Discovering Poland
An 85-year-old mum, a 17-year-old daughter and one somewhere in the middle set off for a three-week trip to Europe together, Kathy Sundstrom shares unexpected highlights from a memorable three-generation adventure.
Tell people you are going to Europe in February and they will generally assume you are travelling to Switzerland, Germany or Austria.
Rarely does anyone guess Poland but if there is one destination you should add to your European travel wish list, it should be this Central European wonderland.
The snow is excellent, the skiing is world-class and it is substantially cheaper than many other destinations. When you factor in the cost of accommodation, food and drink, it is also likely to cost less than a ski trip to Japan.
But Poland deserves attention for far more than its prices. This country is steeped in history, the architecture and countryside are spectacular and the people were the friendliest we had met on our three-country, three generation European holiday.
For nearly three weeks, my 85-year-old mum, 17-year-old daughter and I set off on a budget adventure through Vienna, Prague and several destinations across Poland.
It might sound like a comedy script, especially when one prefers people watching in coffee shops and another prefers Instagram, but it worked surprisingly well.
And the memories we made. Priceless.
When we first considered the trip, we weren’t sure about the practicalities, particularly travelling with an octogenarian. But we needn’t have worried. We had no trouble booking flights and found several options for travel insurance for my mum.
As long as you are fit and healthy, there is no reason not to travel and there is a hidden bonus to travelling with an older person – we were offered priority boarding, guaranteed an aisle seat for mum and were able to glide through customs like minor celebrities.
While we didn’t receive automatic upgrades, we certainly enjoyed special treatment. Just be sure to let airlines know well in advance if you require travel assistance to ensure staff are ready to help when you arrive at check-in.
We booked our flights from Sydney to Vienna on Turkish Airlines to avoid the drive to Brisbane and back and this proved to be a stroke of genius.
Travelling from Sunshine Coast Airport is so much more convenient and pleasant than battling the Bruce Highway. And while we had to spend a few hours waiting at Sydney, it was hassle-free and worth the peace of mind.
What we didn’t account for was how unaccommodating several of the European destinations we visited were for travellers with mobility issues.
When we arrived in Vienna, for example, the lift connecting the airport to the train platforms was not working, which meant juggling luggage, a wheelchair and tired bodies down escalators and stairs. And if you thought there might be staff available to help with tickets or platforms, you would be wrong – there was no one around to assist even in the middle of the day.
Before we travelled, we debated whether we should bring a wheelchair as mum is normally mobile and doesn’t use one at home. But we anticipated long days of walking and wanted her to experience everything with us, despite her protests that she would happily “just stay in the coffee shop”.
In hindsight, the wheelchair was a flop, except as a temporary trolley for storing luggage. Of the three main cities we visited, Vienna, Prague and Kraków, none were wheelchair friendly.
In Vienna we constantly had to lift the chair over street edges and steps, and navigating Prague’s famous cobblestones was another challenge entirely. No wonder we rarely saw elderly travellers wandering through some of the historic tourist areas of Europe’s most popular cities. And that’s a shame. Not everyone older wants to experience the world from a bus window.
Having said that, getting to Poland from anywhere in Europe is remarkably easy thanks to the continent’s public transport network. We travelled by train from Vienna to Prague and then took a FlixBus from Prague to Katowice in southern Poland and later a train back to Vienna. All were comfortable, efficient and surprisingly affordable. While Vienna and Prague are undeniably beautiful, it was Poland that completely took us by surprise.
The country feels modern, energetic and welcoming. Cafés are full, streets buzz with life and there is a sense of quiet confidence about the place.
We had wondered whether the war in neighbouring Ukraine might affect the atmosphere. In reality, life felt vibrant and optimistic everywhere we went.
Our first stop was Katowice, a modern city with lively cafés, contemporary architecture and a youthful energy that reflects Poland’s rapid transformation.
We had hoped to visit nearby Auschwitz, the largest of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps where more than 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives.
My daughter was keen to go, my mum, born during World War II, was less so. Either way, it didn’t matter. People from across the world visit there to pay their respects and to understand the atrocities of the Holocaust and it is so popular that you need to book tickets well in advance.
Instead, we visited the Silesian Museum located on the site of a former coal mine in Katowice. Much of the museum is built underground and the exhibitions offer insight into Poland’s complex past, from industrial growth to the devastation of war and decades of communist rule. (Tip: entry to the Museum is free on Tuesdays.)
Poland’s past has rarely been peaceful. For centuries the country has been caught up in other nations’ conflicts, from Napoleon’s campaigns in the 1800s to the devastation of World War II.
After the war, the Soviet Union installed a communist government that remained in place until democratic reforms in 1989.
Poland joined the European Union in 2004 but has retained its own currency, the złoty, rather than adopting the euro. It felt like Poland has recently awakened to its sense of possibilities and everyone is embracing it.
The people we met were proudly independent, patriotic and open about their faith, with around 70 per cent of the population identifying as Catholic.
While Katowice feels modern and youthful, nearby Kraków (about 85kms south) feels like stepping into a history book. Its vast medieval square, Gothic churches and horse-drawn carriages create an atmosphere that feels almost timeless.
And then there is the food.
Why has nobody ever mentioned Polish food before and are there any Polish restaurants on the Sunshine Coast because I am hooked?!
From Kapusta (Polish cabbage soup) to the country’s famous Pierogi Dumplings, the flavours are unusual, but delicious. I never knew cabbage could taste so good.
And don’t get me started on the bakeries full of tempting traditional Polish treats and even familiar treats made the Polish way – imagine waffles piled high with Oreos, chocolate and every other indulgent topping imaginable!
While we enjoyed snow in Katowice, the real winter magic lies in Zakopane at the base of the Tatra Mountains. It is postcard perfect with snow-covered rooftops, timber chalets and mountain views straight out of a storybook.
We arrived at the start of the February school holidays so it was busy, but the atmosphere was lively and festive.
Unlike many ski resorts, you do not need to stay halfway up a mountain to wake up with snow outside your window.
Zakopane’s main street, Krupówki Street, is closed to traffic and lined with street performers, cheese vendors, lively cafés and bakeries. An all-day lift pass and equipment hire costs roughly $100, or get a toboggan for less than $5 and spend hours sliding down slopes at break neck speeds. Unbelievable value.
Poland is also remarkably safe and at no point did I feel concerned for my safety or that of my teenage daughter, even walking through the streets late at night.
For us, Poland was the surprise highlight of the entire trip. So, if you are planning a European winter escape, it may not be the first destination that comes to mind. But perhaps it should be.
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