Rick: It hurt only once, that's for sure. Season 3 Episode 13. Until next time…keep on travelin'. A castle has stood here since the 11th century. Skilled klezmer musicians can make their instruments weep or laugh like human voices. Wawel Cathedral is Poland's national church — its "Westminster Abbey." Please try again. 75% of its nearly 40 million people are practicing Catholics. Rick Steves' Europe. You'll see legends from the days of King Kazimierz, when one-third of Poland's income came from these precious deposits: the famous astronomer Copernicus, and even the region's favorite son, Pope John Paul II. 8.2 (11) 0. Na zdrowie. But Poland's been particularly hard hit through the ages. I'm Rick Steves. The monument commemorates those who fought and died "for the dignity and freedom of the Jewish Nation, for a free Poland, and for the liberation of humankind.". Season 10 of Rick Steves' Europe debuted across the US on public television in the fall of 2018. The notorious gate welcomed inmates with a cruel lie: Arbeit Macht Frei…"work will set you free.". 0:55:02. The original church was destroyed by the first Tatar invasion in 1241, but all subsequent versions — including the current one — have been built on the same foundation. Rick Steves' Europe. The resilience of Poland's culture and the warmth of its people inspire me. Contact Info. It was our warm-up. Glasgow: Gritty Industry and Feisty Scottish Culture, Neuschwanstein: “Mad” King Ludwig’s Castle in Bavaria. The small houses are traditionally used by three generations at the same time. To get away from the tourists' Kraków, bike or hike around the Planty and up the park that lines the Vistula River. We spent two weeks in Poland last summer and enjoyed it immensely. Traders passing through were required to stop for a few days and sell their goods at a discount. The remarkable Wieliczka Salt Mine — just outside of Kraków — has been producing salt for eight centuries. Kaisa: What a question! Back then, parents announced that their daughters were now eligible by getting out the paint. Resilient Krakovians took this opportunity to rebuild their city with a near-perfect grid plan — a striking contrast to the narrow, mazelike lanes of most medieval towns. 4.6 out of 5 stars 13. It provided extra protection at the town's main gate. In the teeming metropolis of Cairo, Rick climbs to the center of a pyramid, greets the ... Air Date 9/23/2020. Like much of Poland, Kraków pulses with cool jazz nightly. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Today, as you explore, it's hard to imagine that by 1945 nearly two-thirds of the city's prewar population was dead, and not a building was standing in Warsaw's "Old" Town. Paperback $19.21 $ 19. Everything here, including the ornate altar and the grand chandelier, is hewn from this underworld of salt. Proud miners carved figures of great Poles out of the salt. Back in Kraków, cap your day in one of the town's many jazz clubs. So it hurts only once. Most of all, Kazimierz was remembered for being a tolerant and progressive king. But the most powerful Holocaust memorial — I think in all of Europe — is the concentration camp here at Auschwitz, an hour's drive from Kraków. Rate. Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / Poland / 5 days in poland; Please sign in to post. Its outskirts sprawl with Communist-built apartment blocks. The Palace of Culture and Science — Poland's tallest building, at over 700 feet — is a Warsaw landmark. 3. To show their…gratitude…the people of Warsaw nicknamed it "Stalin's penis.". Over a million people — the vast majority of them Jews — were systematically exterminated here at Auschwitz. Rick: Na zdrowie…Ohh. 13. It was built in the 18th century by Poland's very last king, King Poniatowski, who wanted it both for his own summer residence — his striking Palace on the Water — and as a place for his citizens to relax. This monument recalls the 50,000 Polish resistance fighters — the biggest underground army in military history — who launched a surprise attack on their Nazi oppressors. Hopelessly outgunned by the Nazis, the uprising was crushed, the ghetto was demolished, and its residents were killed. Kasia: Imagine, Poland was crunched between Protestant Germany and Orthodox Russia. When built, in the 13th century, this was the biggest square in medieval Europe. Art Ghetto Heroes Square — now surrounded by bland Soviet-style apartment blocks — marks the heart of what was the Jewish ghetto. RICK STEVES EGYPT: YESTERDAY & TODAY sails beyond Europe, exploring the historic and cultural wonders of Egypt. This thriving Jewish community — like most in Europe — was decimated during the Holocaust. Rate. St. Mary's Church faces Kraków's marvelous Market Square. Episode 310: Poland Rediscovered: Kraków, Auschwitz, and Warsaw. It's close to every Polish heart. This is the oldest chapel in this part of the salt mine, Saint Anthony chapel from 17th century. Rick Steves' Europe Greek Islands: Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes. Once they saw these blue lines, village boys were welcome to come a courtin'. Posted by apyfiz19 (India) on 03/22/17 04:57 PM. The camp monument represents gravestones and the chimney of a crematorium. Catholicism defines the Poles, holding them together when nothing else could. As more Jewish people were moved in from the countryside, Warsaw's ghetto was soon the miserable home of well over a million people. Industrialization However, the top-notch Museum of the History of Polish Jews has rejuvenated the area, making it even more of a magnet for those interested in this chapter of Polish history. For centuries, generations of Wieliczka miners spent their daylight hours underground, rarely seeing the sun. Nineteenth-century houses — the few that survive — often sport colorful stripes. This is a country where the most expensive café on the most expensive perch serves drinks for a fraction of what you'd expect. Also: a romantic forest; sampling chocolate-cherry cake. S3, Ep6. Up to 700 people at a time could be gassed, but it required two days to burn that many bodies here. Wawel Hill is sacred ground to the Polish people — a symbol of Polish royalty and independence. Some come to worship and others to remember leading figures in Polish history, such as Kazimierz the Great. Kazimierz the Great and his predecessors gradually surrounded the cathedral with some 20 chapels, which were further modified over the centuries — making this beautiful church a happy hodgepodge of styles. And nestled in the center of all this utilitarian concrete are plenty of urban charms. Kazimierz the Great turned the Cloth Hall into a permanent structure in the 14th century. keywords Art Industrialization Poland. Poland is ready to be rediscovered as the old "east" transforms itself into the new heart of Europe. After a three-hour train ride from Kraków, we arrive in Warsaw. Fixed iFrame Width: in pixels px Height: in pixels px. Guide: Visitors expect salt white, but it's black, but it's salt. The population of the ghetto was down to about 60,000 when those who remained realized that they would die even if they did nothing. 30. Warsaw — pronounced "var-SHA-va" in Polish— is Poland's capital and biggest city. Though the sight is a bit overrated, it's unique and practically obligatory if you're in Kraków for at least two days. 21 $25.00 $25.00. Today this city is Poland's leading tourist attraction…with plenty of top-notch sights. Poland. This post is part of a series of 10 European Discoveries for 2019 — off-the-beaten-path gems where you can escape the tourist rut and find a corner of Europe all your own. Barcelona and Catalunya. Former cellblocks tell the story. Collapse. Back in the 1950s, Janusz Muniak was one of the original Polish hepcats. Crowds got you down? Because it was to be "Soviet in substance and Polish in style," Soviet architects actually toured Poland to absorb the local culture before starting the project. Rate. Several restaurants offer Jewish music from 19th-century Poland with their traditional cuisine. The Nazis didn't like this inefficiency, so they built a far bigger camp two miles away. The Old Town's many restaurants provide a good introduction to Polish cuisine…and central to that is vodka. For centuries, generations of Wieliczka miners spent their daylight hours underground, rarely seeing the sun. Episode 313: Sevilla. Rick: So, vodka has long been part of Polish culture? Stop the car…get out…enjoy an intimate look at Poland's welcoming country life. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. By 1942, half of the Jews in the ghetto had died of disease or starvation. Kraków, Poland. by Rick Steves and Cameron Hewitt | Jun 19, 2012. Travel engages me with our world, and helps me feel fully alive. Rick: Yeah. It began as a simple, stripped-down Romanesque church in the 12th century. Each inmate had an ID number, a barrack number, and a bed number. Video: Watch Prague, an episode of the Rick Steves' Europe TV show. The neighborhood of Kazimierz — named for the king — was a thriving and autonomous Jewish community for centuries when most of the world's Jews lived here in Poland. Sigismund III — the great king who moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596 — stands overseeing everything. Proud miners carved figures of great Poles out of the salt. Kraków grew wealthy from trade in the 12th century. Poland's two must-see cities are Warsaw and Kraków. Today it’s busy not with miners, but with tourists. Auschwitz II, or Birkenau, was a vast factory of death holding 100,000 people. Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on December 28, 2018 December 19, 2019 by Cameron Hewitt. The crematorium is marked by its chimney. Or in the Cloth Hall. After they were killed, everything of value was sorted and warehoused. Rick Steves’ Europe Seasons . It's vast: nine levels…1000 feet deep…over a hundred miles of tunnels. They poured out of the sewers and caught the Nazis off-guard, initially having great success. Twelve new episodes include Portugal (Lisbon and the country's heartland), the heart of England, Greek islands, Sicily, and Scotland (Glasgow, Highlands, and islands). It's also the city's edgy, hipster culture center — jammed with colorful bars, creative eateries, and designer boutiques. This season also offers a travel skills episode on cruising, and two special episodes on Europe's greatest festivals. Several eateries on ulica Szeroka offer klezmer music, typically starting between 19:00 and 20:00. Old world charm is how I would describe it. Now what? The Nazis began moving people out at the rate of 5,000 a day to nearby death camps like Auschwitz. Kaisa: Do you know how to drink vodka? A Nazi doctor stood here and evaluated each prisoner as they stepped off the train. Guide: The total number of chapels in this mine is over 20. It's free to reserve, but spaces book up very early. Because the Nazis leveled the ghetto, there is literally nothing left except the street plan, some monuments, and the heroic spirit of its former residents. Respectful tourists are welcome. And the city's legendary mermaid welcomes friends while keeping out foes. Now he owns the Jazz Club U Muniaka, and jams regularly here in a mellow cellar. Stay tuned for lots of Rick Steves’ Europe this fall — including episodes on Portugal (Lisbon and the country’s heartland), the heart of England, Greek islands, Sicily (Best of Sicily and Sicilian Delights), Scotland (Glasgow, Highlands, and islands), cruising travel skills, and two special episodes on Europe’s greatest festivals. 10. American travel authority Rick Steves guides viewers through his favorite European cities. 2019 Discovery: Gdańsk, Poland. Nearby, the imposing St. Mary's Church — with its soaring lookout tower — has long been an icon of the city. Nearby, a visit to Auschwitz teaches us a timeless, soul … "Auschwitz" actually refers to a series of several camps in Poland — most importantly Auschwitz I, in the village of Oświęcim (50 miles west of Kraków), and Auschwitz II, a.k.a. And salt preserves everything. And salt preserves everything. European Festivals I. The remarkable Wieliczka Salt Mine — just outside of Kraków — has been producing salt for eight centuries. 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