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First of all, I have to apologize to all of you. I intended to be finished with telling you about my trip to Poland after writing four columns on that excursion. However, after reading a piece in the Buffalo News I decided that I needed to address the topic of traveling to Poland just a little bit more.
You see, The News recently carried an opinion piece by a syndicated columnist named Froma Harrop that was titled \u201c3 Reasons Not to Visit Europe This Summer.\u201d Those three reasons were \u201cthe heat, oppressive crowds and high prices all descending on the continent.\u201d She added: \u201cAnd if anyone needs a fourth reason, it’s to recognize the growing resentment among many Europeans as the tourist hordes turn their town centers into trinket malls, eroding their way of life and, in the process, stripping what made those places worth visiting in the first place.\u201d
Europe not only experienced an historic heat wave this summer, there were wildfires in parts of Spain, Portugal and Greece that have killed a number of people.
Froma described the suffocating crowds that she experienced in places like Paris and Rome, pointing out that the Colosseum \u201cwas a fabulous thing to see, but the discomfort of getting in was as memorable as the place itself.\u201d She added that post-pandemic inflation is \u201creflected in the prices for restaurant meals, hotels and airfare.\u201d
All valid arguments, but it seems she ignored the fact that Poland is part of Europe \u2013 Central Europe, in fact, not Eastern Europe \u2013 and is a great place to visit.
European heat wave
Now, I fortunately managed to narrowly escape the European heat wave when I visited Poland last month. During my trip in June the weather was excellent, and it only rained once. Later in the month Poland, like the rest of Europe, was hit with sweltering temperatures. A record high of 40.5\u00b0C, or 104.9\u00b0F, was recorded in the town of S\u0142ubice near the German border. That weather was an unfortunate reality in Europe this summer, at least for a period of time. I\u2019ve been checking my weather app, and it seems as if the temperatures in Europe are more moderate these days.
Beyond the weather, it\u2019s been no secret that much of Europe has been experiencing a massive wave of “anti-tourism” backlash in recent years. Massive crowds of tourists are causing overcrowded streets, environmental damage, and skyrocketing housing costs driven by short-term rentals. That has certainly drawn ire of local residents in places like Barcelona, which \u201chas become the main battleground for overtourism.\u201d
A couple of other complaints about travel to Europe that Froma mentioned: non-EU visitors being subject to a more exhaustive identity process at the border causing delays, and post-pandemic inflation and a dollar that has weakened against the euro being reflected in higher prices.
Let\u2019s start with the overcrowding issue: During my trips to Poland I haven\u2019t encountered any real congestion, even at the most popular tourist destinations. Sure, major attractions like Krak\u00f3w Old Town, Malbork Castle, the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial drew multitudes, but not nearly the volume of tourists that would make a visit there uncomfortable.
Reasonable prices
I certainly didn\u2019t encounter any anti-tourist or anti-American sentiment among Poles. On the contrary, they were very friendly toward Americans. I was also very impressed that most, especially the younger Poles, were very conversant in English. It was interesting that many apologized for their less-than-perfect grammar, while speaking English better than many Americans.
As far as the identity process entering Poland, it wasn\u2019t really a big issue. In my opinion, it wasn\u2019t a prolonged process and reinforced a sense of security.
Higher prices? I did not find that to be the case in Poland. I don\u2019t know about the day-to-day costs for Poles, but as a tourist I thought that the things that I purchased were very reasonable. In particular, I found the cost of dining out to be significantly lower than in the U.S. Even the prices at a roadside McDonald\u2019s we visited (no, I didn\u2019t eat there \u2013 I just used the bathroom) were much lower than in America.
It\u2019s not just my opinion, as many travel guides call Poland a very underrated destination for tourists these days. Consider that renowned travel writer Rick Steves recently pointed out \u201chow prosperous, happy and welcoming\u201d Poland is, and how it\u2019s misunderstood by so many Americans. He added that \u201cif you don\u2019t like a lot of tourist crowds, Poland\u2019s great.\u201d
Safest country in Europe
There\u2019s something that Froma didn\u2019t mention in her article: safety. Many European visitors complain about experiencing pickpocketing and other petty crimes. It\u2019s important to note that statistical analyses point to Poland being one of the safest countries in Europe. It feels that way, too; everyone in our group was comfortable walking outside at all hours. In fact, I have yet to encounter disreputable characters on the streets in Poland trying to work some type of scam.
Some Americans are concerned about geopolitical events when going to Europe, but even when I traveled close to the border Ukraine last year there seemed to be no sense of fear or insecurity.
In short, I thought that Poland was a great place to visit, especially since I found Poles to be so welcoming of visitors. Maybe that\u2019s because hospitality has always been a big part of Polish culture, as exemplified in the well-known proverb Go\u015b\u0107 w dom, B\u00f3g w dom, or, \u201cGuest at home, God at home;\u201d maybe it\u2019s because Americans and Poles have long had a close relationship, even during the communist era; maybe it\u2019s because Poland has not been overwhelmed by large crowds of foreign tourists over the years.
While conditions may not be the same in the rest of Europe, my experience is that there are more than three reasons \u2013 many more \u2013 that you should visit Poland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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