Träwelling wiz ze Deutsche Bahn

As energy and fuel prices soared in 2022, the German government decided to introduce a public transportation pass valid across the entire country for only €9 per month during summer.
The catch:Read more
Stuck in Elsterwerda

It was just too good to be true. The trains weren't chock-full of people. The air conditioning worked on all of them. In the first two I was able to observe a couple and their dog (who'd start barkingRead more
Goodbye Berlin - Hello Poland!

Having arrived in Berlin much later than planned, I called it a night and went straight to bed.
Early the next morning, it was time to head east and cross the border to Poland.
Another day on the train

The train from Berlin arrived late in Poznan (obviously), so I was happy I had booked the next train an hour later than the schedule had proposed. That gave me enough time to successfully navigateRead more
Taking it reeeaaaal slow

I spent most of the morning chit-chatting with the other guests of the small, quiet Evergreen Hostel, which basically is a large apartment with three dorm rooms and an ample kitchen with living roomRead more
Wawel Hill

The closest attraction (apart from the ARCADE GAME AND PINBALL MUSEUM - which I took a mental note of, but didn't feel like spending the day indoors) was Wawel Hill.
Legend says that a huge dragonRead more
The Dragon's Den

After some geocaching on Wawel Hill, I took the exit through the Dragon's Den. For a fee of 9 zloty you can descend a spiral staircase in the outer fortification wall of the complex into the caveRead more
Local Cuisine Part I: Pierogi 🥟

What to eat in Krakow? Well, I have a few things on my foodie bucket list for this trip and started with some traditional pierogi. Nick, the hostel owner, had e-mailed some recommendations and IRead more
Jewish History Tour

In the afternoon, I joined a Walkative free walking tour of Kazimierz and the former ghetto, which are, contrary to what I had thought, not one and the same.
Over the course of three hours, ourRead more
Local Cuisine Part II: Zapiekanka

According to our tour guide, Kazimierz in the early 90s was very run down and one of the quarters to avoid unless you wanted to get mugged or were involved in some semi-illegal activity.
AfterRead more
Day trip to Zalipie

Once upon the late 1800's, a lady in a the faraway village of Zalipie was decorating her chairs and dining table with floral patterns, as was customary in her region. She liked it so much, that sheRead more
Wieliczka Salt Mine

After a rather disagreeable night at the new hostel (Evergreen's was fully booked for the weekend), I had a relatively early start on Sunday to head to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, an UNESCO heritageRead more
Local Cuisine Part III: The Milkbar

I emerged from the mines quite hungry, so I directed my steps towards an establishment that had been recommended to me by several people: Bar Mleczny Targowy - the Targowy milk bar.
What sounds likeRead more
An Evening Stroll (& Local Cuisine IV)

As the sun started to set over the city, I took an evening stroll to the center. The well-kept main market square, lined by restaurants and leisurely, kind of relaxed hustle and bustle stands in starkRead more
The Hostel in the Mountains

Zakopane was a destination many travelers had been telling me about. In particular, they were holding a torch for a particular hostel named Good Bye Lenin, so I decided to check it out.
I hopped onRead more
The Eye of the Tatra Mountains

Having only one full day in the Tatra mountains and not having packed any appropriate hiking clothes and shoes, I decided to do the most easily accessible hike (17.5 km): Morskie Oko, or the 'BlueRead more
No Cheese for Me in Zakopane

I was surprised to find that my leg muscles were only slightly sore this morning. Nevertheless, I had development a severe case of chafing, so another hike definitely was out of the question.Read more
Krakow Old Town

Sometimes it takes being in another country to finally meet up with a friend you haven't seen in a while. Aga is a fellow graduate from Germersheim (where I completed my Master's) and she happened toRead more
A Very Magical Evening

While wandering the streets, I had spotted a rather inconspicuous sign out of the corner of my eye. A post with a wooden owl and a board that read 'Leaky Cauldron'.
We entered the passageway betweenRead more
Local Cuisine V and a Full Train

The last day in Krakow had arrived and it was time to start heading back west via Wroclaw and Dresden.
I met up with Aga and Dominic to check out the crafts market next to the Cloth Hall beforeRead more
Neon Side Gallery

Exhausted and slightly dehydrated, I finally arrived in Wroclaw having learned the lesson: Book your trains well in advance and bring twice the amount of water you think you need.
After checking intoRead more
Wroclaw

Today it rained quite a bit, but that didn't keep me from having a closer look at Wroclaw's historic city center.
With its gothic churches, baroque university edifices, 19th century brickRead more
Gnomes Everywhere!

One of the things I enjoyed most about my day in Wroclaw was... searching for gnomes!
All over the city, but especially on and around the main square, you'll discover little gnome statues pursuingRead more
Poland Cost Summary & Practical Info

I left Wroclaw early in the morning and spent another full day traveling by train to Nuremberg via Zgorzelec/Görlitz, Dresden, and Erfurt. After a series of delays to get to DresdenRead more