A self-chauffeured tour through the South of Poland does not seem to be a mundanity. At least we got that feeling upon expressing such a wish at the travel agency. I think it’s weird. After all, Poland belongs to the EU. So why is it then easier to book a trip to Thailand, the States or even to Australia and arrange for a round trip over there? Well, we do not lose our hearts that quick. There is a travel agency in Hamburg that specializes in Poland. They can also serve individual requests. Fine. As usually, I checked out worthwhile landmarks in advance. I wanted to combine cultural highlights such as Wroclaw and Krakow with extensive hikings in the “Riesengebirge”, the High Tatras, the Carpathian Mountains and the Holy Cross Mountains.
Finally the program is set. We take the train to Wroclaw. There we receive our rental car. Next day our fortnight adventure starts. And I can honestly say: Every day is something special. Whether it is the castle-tour through the “Hirschberger”valley on bikes, the ascent of the “Schneekoppe”, marveling at the beautiful city centre of Krakow, the Five-Lakes-hike within the Tatra Mountains or a breathtaking border triangle tour in the Carpathian Mountains – we are thrilled by South Poland, the nice people, the magnificent buildings, the beautiful nature.
We are surprised by the vast array of landmarks in the South of Poland. Besides we travel amongst Polish people most of the time, only little tourists around us. It is because we are travelers not tourists. And we are proud of Europe, to live on a continent that is free and where living and travelling is free – no border controls, simply based on trust. It is a wonderful feeling and I hope it stays like this in the future.
