Country info for backpacking in Poland

History

Warsaw in 1900s Poland was first united as a country and baptized in the middle of the 10th century. It experienced its golden age beginning in the 14th century, under the reign of the Jagiellonians, whose rule extended from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic Seas. In the 16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the biggest country in Europe. Thanks to the freedom of confession guaranteed by the state and the atmosphere of religious tolerance, exceptional in Europe at the times of the Holy Inquisition, the country attracted significant numbers of foreign migrants, such as Germans, Jews, Armenians and Dutch people. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, the strengthening of the nobility (which implied the erosion of the king's prerogatives) and several exhausting wars weakened the Commonwealth so much that parts of its territory were annexed by its neighbors in 1772 and 1793 and in 1795, after a failed uprising, it ceased to exist for 123 years, being partitioned between Russia, Prussia and Austria. However, this long period of foreign domination was not met without fierce resistance; In the Napoleonic Wars, a semi-autonomous Duchy of Warsaw was created before being erased from the map again in 1813. The 29 November uprising of 1830-1831 (mainly in Russian Poland), the 1848 Revolution (combat mostly took place in Austrian and Prussian Poland) and the 22 January 1863 were clear indicators that Poland showed very little tolerance of subjugation to any of these three equally autocratic powers. Figures such as Józef Chłopicki, Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki and Józef Bem and Wincenty Konstanty Kalinowski led Poland during these troublesome times. Poland was the 1st country in Europe and the 2nd in the world (after the US) to pass a constitution. The consitution of May 3rd, 1791 was the key reform among many progressive and far-sighted but belated attempts to strengthen the country during the second half of the 18th century. Poland regained its independence on November 11th, 1918 with the end of the World War I. Soon, in 1920-21, the newly-reborn country was urged to fight for its borders again, this time defending itself from a Soviet invasion. The communist attack on Warsaw was defeated on August 10th-15th, 1920 in what is remembered today as the Miracle at the Vistula (Polish: Cud nad Wisłą) effectively ending major warfare, even though the truce was only signed the next March. After a period of relative peace and development, just as it was recovering from the great economic crisis of the 1920s, Poland was overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in what became the World War II. After the war it became a Soviet ally country following the Yalta and Potsdam agreements between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union which to this day are viewed by many Poles as a betrayal. The Soviet Union and the rest of Eastern Europe were the first to immediately recognise Poland's new 1945 forntiers, which are virtually the same as to which the country was born in c. 966 AD; Most western countries, especially, West Germany, did not follow suit until 1970. After the brief but sometimes bloody Stalinist era of 1945-1953 Poland was comparatively tolerant and progressive as compared to other Eastern Bloc countries. Strong econmic growth in the post-war period alternated with serious recessions in 1956, 1970, 1976, resulting in labour turmoil over dramatic price rises of several goods. Another protest in the summer of 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" (Polish: Solidarność) [2] that over time became a political force and by 1989 had swept the first Warsaw Pact State parliamentary elections and the presidency. A shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Nowadays, Poland is a democratic country with a stable economy and a not-so-stable political scene Poland has been a member of NATO since 1999 and European Union since May 2004, when it joined with 9 other countries.

Countryside

The countryside throughout Poland is lovely and relatively unspoilt. Poland has variety of regions with beautiful landscapes and small-scale organic and traditional farms. Travellers can choose different types of activities such as bird watching, cycling or horseback riding. Culturally you can sight-see at many churches, museums, ceramic and traditional basket-making workshops, castle ruins, rural centers and many more. A journey through the Polish countryside gives you a pefect opportunity to enjoy and absorb local knowledge on its landscape and people.

• Polish National Tourist Office

Holidays

• Lany Poniedziałek, Dyngus, Easter Monday. Traditionally, early in the morning boys awake girls by pouring a bucket of water on their head and strike them about the legs with long thin twigs or switches made from willow, birch or decorated tree branches. Nowadays people awake each other by pouring a handful of water on their faces, but children, especially outdoors and in the countryside, still use buckets and don't have mercy on innocent bypassers.

• Topienie Marzanny (drowning of Marzanna), Spring Equinox, 21st of March. Marzanna is a mannequin made of straw and old rags, which is drowned in river on first day of spring. The symbolic meaning is to bury winter and welcome spring. This ritual, with obviously Pagan roots, is not common nowadays but floating Marzannas still can be seen in rivers on that day.

• All Saints Day (Zaduszki, Wszystkich Świętych), 1st of November. In afternoon and evening people visit graves of their relatives and light candles. After dusk cemeteries glow with thousands of lights and offer a very picturesque scene. For the most part, stores and restaurants will close, although, not to the extent on Christmas Eve. You should be able to find a few restaurants, if you're persistent. If you have the chance, be sure to visit a cemetery, although you may have to wait for public transportation as services are drastically cut.

• Christmas Eve (Wigilia), December 24th. One of the most important, if not the most important day in Poland. This is the day when everything closes down as people go home to celebrate Christmas with friends and family. It's also one of the most interesting holidays due to the customs. Typically, Poles will prepare a twelve (representing the twelve apostles) course vegetarian meal and will begin eating after they see the first star in the night sky. Rest assured, even if the sky is cloudy, Poles will find a star. They also leave an extra chair and place set at the table just in case anyone (including a stranger) stops by for dinner. In Poland, Wigilia is more important than Christmas Day, so do not expect to find anything open on Christmas Eve. Many stores and restaurants will again open up on Christmas Day.

• New Year's Eve (Sylwester) December 31st. One of the party nights of the year. Consider yourself extremely lucky, if you can get into even a decent club as most clubs will be packed. Most clubs will sell tickets in advance, but you'll probably have to dish out at least 150 PLN and that's just for entrance and maybe a couple of drinks. If you're a little more flexible, you might be able to get into non-club parties, otherwise there are always the firework displays.

The European unified emergency number 112 is being deployed in Poland. By now, it certainly works for all mobile-phone calls and most landline calls. There are also three "old" emergency numbers that are still in use. These are:

• Ambulance: 999 (Pogotowie, dziewięć-dziewięć-dziewięć)
• Firefighters: 998 (Straż pożarna, dziewięć-dziewięć-osiem)
• Police: 997 (Policja, dziewięć-dziewięć-siedem)

Theft

Pickpockets operate in larger cities, including in public tranportation, rail station areas, and clubs/bars. The Warsaw bus route 175 running between the airport and the city center is notorious for pickpockets operating there. Immediately check you pockets if someone bumps into you in a large crowd. Even if it may seem harmless at the time, your cell phone might be missing minutes later. Polish ambulance in Torun

• Keep an eye on your belongings when traveling on a bus or train.
• Don't display any bags, valuables or your car radio if you leave your car parked in the streets. Use guarded parking lots whenever possible.
• Use common sense.

Walking around is usually safe, particularly in city centers. It may be unsafe to walk in the suburbs, depending on the time of day, your dress and behavior (that is, how obvious it is that you are a foreigner) and other factors. Again, use common sense. Watch out for the Polish equivalent of thugs, called dresiarze -- young people with shaved heads, usually dressed in counterfeit Adidas tracksuits (and sometimes with a leather jacket on top of that). These are the young generation of the Polish underclass, whose sole purpose is to fight, especially foreigners. If you get into some sort of discussion or altercation with these thugs, run away as fast as possible and call the police. Do not expect help from roaming security guards or passersby if you're attacked. Fighting should absolutely be avoided so you are not arrested or seriously injured. Organised crime has reduced sharply in recent years, but it is still a large problem in Poland. Many mafia-run hostels have been opened since Poland's entry to the EU in major tourist destinations, such as Wroclaw, Krakow and Zakopane. These hostels are located far from the centres of these towns, and make money by charging for internet, breakfast, city tax, cleaning, damage and many other small things on top of the money you pay for the nights stay. These extra charges can add up to a hefty bill. Do not dispute or argue with the people who charge these rates, or you could end up in a lot of trouble. The former manager and two members of staff of the Goodbye Lenin Hostel in Zakopane were recently convicted of the rape and murder of a female guest who refused to pay the hidden charges. The "Good Bye Lenin" hostel chain should be avoided, as should any unmarked hostels on the edge of cities. Major youth hostels in city centres are generally safe and have no mafia presence. Gay and Lesbian travellers should be extremely careful as there has been an increased amount of attack on homosexuals in the country. It is best that you don't show any affection to your partner or tip off anything that may make locals think you are a homosexual.

Avoid drinking tap water in older areas of major cities and in the countryside.