Poland

Posted on: November 06, 2008 at 4:14PM

If you are in Berlin and have always wanted to see a bit of Poland, then 90 minutes to the east is a city called Szczecin. I lived here for a year teaching ESL. This can be a day trip, but if longer you will find that Szczecin, once as part of Prussia, was considered the “Paris of the North”, the heart of the city is a star-shaped square, with long adjoining avenues. In the 16th century it was the Historical capital of the Prussian province of Pomerania, the Dukes' Castle still exists for touring. Szczecin is about nature, the Oder River, lakes, woods and parks that take up half of the city area. The Central Cemetery in Szczecin is the third largest in Europe and one of the largest on the world. I was there for all saints day and saw hundreds of families lighting candles, picnicking, praying, drinking and talking around the cemetery which has huge lawns, fountains and woods with massive sectioned areas for the Polish military, Russians, Jews, Germans, and Catholic priests. Fabulous Polish soups and at either of my two favorite cafes, Café Galleria or Sextants, you can find both of these are within a short walk from the castle. See anyone under 30 years of age? More than likely they speak English.Taxis are inexpensive, but have your destination written down in Polish. Historic! Relax in Nature! report a problem