#traveling to #POLAND #gdansk

BACK TO #POLAND : #GDANSK

No matter how much we, Eastern Europeans, would try to live up to Western expectations and absorb as much of that lifestyle as possible, there's something we cannot ignore: our roots. As a "licensed" geographer that I am, I've always believed that in order to be able to grasp the wide world, you must first get to know your own home land/region, its history and culture - that is not only the most logical, but also the most efficient approach to traveling; only then can one be ready to explore the rest of this world...

Bearing that in mind, after having “combed” my own country in search of travel adventures, I first set out towards foreign cultural horizons some 15 years ago - and my first destination was exactly one of the historical neighbours: Poland.

Well, I've been regularly returning ever since - why? Because the country never seizes to surprise me. And because it's the closest Eastern Europe neighbor I've got at the moment. Berlin is a multicultural metropolis, with a cosmopolitan atmosphere etc., but the Eastern European charm and mentality is a whole different story!
That is the reason why I keep coming back to Poland - it's so similar to my homeland (both in a positive and occasionally in a negative way ;) - Eastern Europeans know what I mean: we share not only the burden of 50 years of communism, but also the destiny of countries torn to pieces and sacrificed by the stronger in the region (from the Medieval wars to the catastrophes of the 20th century)... Countries that constantly try to learn from the mistakes of the recent past (the dictatorship), while making new political ones...

The past... It's fascinating to discover how the past interacts with the present…

Whether it's Wrocław, the historical Silesia, Zakopane, Lubowice, Rzeszów or Lublin in the south-east, Katowice, Kraków, Oświęcim (Auschwitz) and its tragic fate, Warszawa, Poznań, Słubice, Szczecin or Kolobrzeg on the Baltic coast - the past is OMNIPRESENT.
There is so much to see, to learn, to discover - each of the Polish cities I've been to so far has had an impact, nurturing my curiosity, convincing me to keep exploring - a temptation I don't even try to fight.

Thus started my most recent research trip to the Polish region I knew less: the North - Gdańsk, Gdynia, Bydgoszcz, Toruń.

I reached Gdansk pretty early in the morning and got the privilege to take a look at the city before tourists invaded the streets of the old town.
Leaving the communist “urban-belt” behind, I discovered the Solidarność Museum (another Eastern-European symbol) and made my way to the centre of the Medieval Hanseatic city.
Quiet streets, people going about their business, seeking out bakeries for a quick breakfast - it was amazing to see this historical colossus lead a daily life...

The more I approached the main street, the more I started to question my eyesight: the brightness, partially golden contour lines and the architectural marvels stunned me - harmonic lines, homogenous urban texture, the town seemed painted with the utmost care!
It was the past totally materialized in the present... Indeed, there are still a few Hanseatic era buildings that survived the Second World War... however, most of the enchanting historical centre - the boulevard Ulica Długa, situated between two majestic city gates - consists of reconstructed 17th century edifices. Which makes the panorama no less impressive...

The Bazilyka Mariacka (the 15th century built St. Mary Church) is the heart of the nearby old market place, the beautiful Długi Targ - here again, it's not only the architecture as a whole that amazes; every single building surprises with its own particularities: the Dwór Artusa (Artus' Court), Złota Kamienica (Golden House or Speymannhaus)... just as the charming cafes and the terraces, the hidden restaurants (most of them in traditionally decorated basements).

By the river one sees proud, colorful houses with German inscriptions bearing a striking resemblance to Hanseatic cities like Lübeck, Riga, Bremen, Hamburg or Stralsund... and recalling an era of unspoken prosperity for Danzig...
The entire scenery belongs to a different time integrated perfectly into the present: the superb gates, The Golden Gate and The Green Gate, situated right beside the river Motława… the riverbanks, the Marina, the tower Brama Mariacka - to call it superb would not do...

And it's not only about beauty - l felt more than welcome in this port, where I only spent 2 days, not leaving the old town for a second (night or day).
Though it felt as if I had spent weeks in Danzig… out of time, far from contemporary Europe...

My curiosity would take me to Gdynia next: the wish to get closer to the Baltic Sea was too great.