From Pieniny mountains of Poland, we drove south and crossed into Slovakia, headed east along the lonesome countryroad number 77, passing by hills upon rolling hills of grasslands and several villages with Russian names written in Cyrilic. Our destination? Dukla in Poland. Dukla?!?!? What the heck's in Dukla??? Here it is in pictures. We came … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Dukla, a Rococo Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Dunajec Castle by a Lake in Southern Poland, in Pictures
Castle ruins, lakes and ... beer (at least for these weary parents). That seems like the theme for our road trip this year--all in Poland. Here's another castle on Lake Czorsztyn in southern Poland: the 14th-century Castle Dunajec atop an outcrop that guards the entrance to when the lake turns into the Dunajec river. What … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Dunajec Castle by a Lake in Southern Poland, in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Czorsztyn Castle by a Lake in Southern Poland, in Pictures
Found an alternative to mountain hiking in the Pieniny mountains! More castles!! There are so many castles in this neighborhood! The 15th-century well-preserved remains of the Czorsztyn castle is a family-friendly, kid-approved thing to see in southern Poland. Onwards, upwards, the boys marched on. . . It's about a half a kilometer uphill walk from … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Czorsztyn Castle by a Lake in Southern Poland, in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Camping Trzy Korony in the Pieniny Mountains in Pictures
Camping with a view of "Trzy Korony" (or Three Crowns peak) in Pieniny mountain range in southern Poland. It's actually a municipal camping in a 700 year old village right at the Polish-Slovak border. In a word this municipal camping in Sromowce Niżne village is about simplicity and that's what we liked about it. Here … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Camping Trzy Korony in the Pieniny Mountains in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Krakow Camping Smok Review in Pictures
It's near Krakow, between Energylandia and Wieliczka salt mines and Krakow--that's what's good thing about this Camping Smok. Here is a campground review in pictures. . . on our family road trip number 5. Five different camping areas. Ours (shown) is near the top level and it's quite shaded. We have an extra tent for … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Krakow Camping Smok Review in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Wieliczka Salt Mines in Pictures
Salt--essential to life and once a commodity that gave rise to cities and civilizations. And it doesn't just come from the sea. Duh to me! Wieliczka salt mine in southern Poland fueled the rise and wealth of the Kingdom of Poland. Did you know that the word "salary" came from the Latin word "sal"? Apparently … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Wieliczka Salt Mines in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Wadowice–a Saint’s Hometown in Pictures
Wadowice. Have you heard of this little town in southern Poland? How about Karol WojtyÅ‚a. Do you know him? Before he was canonized by the catholic church (that means before he became saint for us common people), he was a much loved Pope. And before he became Pope he was just, well, an ordinary boy. … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Wadowice–a Saint’s Hometown in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Energylandia with Young Kids in Pictures
What's a great incentive for kids to convince them to do lots of sightseeing with their parents?? Theme park!!! It does magic. All of the sudden no matter what museum you want to see or what mountain you want to climb, the answer is yes! The condition is of course a day in Energylandia--the biggest … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Energylandia with Young Kids in Pictures
Visiting Beautiful Poland: Krakow in Pictures
From the five ruins of castles on the trail of the Eagles' Nests that used to guard the southern border of Poland in the age of kings and queens and jesters and inbetweens, we moved to the one that mattered the most--Wawel Castle in Krakow. Here it is, our family-friendly, kid-approved visit to Krakow on … Continue reading Visiting Beautiful Poland: Krakow in Pictures
Poland’s Castles on the Trail of the Eagles Nests in Pictures
On the first part of our family road trip this year we went to "conquer" castles in southern Poland on the trail of the Eagles' Nests--a chain of 25 castles that used to guard the southern border of Poland, between Krakow and CzÄ™stochowa (you know, thh Christian pilgrimage site of the Black Madonna?!?!), a long … Continue reading Poland’s Castles on the Trail of the Eagles Nests in Pictures