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Showing posts with label Kraków. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kraków. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 November 2021

Country Guide: Poland

Name: Poland (in Polish: Polska)

Continent: Europe

Capital (and Largest) City: Warsaw (in Polish: Warszawa)

Language: Polish

Currency: Polish Złoty

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type E

Description: Poland is a relatively large country in Eastern Europe, which borders the Baltic Sea in the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the south, as well as several other European countries. It is known for its historic cities, including Kraków, Warsaw and Gdańsk, and it's also a popular hiking and skiing destination.

Why You Should Visit: I had a really fantastic and memorable time in Poland when I volunteered there in 2019, teaching English with the Angloville programme. There are many beautiful places to see throughout the country (I only saw a few, but I would definitely go back in the future). In addition, the people are very friendly, and everything is cheap, so you're sure to have a great time!

Fun Fact: The world's largest castle (the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork) is located in Poland!


My Blogposts About Poland

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Kraków

Ciężkowice

- Volunteering in Poland With Angloville (Modrzewiowe Wzgórze)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Kraków)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Wawel Castle, Kraków)

- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Kraków)

- Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations (The Tatra Mountains)

Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Kraków)





















Clockwise starting from top left: St Mary's Basilica, Kraków; Wawel Castle, Kraków; Modrzewiowe Wzgórze; Statue of Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Ciężkowice; Kraków Cloth Hall

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Wednesday, 1 July 2020

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities

It's been a while since I last wrote a Travel Tips article, and as I won't be going on another outing until later this week and therefore have no new place to write about, I thought it was a good idea to use the spare time I've got today to write a little piece about my favourite cities. Besides, in recent weeks this blog has been filled with images of little towns and villages in the West Country, so now seems like a good moment to shake up its aesthetic a bit!

Visiting new cities is something I find really exciting. They all have their own personality; some are old-fashioned and charming, while others are shiny and modern. Some are situated by beautiful beaches, others are surrounded by mountain landscapes. And they all have their famous landmarks that tourists flock to, as well as their lesser-known gems which are harder to find.

I have been lucky enough to have visited many amazing cities across Europe, South America and Canada, and all of them have left some kind of impression on me. However, for this article I have narrowed my list down to just ten of my favourites as well as some honourable mentions.

I hope you enjoy reading my list!


10) Vaduz, Liechtenstein



















A European capital city quite unlike the rest is Vaduz. I visited this tiny city within a tiny country during my Year Abroad, and found it to be a fascinating place. With its mountaintop castle, it really is like something out of a fairytale. Additionally, it has two brilliant museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) and the Liechtenstein National Museum.

Read more about Vaduz here!



9) Lisbon, Portugal



















Last year, I ended up taking a spontaneous trip to Madrid and Lisbon, and while I liked Madrid, I really loved Lisbon. It's such a beautiful and colourful city, with amazing viewpoints from its many hills. My personal highlights were Castelo de São Jorge, Torre de Belém, Jardim Vasco da Gama and the botanical garden.

Read more about Lisbon here!



8) Kraków, Poland

Having visited several Eastern European cities, I have to say Kraków is my favourite. I went there last year when I took part in the Angloville volunteer programme teaching English in Poland, and I was so impressed by its magnificent architecture. Highlights include Wawel Castle and Rynek Główny, the city's main square, where you can find St Mary's Basilica (pictured above). 

Read more about Kraków here!



7) Valparaíso, Chile


Moving across to South America, the next item on my list is the amazing Chilean port city of Valparaíso, which is the capital of the region of the same name. Like Lisbon, Valparaíso is built on a series of hills and features many colourful buildings. It is also very famous for its vibrant street art which covers its walls and staircases (I particularly liked the one pictured above), and its funicular railways. The city has a very lively, Bohemian vibe, and I absolutely loved spending a day there during my semester in Chile.

Read more about Valparaíso here!



6) Bath, England, UK





Bath is the first of two British cities in my list, and it happens to be in my home region, the southwest of England. Many would consider Oxford to be the most beautiful city in England, but I would personally put Bath at the top of that list. In addition to its picturesque architecture, it also has a fascinating Roman and literary history; the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen museum are both must-see attractions. One thing I really like about Bath is that it feels like a truly European city, where different cultures are appreciated and signs are written in French! It was even used as a stand in for Paris in the 2012 Les Misérables movie, and Pulteney Bridge (pictured above) was the setting for Javert's final song.

Previously on this blog, I wrote about The American Museum in Bath, which is actually located quite far outside of the city. I plan on writing a post about the city centre soon.

Edit: I finally wrote a post about Bath in December 2020! Check it out here!



5) Montpellier, France


I spent a few weeks studying at a language school in Montpellier in the summer of 2017, which was definitely the best bit of the French part of my Year Abroad. Located in the Occitanie region in the south of France, Montpellier is an amazing city with beautiful architecture, plenty of green spaces, great weather and a nearby beach! I would really like to go back there at some point in the future.

Read more about Montpellier here!



4) London, England, UK


I'll round off my list with four great capital cities, starting with London. Although London is not far away from me, it's such a different place to Wiltshire (where I'm from), and I always find it so exciting to spend a day there. Throughout the city, you can really see the influence of different cultures from all around the world, which I find fascinating. Last time I was there, I visited Chinatown (pictured above), a really interesting area to see. Walking around there was like being transported to China, which for me was great, as I haven't been to Asia yet. (But I'll definitely go in the future!)

Read more about London here!


3) Paris, France




As much as I love London, Paris has to be my favourite European capital city. There's something just so magical about exploring its streets, parks and museums. My favourite parts are the Montmartre district (where you can find the Moulin Rouge club and the Sacré Cœur basilica), le Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries Garden, and of course, the Eiffel Tower! I don't think I could ever get bored of being in Paris, and I hope I can go back there in the future with my boyfriend.

Read more about Paris here!



2) Buenos Aires, Argentina


Back to South America, and the incredible city of Buenos Aires. I went there in February this year and had an amazing time. (I can't believe how much things have changed in the world since then...) My favourite part was La Boca district (pictured above) with its colourful buildings and tango dancers. I also loved Casa Rosada, Puente de la Mujer, Ecoparque BA, and the Japanese garden. I would 100 percent go back in the future, as there's just so much to see there.

Read more about Buenos Aires here!



1) Santiago, Chile


And finally, the award for my favourite city goes to Santiago. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, as this is the city where I used to live, where I met my boyfriend, and where I will be moving back to as soon as it's possible to do so. But objectively speaking, it really is a fantastic city to visit. Here you can find many examples of amazing architecture, such as the Costanera Centre (pictured above), beautiful green spaces like Parque Metropolitano (where I took this picture), as well as the impressive Andes mountains surrounding the city. I can't wait to move back there again!

Read more about Santiago here and here!



Well, I've had a lot of fun compiling that list, and I hope it can serve as travel inspiration for when the world starts opening up again!

By the way, my honourable mentions of other cities I've loved visiting are as follows: Udine, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bruges, Belgium; York, England, UK; Cardiff, Wales, UK; and Montréal, Québec, Canada.

I also have a long list of cities I would love to go to in the future, including: Brighton (Edit: I made it there in December 2020!), Edinburgh, Amsterdam (Edit: Made it there in December 2023!), Copenhagen, Tallinn, Riga, St Petersburg, Moscow, Barcelona, Granada, Rome (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens, Istanbul, Singapore, Sydney, Casablanca, New York, Miami, Havana, Cartagena and Rio de Janeiro (Edit: Made in there in December 2022!). Let's just say I'm not short of travel inspiration!

My next blog post will most likely be about the trip I'll be going on with my parents later this week, but I plan to write more Travel Tips articles in the near future...


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here! 

Monday, 19 August 2019

Kraków

The last ten days have been quite something! I just got back to England yesterday after volunteering in Poland with Angloville, helping young people learn English. It was such a fun and crazy time which I will remember forever.

I will write a few posts about my time in Poland in order to cover everything. Today I will start by writing about the city of Kraków, where my Angloville experience started and ended. The day before the programme officially began, there was a free tour of the city and a meal in a restaurant for any volunteers who were able to attend. The tour was a great way to meet some of the other volunteers coming to the same venue as me and to see the main sites of the city.

I liked Kraków even more than I thought I would. My favourite part was the main square, Rynek Główny, which is one of the largest market squares in Europe and includes St. Mary's Basilica, the Cloth Hall and the Town Hall Tower. It was really impressive to see in real life.








Every day at 13:00, someone plays a tune on a trumpet from the top window of the basilica. We were there at the right time to hear it!

The tour started at the Kraków Barbican, part of the historical defense network of the city. From there, we went on towards the city centre and then Wawel Hill.





It was cool to see that Kraków has a bridge just like the bridge of sighs in Venice.




An unexpectedly beautiful place was the courtyard of the Collegium Maius, the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University.




The final part of the tour was on Wawel Hill, where there is both a castle and a cathedral. This is one of the most famous parts of Kraków, and it was another really beautiful place.









After the tour, we had a three-course meal in a restaurant. It was the first time I'd had Polish food, and I really liked it. However, I wasn't as impressed with some of the other Polish food I tried during the programme!

I saw a few other nice sights during my first couple of days in Kraków, such as the opera house...




...this palace, which is now a Pizza Hut(!)...





...and this square in front of the railway station.




After the programme ended, I had one more day in Kraków before going back to England, which I spent hanging out with all the friends I made during the week. I definitely wish I could have had an extra day or two there, as it's a great city!

The majority of the programme took place at a hotel in the countryside. However, we did have a field trip to a small town nearby, Ciężkowice. I will write a small post about that next!