Beauty around us / Poland

The trip to Poland was a short photo trip. However, it was a memorable one, in many respects.

• WARSAW

Swiętokrzyski Bridge in front of National Stadium

The first surprise came with the city of Warsaw. Spotless, beautiful, with the air of the Russian shadow, as one would expect, but not in such a great degree as I had imagined.It’s got a lot of modern elements, as a big contemporary western city, which makes sense if you think that it was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War. (For a more complete picture, it is worth visiting the Warsaw Rising Museum, where, among other things, you will see an exceptional animation of Warsaw from above, right after the end of the war.)

There are a lot of remarkable things to see in Warsaw. Some of the most important ones are the restored old town, the beautiful Castle square, the Holy Cross Church with the monument of Chopin’s heart, some exceptional museums, such as Schindler’s Factory, the unique among its kind Fotoplastikon, as well as the smallest house in the world!

• KRAKOW

Next stop, Krakow.As opposed to Warsaw, Krakow surrendered to the Nazi almost without a fight, as it was the first one, and therefore the city today (especially its centre) is almost exactly as it used to be 70 years ago: a fairy-tale city!Everywhere around you there are castles, parks, walls, embrasures. It’s as if you are going back in time.Of course, like all nice things, it comes with a price: the onset of tourism is very intense. People from all over the world come here either to enjoy its special atmosphere or to use it as a base for their excursions nearby. 

• WIELICZKA SALT MINE

What is of great interest is the unique in the world spectacle of Wieliczka Salt Mine.Pictures and words are too poor to describe this miracle of nature and human intervention in it.Kilometres after kilometres of dug galleries for the extraction of the once priceless mineral and in between statues, representations of mythical creatures, restaurants, cafés, lakes, even churches!The descent on foot to the level where the guided tour starts is the best way to prepare yourself for the depth where this magical world lies hidden. A must-see. 

• AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU

*As for the concentration camps, I have nothing to say. I can’t. Being a photographer who likes photographing the joy of life, here my soul fell silent. The unspeakable horror that once took place here is just that: unspeakable. Let all these countless, miserable souls rest in peace.