If I get asked one question more than any other since I have lived in Warsaw, it is, “Why Poland?”. My original plan was to stay in Asia or more specifically SE Asia, but circumstances brought me here, to Warsaw. I thought I would probably stay in Poland for a year or a year and a half, but thanks to the pandemic I have been in Poland for over four years with plans to leave at the end of this year. During this time I have discovered more and more reasons as to, “Why Poland?”.
I have probably mentioned that Warsaw is a great city. Poland’s capital is home to about 1.8 million people. Called the “Phoenix City”, 85% of Warsaw was destroyed by the end of WWII. Most of Old Town Warsaw, including the Royal Castle, was destroyed. It was meticulously rebuilt using as many original bricks as possible and studying original architectural plans, photos, and postcards. The rubble was even sifted through to gather reusable decorative items which were returned to their original places. Warsaw is home to over 50 museums and 71 universities offering 983 study programs. It’s no wonder it attracts a large number of international students. Warsaw ranks in Europe’s top ten greenest and most eco-friendly cities. One of my favorite things about Warsaw is the fabulous public transportation system.
The rest of Poland boasts 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites with the Historic Center of Krakow being the first recognized in 1978 and in July 2021 the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians were added to the list.
The first time I came to Warsaw was October 31, 2014. I was living in Paris and a friend from the States was in Poland. We were to meet up in Warsaw, this friend will remain unnamed as the meet-up didn’t take place…what can I say…shit happens. I arrived in Warsaw and he ended up somewhere in the mountainous region of Poland training for a fight. I didn’t let this little hiccup spoil my trip. I have no idea where I stayed, other than it was on the outskirts of the city. I took a bus from near my hotel and remember getting off and seeing the Palace of Culture and Nature. It was cold, grey, and gloomy…the city looked as I expected an Eastern European city to look. Now that I look back on that, and I remember thinking that exact phrase about Eastern Europe, it sounds pretty, I don’t know, prejudiced. So, I ask you, do you have a preconceived idea of an Eastern European country/city? If you do, as I did, let me tell you my first impressions of Warsaw were wrong. Also, Poland considers itself Central Europe, not Eastern.
Warsaw is a vibrant, cosmopolitan, ever-expanding city. Warsaw has so much more to offer than Old Town, the Chopin Museum, the Palace of Culture and Nature, the Uprising Museum, and the Polin. During the spring and summer, Sunday afternoons offer free Chopin concerts in the beautiful Lazienki Park. In the Praga district, you will find quirky urban art, trendy cafes and restaurants, and pre-war buildings.
Warsaw is becoming known for its food scene. The December 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) said, “Reshaping its culinary identity with a blend of heritage recipes, classic flavours, and fresh techniques, the Polish capital is ready to shed its reputation for dumplings and vodka.” The author visited Warsaw’s only Michelin Star Restaurant, NUTA, whose, Chef Andrea Camastra, comes from Bari in Italy originally, but moved to Poland 12 years ago. When asked about Warsaw’s food scene, Camastra pointed out how Warsaw’s dining scene has changed in the years he’s lived here. “It’s much more cosmopolitan than I remember. There are some extraordinary restaurants in Warsaw — we have all different kinds of cuisine here.” Camastra continued his praise, saying that Warsaw is a great place to live and that it has an exciting, creative buzz. He speaks of sentiments of loss through war and communism. “That’s probably why everybody cares so much about the city,” he says. I have to agree and I have a few favorites of my own.
I can’t believe how many buildings have gone up in the four years I have lived in the city center. My neighborhood was somewhat quiet in February of 2020. Now it is a bustling area and one of the most popular places to live and work. With the award-winning Fabryka Norblina, a short three-minute walk down my street, and the Browary Warszawskie a five-minute walk in the opposite direction, I am never at a loss for places to go.
As you can probably tell, I could go on and on about all the great things about Warsaw and Poland. Most people don’t have Poland on their travel radar. If someone tells me they are going to Europe, that most likely means Italy, France, Spain, or the UK, not Poland. Poland does have it all. We have historic cities, beautiful mountains, and the Polish seaside on the Baltic. I have had family and friends visit me in Poland and I think they would all tell you they were pleasantly surprised and it was more than they expected. So back to my original musing…..Why Poland? When I moved here in February 2020, I would have said, “I don’t know, it’s Europe…I can run off to Paris for a weekend…I like Europe… I had a job offer.”
Poland is a beautiful and amazing country and I immersed myself in its culture. Now I can say, “I like it here, I feel at home….why Poland? Why not Poland?”
There you have it, Part Three and the conclusion of Places I Have Lived. In closing, I had to decide to make a plan to leave Poland. I love living here, but it was never my intention to stay. It is a very easy place to get comfortable which makes leaving all the more difficult. I plan to spend the summer on the Black Sea in Bulgaria and then start to eliminate almost everything I have accumulated over the last four years. Some things I will ship back to the USA and much I will give away. Hopefully, I will be left with only what I can carry as I embark on extended travel to parts of the world that will be new to me. Also maybe visiting some of my old stomping grounds. As Hans Christian Anderson said, “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live.”
Down the Rabbit Hole 