Skip to main content

POLAND (Part II) - Mountains and Castles

While in Poland visiting our friend Dorota, we were able to make a couple of side trips into the mountains in the south on the Czech border. Some friends of Dorota, Ela and her relatives took us for a tram ride and hike.

We also wandered through a spa resort community in the mountains.

We wandered through the resort, and also went for a walk through the woods to a waterfall.

On another day we were able to spend a couple of days with Dorota's bother Bogden, and his friend Lucy. The trip included lunch at a fish pond. Fresh fish straight out of the pond!

Stopped on the way, at a "wooden" church. The entire church and everything in it is made of wood.

We spent a day wandering through a castle.

The castle is surrounded by elaborate gardens.

Quite the dining hall, wouldn't you say?

Some former tenants of the castle...

Now that's what I call a real castle!

Stayed overnight in Poland's version of "Park City"

Another day we went hiking through the mountains to a lake. Their "trails" are much more developed and formal than what we are used to seeing in the U.S. and usually involve a restaurant along the trail.

Lovely, peaceful mountain scenery.

Rounded out the trip with a visit to a local mountain spa resort built during the German years.


Then we're off to another castle (ruins this time).


Ah, the trophy room!


Don't lose your head!  ...and then there's the village stocks, for public shaming...


We have coat racks, they had armor racks...


Of course, no mountain/castle tour would be complete without this little park full of miniatures of all the local castles and historical buildings. Didn't know there were so many in Poland.

These guys put the rest of Europe to shame...




Comments

  1. Hawaii HenDecember 6, 2020 at 1:46 AM

    What beautiful weather to enjoy your touring! The view looking down on the castle is spectacular!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A "LITTLE DRIVE" TO CROATIA - So much to see, so little time...

 In February we traded our condo share for a resort on the island of Brac in Croatia. Little did we know how COVID would decimate the tourist industry in that part of the world. Rather than fly, we decided to drive down, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Our trip took us through Slovenia and Croatia. On the way down we paused in Bled, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Plitvicka, and in Zadar and Opatija on the way back. On other post I have photos of Brac, Split, and Plitvicka. This one is dedicated to the trip down and back. With the split of Yugoslavia, after the war, Croatia received almost the entire Dalmatian coastline. This strip of rocky coast is sparsely inhabited. On the way down we took our time. Spent a couple of days in Slovenia. Lake Bled, just over the border from Austria is a must see (for Werner), if you have time- a great side trip. Tucked in between the Julian Alps, there's a quaint church on an island in the middle of the lake. We made it to Ljubljana, the capitol of Slo
Post a Comment
Read more

TYROL/ZILLERTAL/INSBRUCK

After several multi-week trips to surrounding countries we decided to check out another part of Austria. The most impressive mountains here are in the province of Tyrol, where Innsbruck is the capitol. We were able to book several nights in a private house in the Zillertal (a mountain valley in the middle of the Alps). On the way there you can take the freeway (autobahn) but the back roads are so much more beautiful. We drove and wandered through the mountains on the way. If you are ever in this area you need to stop for a few hours and walk the trails to the Krimml waterfalls. This series of waterfalls, the highest in Austria, cascade down the mountainside 385 meters. From Krimml you can take the highway, or you can pay a toll and drive over the mountains (definitely the better choice). On the way you pass several ski resorts, and of course mountain lakes. Now there's a scene straight out of the picture books. Alps, with little farm houses on the mountainside. If you're going
Post a Comment
Read more

WONDERFUL WATERFALLS!!!

Called the "Waldbachstrub," this short hike through the woods leads you along a roaring stream to several incredible waterfalls.   Three streams come together in this beautiful alcove.   Along the path this small waterfall begins to build your excitement and anticipation for what is still to come. The roaring stream alone is almost enough to make the walk complete. As you wander along the forest path next to the stream you find huge boulders that have come down off the mountain, and are now covered with moss, and even tall trees growing out of them. An occasional swimming hole along the way tempting you to jump in, if the water were just not sooooo cold!   The trail, and the stream start to get a bit steeper, which means more waterfalls along the way. The stream roars on down the canyon next to the path. The turquoise water is so clean and clear.   Now the stream is getting really rugged as it weaves its way through the boulders down
1 comment
Read more