In May 2011 I visited Poland. With a friend we travelled by car through Northern Germany along the Baltic Coast and entering Poland via the North-West in Szczecin, travelling down to the trendy city of Poznan, cultural Krakow and visiting the former 2nd world war concentration camp of Auswitchz.
Poznan city centre – enjoying the afternoon sun.
Krakow – “Rynek Główny” Square and the Kosciół Mariacki church. Up unti 1609 Krakow was the capital of Poland and a city centre dating back to the 13th Century. Sadly Krakow also knows a dark side during the 2nd world war.
In Kazimierz, the Jewish area of Krakow, it was wonderful to listen to typical Klezmer music.
A dally with a Polish man on Plac Nowy. He is waiting for his lunch snack a ‘Zapiekanki‘ – a kind of toasted frenchbread with smelly cheese (tasty!).
Local market on Plac Nowy
The empty chair: Plac Bohaterow Getta square – the Krakow Ghetto monument. A square filled with large empty bronze chairs to remember all the deported Krakow Jews whom were interned in the Jewish Ghetto of Krakow during the second world war. It is also possible to vist Schlindlers factory here.
Former concentration camp Auswitchz and the barracks. Barrack 21 was for the Dutch and Italian interned people. Jews, Roma, Homosexuals, Jehovas and prisoners of war. I read the chilling text “The only exit is through the chimney” around 1.1 tot 1,5 milion people lost their lives here.
Former Concentration camp Auswitchz.
Auswitchz, A silent witness… belongings of people whom passed through the camp.
The children who were in Auswitchz camp. A child’s dearly loved dolly.
NyasaTells 
I never really had Poland down as an ‘attractive’ place, but I have actually changed my mind having seen these images of the buildings there, and I have heard though heartbreaking as it is, Auswitchz camp is something everyone should see x
Thank you for your comment! Poland had never been on my ‘must do’ list. By chance we went there and I was so surprised. The cities are interesting, charming, trendy mixed with old, lots of history and of course the past. Auswitchtz still leaves me with goosebumps, even now when uploading the photographs. Poland I will certainly go back to, visit other cities and aparently the mountains under Krakow are beautiful.
It’s really odd how some places are like that, completely different to how we expected, When my friend and I go travelling we are going to visit Krakow so I can’t wait to see what it’s like there. x