Where I’ve been:
- Warsaw & Krakow 2018 ( My first time in Poland during my exchange in Riga 2018 )
- Krakow & Zakopane Janury 2025
My first time in Poland during my exchange in Riga 2018
” The mermaid in the centre of Warsaw’s Old town “
From the 30th of March 2018 to the third of April I went in Poland for holidays ( Warsaw and Cracow ) from Riga where I was living in that period during my 4th year of university. I organized this trip with one of my best friend Perla that I met her in Riga in the first semester.
DAY 1 – Friday 30.03.18
( Night at: Oki Doki Old Town Hostel Warsaw )
” Old town Warsaw “
” Lazienki park “
We depart from Riga at 3.00 am we did more then four hors by bus to go in Vilnius where we had our flight to Warsaw, that was one of my funniest flight because our flight from Vilnius was at 9:10 am and we arrived in Warsaw Chopin at 9:00 am while Warsaw is one hor back instead of Vilnius.
Then we took a bus to the city center we suppose to stay at the Oki Doki Hostel so we went there by walk afetr the bus, but once we where there the receptionist told us that they don’t have any reservation and they have an other hostel in the old town so we took Taxify to the Hostel in the old town. Super exausted from the journey we walk around the old town randomly and we stopped for the luch at the Sznyt reastaurant precisely in the main square.
Later we took a taxify to the Lazienki park while it was a very sunny day, that was very enjoiable spend a bit time outdoor.
For dinner we traied to eat the famous Pierogi just out of our hostel at the polskie pierogi zapiecek restaurant, personally I didn’t ike it at all. Then we went traight to the bed super tired from the long day that we had, and the early alarm the next day.
DAY 2 – Saturday 31.03.18
” Cracow’s Rynek Główny grand square “
” Walking through the Old towm of Cracow “
” Wawel castle “
We woke up at 4 am to go to Cracow, we took again the taxify to the train station then the train was at 5:00 am and we arrive in Cracow around 9 am, the weater wasn’t halping us, I mean very cold and cloudy, terrible, none around looks like a death city, we just stopped in the first bar for have a breakfast.
Then we went in the main square of the city, Rynek Główny Square very big and suggestive unfortunately for the weater that we weren’t lucky, then we walked up to the Wawel Castel very beautiful buildings nad grat view.
Later we went in a randomly restaurant in the old town to eat somethings, we took the last walk around the city and then we took again the train to Warsaw where we arrive ther around 7 pm or even earlier.
Straight to the hostel very nice and welcoming atmosphere in the bedroom we were eight person if I remeber well but we didn’t really socialize with ours roomate, just quck shower and then dinner at Sznyt reastaurant the same as we had the lunch the prevois day and after clubbing at level 27, very grat club we had a lot of fun.
( Actually the plan of the day was to visit auschwitz that’s really near to Cracow but we could’t becouse all the tickets were sold out while was easter holidays period ).
DAY 3 – Sunday 01.04.18
” Easter lunch at pijalnia restaurant “
Easter day, we were totally in hagover from the night before and those days very instensive so we put the alarm at 10:30/11 am.
I woke up that Perla was sceaming on her grandma for wishing an happy easter, that was too funny and super epic!! Then we get ready to the luch easter, expect something cool for celebrate but then every restaurant were closed so we eat a pijalnia restaurant also this one just in the end of the street of our hostel.
We walked around but the city was truly empty then we come back in hostel for rest a bit, we socialized with the staff and the others guest and we had a traditional easter Mexican soup and then we played few games together, then we left the hostel for meet Sofy one of my class mate of the second semester in Riga, that she was in Warsaw with her mother. So we eat and drink somethings more together and then we went to teatro cubano for clubbing, one of the funnies club that I have been in my life, we really had a good night and we met also all the guys from the hostel.
DAY 4 – Monday 02.04.18
” In the old town of Warsaw with Perla “
” The palace of culture and science “
The last day in Warsaw for me was really hard I was kind of sick because a get the cold staing outside and visinting all the time and the weather dis’t help us.
So we went out of the hostel for the lunch time we eat in a randomly restaurant and then we visited all the places that we didn’t explore yet like the Polin museum of history of Polish jews actually we tried to visit it because was close when we tried to get inn, so we opted for the jews cemitery and then we come back to the hostel with taxify to pick up our bags, but before going to the bus station for the sunset we visit the Palace of the culture and science where we found an unexpected amaizing view of the city.
Then we eat for the dinner at the shopping center next to the bus stop and then we took the bus at 9.00 pm to come back in Riga.
DAY 5 – Tuesday 03.04.18
We arrived in Riga in the morning around 11 am ( around 14th hours of bus ) after that we spent all night in the bus trying to sleep, and then I slept all day at home tired to get some rest from the trip.
Poland 2025
( Karczma & Noclegi HONIELNIK up with the funicular in Polana Szymoszkowa, Zakopane )
We organized Poland ski trip me Carmel and our friends Maria and Jayson before leaving Australia, because I never ski or snowboard in my life so I was more then happy to try in a cheap and beautiful country. So finally around new year we were able to organize everything so after my mum’s birthday we took a plane to Krakow to meet the in Zakopane while two mornings we did ski and snowboard lessons. The after we visited Krakow the area around and Auschwitz as well.
DAY 1 – Monday 13.01.25
( Night at: Czarna Willa, Zokapane )
( Landing in Krakow with Ryanair )
Woke up very early at 6 am got ready and my mum took me to Vercelli train station where I took the train at 7:16 am to Fiera and then the second train at 8:21 am to Milan Central station where I met Carmel again and we went for breakfast in a coffee place in the station and then we took the first bus available to Malpensa airport where we catch the flight at 13:05 pm and we landed in Krakow at 15:00 pm. We got the luggage and then we supposed to wait three hours for the bus Flixbus to Zakopane that we already purchased but we didn’t wanna wait so we decided to take a city bus to the main train station in Krakow and from there a bus to Zakopane which it wasn’t any faster our plan unfortunately and we still made it in Zakopane around 9 pm where we just walk to the hotel and we went straight to sleep.
DAY 2 – Tuesday 14.01.25
( Night at: Czarna Willa, Zokapane )
( All together before going snowboarding and skiing in Zakopane )
Woke up at 7 am had breakfast at the hotel and then at 8:20 am Goski they comes to pick up us at the hotel to take us to have our first snowboard lesson at Stok Narciarski Gigant which it lasted two hours and then we went back to the hotel got change went out for lunch at Karczma u Fiakra where we had soup and pirogi which it was amazing. Then in the noon we went to practice by ourselves in a little slope behind our hotel called Lipki and then later on in the evening by 5 pm we met Maria and Jayson at Pstrąg Górski Browar Rzemieślniczy restaurant where we had a nice dinner and we chat a bit, after dinner we said goodbye and we went back to our hotel to sleep.
DAY 3 – Wednesday 15.01.25
( Night at: Czarna Willa, Zokapane )
( Lunch at Karczma u Fiakra, Zakopane )
We woke up around 7 am had breakfast and then after around 9 pm we meet we Maria and Jayson to go practice snowboarding with them at Stok narciarski Gigant where we were the day before, it was a bit better I was getting more confident step by step and they helped us a lot as well. The we decided to go to a bigger slope in Polana Szymoszkowa where we tried few times in the small slope and then we went in the highest one where we stopped at Karczma & Noclegi bar to have an hot chocolate and then we went back down where we took few pictures and then we went for lunch in the first bar outside of the slopes where we had a hot soup. Then we left the equipment at the Goski school and we went back to the hotel get change and then order an other taxi to go to Chochołowskie Termy that we bought the evening entry ticket at 7 pm. It was very nice we totally loved it was almost like a party and then around 9:30 pm we waited for the shuttle to go back in Zakopane and we got dropped off at the hotel and we immediately went to sleep.
DAY 4 – Thursday 16.01.25
( Night at: Czarna Willa, Zokapane )
( Me and Carmel during our first ski lesson, Zakopane )
We woke up at 7 am had breakfast and then the ski instructor from Goski comes to pick us up around 9 am she was a bit in late we went to the Goski shop we got the ski equipment and then we went again to Stok narciarski Gigant which is the slope for beginners and then we return all the equipment after two hours lesson, went back to the hotel and had lunch at Stodoła with Maria and Jayson and said goodbye to them that they were about to go back in Australia. The me and Carmel we went back to the hotel very tired we nap a bit and then in the evening we went out to take some pictures of the village and had dinner again at Pstrąg Górski Browar Rzemieślniczy and after dinner we went back to sleep.
DAY 5 – Friday 17.01.25
( Night at: Ibis Budget, Krakow )
( A horse cart in Krupówki street in Zakopane )
We woke up at 8 am had breakfast in the hotel did the check out and then we walked around took same picture and then we had an hot chocolate at Góralskie Praliny and some hot wine in the street while we took pictures of the village. Then we went back to the hotel pick up the luggage called a taxi and we went to the bus station where we catch the first bus available to Krakow central station at 3 pm and we got there after two hours so we did the check in at the new hotel and then we took an uber to go for dinner at Kuchnia u Doroty which we had a really nice polish dinner and then we took an uber back to the hotel and we went to sleep.
DAY 6 – Saturday 18.01.25
( Night at: Ibis Budget, Krakow )
( “Arbeit macht frei” Auschwitz, Poland )
Woke up at 4:50 am got ready and work to the meeting stop near our hotel to start the tour to Auschwitz – Birkenau at 5:35 am with box lunches included. It was very interesting and worth it visiting with a local guide explaining everything. Then once we finish the tour we got back in krakow and we decided to go to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine Kopalnia Soli which Maria recommended so we took the train to go there at 2 pm and then we did a guided tour in the Salt Mine it was pretty interesting actually and then we train back to krakow around 5 pm it was only 20 minutes ride. Once we went back we went straight out for dinner at Kuchnia u Babci Maliny Resto&Bar which it was absolutely amazing with the live piano musician playing and the food was very good as well. Then we walked back to the hotel and we went to sleep.
DAY 7- Sunday 19.01.25
( Night at: Ibis Budget, Krakow )
( Wawel Royal Castle-State Art Collection, Krakow )
We woke up at 8 am and got ready to go for breakfast since the hotel didn’t have breakfast included so we chose Camelot Cafe a very pretty and cozy restaurant. Then we had the free walking tour booked at 10:15 am we the meeting point at St. Mary’s Basilica an from there we walked all around the city discovering new stuff about it with this amazing tour guide where we finished the tour at lunch time in Wawel Royal Castle-State Art Collection. We went for a quick lunch at Piwnica pod Kominkiem and then by 3 pm we went to Kazimierz area to start the noon free walking tour with the same guy but about the Jews history in Krakow during the Second World War. It was very interesting we very liked it and we had a little break at Singer bar which it was wonderful and then we kept going visiting the Jewish ghetto and the Jewish Ghetto Memorial. Once we finished the tour we walked back to the hotel very tired from the day.
DAY 8 – Monday 20.01.25
( Flying with KLM to Geneva, Switzerland )
Woke up at 7 am got ready pack everything and did the check out at the hotel, we went to the train station by walk while we had a quick breakfast there and then we bought a train ticket at 9:06 am to the airport. We waited around the airport while I was sending cv and the we embarked at Krakow, John Paul Ii Balice Airport (KRK) the flight to Amsterdam 11:45 am, which was a little bit in late and it went very smooth and it was a very short flight as well and around 2 pm we landed in Amsterdam. Then we kind of had to run because we were scared to loose the next flight to Geneva which it was at 15:10 pm and we landed at 16:40 pm in Geneva where we collect the luggage’s and then we took a Flixbus which actually was an other company to Chamonix at 6 pm. Once we get in Chamonix from the bus station we walked to the hotel and then we just went to sleep because we were tired from the day since we did four countries in one day.
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