(Part I of IV)
If not for the city of Wroclaw then my journey across Poland would have not been as memorable. I found very little charm in Warsaw. Looking at it objectively, I cannot really blame the city – Warsaw was bombed to the ground by Nazi Germany during WW 2 and, after the war, was hurriedly put back up in a collection of socialist buildings and steel structures. Krakow is unquestionably beautiful and historical, but it almost feels like it solely belongs to tourists. Although the city benefits greatly from all this attention I had difficulty finding an authentic experience, one that the locals and tourists can both share. Of the three cities I visited in Poland Wroclaw left the most favourable impression on me. It has preserved a lot of its history and, in that respect, outshines Warsaw. Although there are similarities to Krakow, Wroclaw does not come close to measuring up to that city’s awe and splendour, but still stands out by being more personable and genuine.
Wroclaw is situated in the Lower Silesian region of Poland (south-west of Poland), not far from the Czech Republic to the south and Germany to the west. There is is a market square, like in Krakow; buildings in the baroque architectural style; cathedrals and churches; a beautiful botanical garden and UNESCO world heritage sites. In an interesting contrast, mixed in with historic buildings are areas that have not been ‘touched-up.’ They look rugged but authentic, and even offer a somewhat more ‘alternative’ experience. After all, Wroclaw is also a college town and the young crowd there gives the city a creative and energetic atmosphere. Right behind the city’s resplendent main square lined with baroque buildings and elegant restaurants is a maze of narrow streets and tired buildings that hide modern art galleries and funky/artsy eating or drinking establishments where students get together. On a street that runs off the main square I happened on a very well stocked map and guidebook store. Inside were people looking at maps and guidebooks of far away countries in the world, curious to discover what lies out there. At night different parts of town hop to different beats and vibes, from opera and classical played in grand concert halls to jazz, rock and dance music played in intimate smoky bars.
Being a college town, Wroclaw offers a variety of different cultural events throughout the year. While I was there one of their cinemas ran an American Film Festival during. The films were all screened in English with Polish sub-titles and ranged from black and white classics like Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Great Dictator (1940)’ and Orson Wells’s ‘Citizen Kane (1941)’ to contemporary independent and art films. I jumped at this opportunity and caught a screening Woody Allen’s ‘Annie Hall (1977)’ and Jim Jarmusch’s ‘The Limits of Control (2009).’ Although only a few people watched those films with me, the cinema itself buzzed with activity. People of all generations were everywhere: conversing in the cinema’s cafe, sitting on stairs and reading a book or just hanging with a group, having a good time.
On my journey across eastern/central Europe Wroclaw was my last stop in Poland. Next on the itinerary was the city of Olomouc in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. The Lonely Plant guidebook reckons it to be the second most beautiful city in the Czech Republic after Prague – a considerable statement to make, so I thought I would see it for myself. However, right away, I ran into a problem: there is no direct way to get there. I had two options: (1) ride the train from Wroclaw and change trains three to four times to get to Olomouc or (2) ride the train back to Krakow – a 5-6 hour trip – then to Olomouc – an additional 4-5 hours.
I faced this same situation on several occasions during my journey across eastern/central Europe and I still get confused as to why, sometimes, it is unusually complicated to get from point A to point B. Especially when, on a map, point A is not that far away from point B! The locals I met during my journey get a good laugh when I tell them about my difficulties with transportation. Their reply is the same: ‘Welcome to our part of Europe.’ Nevertheless, I was faced with a choice – all I had to do was pick between the lesser of two evils. And that was when a random idea suddenly popped in my head: I’m not very far from the Czech Republic border, so why not cross over on foot then find transportation to Olomouc from the first town I come across?
On one fine morning I walked into the Wroclaw information centre to look for advice. The young man sitting behind the desk looked confused when I asked him for details on crossing the border on foot. After realizing I was not joking, he replied: ‘This is the first time anyone asked me this question. I’ve never heard of anyone crossing the border on foot.’ His colleague, a man in his thirties, smoothly slid into the conversation and said that crossing the border on foot is possible, adding that he has done it several times before. The young man who I first spoke with faded away and went to assist other travelers while his colleague spread out a map of the region and started fleshing out the details of a hiking plan.
It sounded outrageous: I start in the small town of Międzygórze, near the border, where I hike up the Sudetes mountain range to Śnieżnik – the highest peak of the Śnieżnik massif (1424 m) – then back down on the other side into the Czech Republic. The first village on my path is Stříbrnice. From there I can find a bus to the town of Staré Město, which is on the railway line to Olomouc. What is more, I have to do all this hiking while carrying a big backpack and a smaller day-pack stuffed with belongings for a year’s travel: over 20 kg of weight.
I hiked up hills and mountains many times before, but always with company. And after the hike there would always be a place to drive back to. Crossing the Polish-Czech border was taking it to another level: I was going to be all alone, with a map and compass as my only guides and with all my belongings on me. There would be nothing to return back to in Poland – the only way forwards is to hike up to the top of a mountain. It must be said that this is completely out of character for me. Not only am I not an outdoors person, but I would never attempt anything of this sort without a safety net. Ironically, these are the very reasons that drew me to this adventure. Curious to find out how I would measure up to this challenge, I went ahead with the hike.
Note from the Editor:
Mohamed Asem is a writer from Kuwait and currently on a journey across eastern/central Europe. When he was in Poland he visited Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw. During his stay in Krakow, he visited the Auschwitz Birkenau museum.
A Smile from Auschwitz