, who, according to legend, helped preserve the royal bloodline line of the Piast Dynasty.
Prima facie, the fecund Ojcow National Park 16km north of Krakow may seem like any other suburban green lung, the kind that sees picnicking families descend en masse for a weekend of ‘wilderness’. But its bowels hold forth secrets and myths that reveal themselves only to the curious. As many as 400 caves lie ensconced here, scattered around the rather diminutive (21 sq km) park with the Ciemna and Zbójecka caves being amongst the biggest. But it is the Łokietka Grotto that draws in the most number of visitors thanks to its ‘guardian’, a rather patriotic spider, who, according to legend, helped preserve the royal bloodline line of the Piast Dynasty.
(www.ojcow.pl)
Krakow’s
Underground Museum Rynek
With its pyramid-like, blue-lit plexiglass roof jutting out of the ground as the only indicator of what lies beneath, Krakow’s Underground Museum Rynek sits buried 5m below the city’s bustling Main Square. Replete with its own ‘be-skeletoned’ shallow graves, burned out old mud houses and even a horse stable, the museum that opened in 2010, is the actual location of the ancient Krakow city center. Recreating 13th Century Krakow by means of holograms and a rather derelict fog machine, the museum’s main exhibit called In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity takes you on an audio-visual journey back in time when the city of Krakow—the then capital of Poland—was plundered by Mongol invaders on March 22, 1241 in the infamous Tartar Raid.
With its pyramid-like, blue-lit plexiglass roof jutting out of the ground as the only indicator of what lies beneath, Krakow’s Underground Museum Rynek sits buried 5m below the city’s bustling Main Square. Replete with its own ‘be-skeletoned’ shallow graves, burned out old mud houses and even a horse stable, the museum that opened in 2010, is the actual location of the ancient Krakow city center. Recreating 13th Century Krakow by means of holograms and a rather derelict fog machine, the museum’s main exhibit called In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity takes you on an audio-visual journey back in time when the city of Krakow—the then capital of Poland—was plundered by Mongol invaders on March 22, 1241 in the infamous Tartar Raid.
(www.mhk.pl)
(A shorter, edited version of this article appeared in the 14th January 2017 issue of the Mint Lounge newspaper, India http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/pN8AvyUYyrZPHjcDo1h04K/Foot-notes-The-ground-above-your-head.html)
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