Paris of the east - a trip from Danzig to Breslau in your rental car
Poland’s charming towns and unspoiled landscapes are best explored by rental car. The best starting point for a road trip might be
Wrocław, the old Lower Silesian town that was once German and called
Breslau. This little-known town is extremely charming, with a slightly Parisian flair, revealing itself to the visitor when strolling along the ring road that encircles the Old Town, lined with old burgher houses, town villas and the city hall. Once you’ve reached the city hall square, take a break and sample some of the traditional Silesian poppy seed cake before going on to the adjoining
Salt Market, where you can buy some fresh flowers for your hotel room.
Next you can board one of the tour boats on the
Odra river, passing the famous cathedral island. First settled by Piast dynasty around 900, this small island in the river is well-worth the visit. At night it gets particularly romantic, when the old gas lamps are lit.
Be your own tour guide in your rental car
Leaving Wrocław cross Lower Silesia, make pit stops in
Poznań and
Bydgoszcz, and continue on to
Gdansk. From the city hall tower, you get a panorama view over the city. The oldest church in town, St. Nicolas, dates from the 12th century, but the most famous is St. Mary on Long Market Street, the largest brick church in the world, just a five minute stroll from the city hall.
Gdansk is famous for a legendary luxury product: amber. In Mary Street (ul. Mariacka) dozens of little shops sell amber jewellery in traditional and modern designs; the prices are affordable, and you will definitely find a souvenir or gift for the loved ones at home.
A short walk along the docks of the
Motława river ends in Gdansk’s main landmark: the medieval port crane, these days part of a museum, in the 15th century a piece of state-of-the-art technology. Not far from here on the harbor promenade the creepier aspects of the Middle Ages comes to life in the old torture chambers that are open for visitors.
Take home a bit of Polish culture from a fun flea market
Should you be in Gdansk in August you have the great chance to go to the Dominican Market, a traditional market from the 13th century that sustained various forms of government and these days is a wild mix of fun fair, flea market, and open-air art gallery. You will find folksy crafts as well as amber bracelets and antiques.
The cultural program in summer is generally excellent, and much of it is free of charge. Look out for posters advertizing free concerts on one of the city squares. With a rental car your will certainly be able to travel around and find a free concert that suits your tastes
Escape from the city
Once you have explored the city sufficiently, you can take a day trip in your rental car to one of the Baltic beach resorts like Leba, and the nature reserve Słowiński National Park. Leba is a mere two hour ride from Gdansk, though you won’t find it in its original location; a few centuries ago the small fishing village disappeared into the sand of the “Polish Sahara” and was re-erected further inland of the Kashubian region. To this date it is a small town, strongly connected to the countryside surrounding it. Miles and miles of sandy beaches and dunes that peak at 140 ft. make up the Słowiński Park, starting outside the town limits of Leba. The view from the dunes across the Baltic Sea on one side and the countryside on the other is spectacular.
