Originally the Jewish quarter of Kraków, Kazimierz was pretty much destroyed during the Second World War. For decades the area lay neglected, but over the last 20 years or so it has begun to reinvent itself. Myriad shops, restaurants and cafes have opened and some of the Jewish community has even started to return. There’s …
To be honest, we only chose to stop off for a couple of nights in Częstochowa to break up the journey between Łódź and Kraków. We hadn’t realised until we arrived that the town is actually a site of pilgrimage for around 5 million Catholics annually. Believers come from around the world to see the …
While Łódź is somewhat unique in Poland in that it was not destroyed in World War Two, the same cannot be said for its ghetto area. Whereas the impact on the central infrastructure was minimal, the Łódź Ghetto was razed to the ground and the lasting impact on the Jewish population of the city was …
Last weekend in Warsaw we went on a tour of the Polish Vodka Museum. Poppy’s a vodka fan, but to be honest I’m usually no great lover of Poland’s favourite drink. However, it was fascinating to learn about the history of vodka and the methods used in its production. Poppy has written more about the …
Walking around Warsaw it is still quite surprising that less than eighty years ago nearly the whole city was destroyed, and all that is there today has been restored, rebuilt or repurposed. Despite beautiful restorations, especially in the Old Town, what is evident is the culture and traditions that have been upheld in the city, …
Luck has really been on our side during this trip when it comes to beer festivals; three times now we’ve arrived somewhere to find one taking place. The pleasant surprise this time was Lotny Festiwal Piwa (“Flying Beer Festival”) at the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw. Apparently the festival travels around Poland, mainly the smaller …
