(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 WARSAW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WARSAW. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
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, 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)
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