I’ll say one thing for carefree Caribbean cruises: unlike a trip to Poland, you’re not constantly reminded of humanity’s bottomless capacity for inhumanity. (You are, however, reminded of humanity’s bottomless capacity for buffet food.)
In the words of Ronald Reagan – who is revered by Poles and other citizens of the former Eastern Bloc – there I go again, starting on a negative note. I started writing this post shortly after watching a movie called “Conspiracy” on the ride from Warsaw to Krakow. Starring Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, and Colin Firth, the movie dramatizes the 1942 Wannsee Conference, where SS General Richard Heydrich (Branagh) rammed through the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish problem.” This was an appetizer of sorts for our trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau on Wednesday.
I’ll start over. On Monday morning, we left the new-old town of Warsaw, which had been levelled by the Nazis, for the old-old town of Krakow, which was spared the Nazis’ bombs because the party’s leadership envisioned Krakow as a post-war paradise to be repopulated by Germans once the incumbent Poles were “evacuated.” (In addition to murdering 3 million Polish Jews, the Nazis killed 3 million non-Jewish Poles – in all, Poland lost nearly 20 percent of its pre-war population by 1945.)
Oops – still negative. Third time’s the charm, I promise.
Krakow is in southern Poland, around 180 miles from Warsaw. Viking broke up the bus ride with a stop at Jasno Góra monastery, which was founded in 1382. The monastery houses the Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, also known as “Black Madonna.” The icon was slashed by Hussites – followers of the Czech religious reformer Jan Hus – in 1430, then restored.
After the monks repelled an invasion by Sweden in 1655 – I guess catapult-launched meatballs aren’t particularly lethal, though they might cause serious heartburn – the icon was proclaimed Queen of Poland. Since then, it has been credited with answering countless prayers, as reflected in tributes and gifts both modest and lavish.
The chapels and basilica are spectacular. There are two organs, one with 105 stops and one with 15, and every inch of space is gilded (Catholic gilt?), painted, or carved with stunning religious images.
The monastery also houses a Treasury with priceless relics and gifts from kings, popes, and wealthy families – including a gold ring donated by Robert F. Kennedy in commemoration of his brother, John.
Elsewhere on the grounds, the “600th Anniversary Museum” has a phenomenal collection of memorabilia, including a cross made from the rubble of the Twin Towers, mementos from Solidarność, and an impressive display of antique musical instruments.
As an appetizer of sorts for our visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau on Wednesday, after reboarding the bus we watched a movie called “Conspiracy,” starring Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, and Colin Firth. It takes place around the dining room table of a spectacular villa expropriated from a Jewish industrialist, where a dozen Nazi leaders, while sipping fine wines, discussing the merits of Schubert’s music, and dining on gourmet delicacies, approve a plan to exterminate every Jew in Europe.
In Krakow, we’re staying at the well-appointed Sheraton Grand, which faces the Vistula River, sits in the shadow of Wawel Castle, and borders ultra-charming old town Krakow. Feeling shaken (not stirred) after the movie, I recentered myself by strolling through the town.
Krakow is delightful, delicious (see below), and de-lovely. (OK, I’ve now gone from Reagan to 007 to Cole Porter. Sometimes my range astonishes me.)
This city of 800,000 contains 200 Catholic churches, some dating back more than a thousand years; spires reach heavenward wherever you look. We stepped inside the magnificent 13th century Basilica of St. Mary to witness the opening of the altar. This church is so beautiful and popular that there is a two-year waiting list to schedule a wedding there.
Spacious cobblestoned squares are lined with pristine palaces (fancy homes) from centuries past, now containing all manner of boutiques, purveyors of amber, jewelers, and some of the classiest souvenir shops I’ve ever seen.
More shops line the Krakow Cloth Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting in the middle of the main square, the Cloth Hall was built in the 15th century to house merchants selling imported silk and spices.
Today, you can buy religious icons, carved figures of klezmer musicians, porcelain, fur hats, and, of course, silk. Or, like me, you can just feast your eyes on the colorful wares.
Around the main square and lining every side street that are restaurants with cuisines from around the world. Among others, I saw Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Ukrainian (there are many refugees here from Mr. Putin’s war), Georgian, Indian, American (Mickey D’s and KFC, to be exact), and of course, Polish.
And then there are the desserts: all manner of bakeries, confectioners’ shops, and gelaterias.
Street vendors peddle obwarzanki, a sort of bagel/pretzel hybrid that’s a symbol of Krakow. Sandor bought some for us, and I can assure you they would provide sufficient reason to visit Krakow even if there were nothing else here to see.
On Tuesday morning, we briefly visited the city’s old Jewish Quarter, home to Oskar Schindler’s factory. We stopped at a memorial square dotted with dozens of stark chairs, each one representing 1000 Jewish residents of Krakow who were murdered by the Nazis.
Our next stop, Wawel Castle, was the old seat of government when Poland was a kingdom. Unfortunately for Poland, its last king, Stanislaw II, was head over heels in love with Catherine the Great of Russia, which caused concerns among Poles about undue foreign influence.
After lots of political machinations, Poland was partitioned between Prussia, Russia, and Austria in 1795, and it didn’t reemerge as an independent political entity until after World War I. Perhaps there’s a lesson there for current times: don’t get in bed with a Russian leader.
On Tuesday afternoon, I booked a tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine – a must for any well-seasoned traveler, so to speak. Let me be crystal clear: this tour is a no-briner. (The mine was turned into a tourist attraction after salt extraction became unprofitable.)
The tour costs 295 Polish zlotys (around $81 US). It lasts roughly two hours and visits three of the mine’s nine levels, going as deep as 135 meters underground. The chambers we visited, which were excavated over the past 400 years, contain spectacular rock salt sculptures and tableaux.
There’s even an enormous chapel that hosts masses and concerts, decorated with magnificent reliefs carved by three miners.
The tour involves 800 steps, all but ten of which are descending. (You ascend via a tiny but speedy lift.) I found it comfortable underground; the two kilometers of walking are level, the temperatures are cool (16C, around 61F), and there are no tight spaces except the elevator back to the surface.
If you’re in Krakow, or if you’re just looking for your lost shaker of salt – Jimmy, meet Ronald, James, and Cole – the salt mine tour is not to be missed.
PuffinlessTravel 
Sensational photos. I especially like the moon shot between the Basilica of St. Mary and the Church of St. Adelbert.