Poland is a country of unexpected charm, which is now attracting a growing number of American travelers. Like many people, in the 1980s I saw the gritty shipyards of Gdańsk on television, when Lech Walesa and Solidarity were freeing the country from its 40-year Soviet bear hug. As a result, I came to think of Poland as a gray, industrial place.
In fact, it contains exquisite cities such as Kraków (which rivals Prague and Budapest in splendor); surprisingly stylish resorts like Sopot, with its spectacular beach and thriving restaurant scene; and grand medieval architecture such as the immense 15th-century red brick castle of the Teutonic Knights at Malbork. And Gdańsk, despite being a major shipping and industrial center, is also a magnificent city, with fine burgher houses in its restored Old Town.
Poland offers tracts of striking natural grandeur—the Baltic seacoast, the lake districts bordering Lithuania and Belarus, the Carpathian mountain ranges to the south—as well as unspoiled countryside dotted with well-tended farms. On my recent trip, I was impressed by the country’s visible prosperity. Gone are the days of drab austerity. Part of the European Union since 2004, this welcoming nation of 38 million people is one of the continent’s fastest growing. In short, Poland is a wonderful choice for anyone who is looking for a new and different European destination.
Warsaw
Warsaw is served by direct daily flights from New York and Chicago, and most travelers will begin their trips in the Polish capital. Hugging the banks of the Vistula River about 160 miles south of the Baltic coast, the city was almost obliterated by the Nazis during World War II—80 percent of its buildings were destroyed—and then was given a totalitarian makeover by the Russians immediately afterward. Against these daunting odds, it has emerged as an improbably charming city. The 13th-century Stare Miasto, or Old Town, was lovingly reconstructed after the war, using the original bricks wherever possible, and today, Warsaw once again has fine Gothic, Renaissance, baroque and neoclassical buildings, all within easy walking distance of the city center. The place that gave its name to the grim Soviet military alliance, the Warsaw Pact, has regained much of its prewar vitality and now nurtures a thriving cultural scene. The summit of this is the world-renowned Frederic Chopin piano competition, which takes place every five years. (An idolized national hero, Chopin grew up in Warsaw. It was only following the Russian suppression of a Polish rebellion in 1830 that he moved to Paris.)
The city can boast a number of remarkable museums, including the new Warsaw Uprising Museum. (During the revolt against Nazi occupation in August 1944, about 200,000 civilians and 16,000 members of the Polish resistance were killed.) Many Americans may also wish to visit the city’s Victory Square, where in 1979, less than a year after becoming pope, John Paul II celebrated Mass and ended his sermon with a call to “renew the face” of Poland. His words were understood by Poles as an exhortation to press for democratic change, and they certainly fueled the growing anti-communist fervor. And the rest is history.
Warsaw now offers a wide range of excellent restaurants. Polish cooking can be delicious, but the country’s famous pierogi, or dumplings stuffed with cheese, meat and potatoes, can be very heavy. And the national dish, bigos, a hunter’s stew of meat and sauerkraut, is also very hearty. We were therefore pleased to discover Tomo Sushi, an attractive Japanese restaurant that proved ideal for a light but tasty and well-prepared meal. (Ul. Krucza 16/22. Tel. (48) 22-434-2344.)
Though the Hotel Bristol has long been considered Warsaw’s best address, we have come to prefer the 61-room Mamaison Hotel Le Regina. Set within the 18th-century Mokrowski Palace, it offers an atmospheric Old Town location close to the Royal Castle and National Opera, as well as consistently excellent service from fluent English-speaking staff. Our spacious and comfortable Deluxe Room came with a small terrace, oak floors, skylights with remote-controlled shutters, and a cathedral ceiling. Guest rooms are appointed with Italian-made custom wood furniture and have been updated with free Wi-Fi connections and individually controlled air-conditioning. The roomy white marble bath had double vanities, a heated towel rack and a combination tub and shower. The hotel restaurant, La Rotisserie, open to a delightful courtyard in summer, serves French-influenced cuisine. Other amenities include a modern fitness center, indoor swimming pool and sauna.
MAMAISON HOTEL LE REGINA 90 Deluxe Terrace Room, from $320; Suite, from $615. Kościelna 12, Warsaw. Tel. (48) 22-531-6000.
Kraków
From Warsaw, it is an hour’s flight to Kraków, capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596. Also situated on the Vistula River, Kraków has one of the most magnificent historic centers in Europe. The Old Town (Stare Miasto) was laid out at the end of the 13th century and its centerpiece is the flagstone-paved Rynek Gówny, which serves as the city’s elegant open-air living room. The largest medieval square in Europe, it is bordered by churches and handsome baroque mansions. Many of the city’s landmarks stand nearby, including St. Mary’s Basilica and the Renaissance Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), which nowadays incorporates the Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art. Just south of the Old Town, the hilltop Wawel Castle was the seat of Polish kings for 500 years.
As Kraków has emerged as a popular destination, the city’s hotels have also improved. Just two blocks from the Rynek Gówny, the 53-room Hotel Stary opened in 2006 and is now our favorite address. It is currently preferable to the Hotel Copernicus, a Relais & Chateaux member, which is in need of renovation. The Stary occupies a 15th-century merchant’s house and is a friendly, well-run and atmospheric property. Our room was attractive and came with parquet floors, excellent lighting and a complimentary Internet connection. Its small but well-appointed bath provided a black stone sink, a whirlpool tub with a built-in rainfall shower, and Molton Brown toiletries. Some rooms are decorated with historic frescoes and are appointed with furniture that dates from the building’s previous incarnation as a private residence. Junior Suites, however, are contemporary in style. A few rooms offer balconies with limited views of the Rynek Gówny and should be specifically requested. This is definitely a property at which it is worth spending a little more for accommodations on a higher floor.
Amenities include a spectacular indoor swimming pool in the vaulted brick basement, a spa, a rooftop bar (summer only) and a fine restaurant serving seasonal Polish cuisine. Staff in Poland are often young and poorly trained, but those at the Stary are alert, cheerful and welcoming.
HOTEL STARY 89 Double Room, from $310; Junior Suite, from $390. Ul. Szczepa´nska 5, Kraków. Tel. (48) 12-384-0808.
Nearby, The Bonerowski Palace has a perfect location on the Rynek Gówny itself. A hotel of eight rooms and seven suites, it occupies a handsomely renovated 16th-century townhouse that was once home to a family of Swiss merchants in the salt and timber trades. Although our air-conditioned suite was baronial in scale and came with beautiful herringbone oak floors and superb views over the Market Square, we were surprised to find it sparsely furnished. The huge lounge dwarfed a high-backed sofa, two matching chairs and a pair of pretty étagères. Overall, the salon lacked the cozy touches that would make you want to linger, and though comfortable, it also lacked certain obvious basics, such as a luggage rack. Fortunately, the bath was large and comprehensively equipped.
A Wellness Center offers steam, sauna, cardio equipment and massage. The hotel’s other principal amenity, its Italian restaurant, proved lackluster. Despite its spacious rooms and historic pedigree, this property doesn’t always live up to its five-star billing. The staff are polite, but not always effective, and though a “concierge service” is listed in the amenities folder, the front desk struggled to secure reservations at good local restaurants. The hotel’s chief virtue is its peerless location.
THE BONEROWSKI PALACE Deluxe Room, from $225; Suite, from $325. Ul. Sw. Jana 1, Kraków. Tel. (48) 12-374-1300.
Gdańsk
Gdańsk (Danzig in German), on Poland’s Baltic coast, is almost as beautiful as Kraków. Today, the majority of its visitors are Germans returning on ancestral heritage tours. (Prior to World War II, the population of the Free City of Danzig was overwhelmingly German, and in a 1923 census, just 7,896 people out of 335,921 cited Polish as their native language.) The city became part of Poland as result of decisions by the Allies at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. German residents who had survived the war fled or were forcibly expelled, and the city was repopulated with ethnic Poles, many of whom had been deported by the Soviets from the east of the country. Gdańsk was founded during the 10th century and expanded rapidly during the 13th century with the arrival of the Teutonic Knights—a crusading order formed to escort pilgrims to the Holy Land—who recognized the strategic importance of its fine harbor. As part of the economic alliance of trading cities known as the Hanseatic League, the city thrived and attracted a remarkably cosmopolitan population, including many Dutch and Flemish merchants, which explains the architecture of the city’s gabled houses.
The 10-room Hotel Podewils is housed within a 1728 brick mansion and offers fine views over the Motawa River, the city’s yacht marina and its old port (where an intriguing warehouse is still equipped with a medieval wooden gantry). The property is also located just yards from both the Polish Maritime Museum and the Polish Baltic Philharmonic. Its lodgings are quiet, well-lit and spacious, with a traditional décor of chintz wallpaper, thick wall-to-wall carpeting and brass chandeliers. Our bath was divided between two small rooms, one containing a whirlpool tub and shower, the other a vanity. The wireless Internet is free.
The Podewils offers a fine restaurant with a notable wine list, and in summer, meals are served on a delightful terrace beside the river. During our recent visit, we learned that the hotel is currently for sale and we can only hope that the new owners will appreciate and preserve the character of this cozy and comfortable property.
HOTEL PODEWILS 86 Deluxe Double, $205; Suite, $405. Ul. Szafarnia 2, Gda´nsk. Tel. (48) 58-300-9560.
Sopot
The charming seaside spa town of Sopot is just 25 minutes from Gdańsk by train. The idea of a beach holiday in Poland may seem improbable, but Sopot is lively and pretty, with a population of around 40,000, and increasingly attracts vacationers tired of crowded Mediterranean destinations. As a result, it is recovering its Belle Epoque status as one of the most stylish resorts in Europe. Fashionable during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was frequented by a louche and colorful crowd of aristocrats and artists. Sopot is flanked by wooded hills, and Gdańsk Bay is sheltered by the Hel Peninsula, with the result that the sea off the town’s splendid sandy beaches is warmer than at other locations along the Baltic coast. Much of the place’s character stems from its art nouveau townhouses and villas. The main street, Monte Cassino, is now completely pedestrianized, and along the waterfront, several hotels and spa resorts are under construction. Having survived World War II intact, Sopot has an Old World fly-in-amber charm and is an ideal place to relax after sightseeing. Visitors stroll along its famous Molo, the oldest wooden pier in Europe, perhaps stopping for some lody (ice cream), which the Poles love even in cold weather.
The imposing 127-room Grand Sopot hotel is a massive butter-yellow building, with a red tile roof and three faux turrets. It occupies a perfect position on the seafront, adjacent to the pier, and is surrounded by a park of century-old chestnut and copper beech trees. On a previous visit in 1991, this lovely grande dame was in need of serious renovation. Happily, this took place after the French Sofitel chain acquired the hotel four years ago. The property has been updated—a large indoor swimming pool, fitness center and spa have been installed in the basement—but its Old World atmosphere remains intact, and the wide corridors and central atrium still evoke the gentility of a bygone era. A menu of Polish and international cuisine is served in an art deco dining room overlooking the Baltic.
Though the Grand has some majestic suites, the Luxury seaview doubles offer tremendous value for the money. Our room, #301, was on a corner and came with three Juliet balconies, oak herringbone parquet floors and a bed made up with a down-filled mattress liner. The bath had a ’30s-style checkerboard floor, a single vanity set into a counter of ginger-colored granite, and a combination tub and shower. A full-length window allows guests to soak blissfully while watching the Baltic breakers roll in.
GRAND SOPOT 93 Luxury Seaview Room, from $290; Junior Suite, from $320. Powstancow Warszawy 12-14, Pomorskie, Sopot. Tel. (48) 58-520-6000.
Polish Countryside
Before returning to Warsaw, we made a foray into the Polish countryside to visit Malbork Castle (see “A Trip to Malbork Castle”) and afterward spent a night at Kania Lodge, a delightful contemporary country house hotel 20 miles west of Gdańsk. Run by New Zealander John Borrell and his Polish wife, Anna, it is located on the shores of the clean and pretty Jezioro Biae (White Lake) in the rural Kaszuby region. The lodge has won an Award of Excellence for two years running from Wine Spectator, and is justly renowned for the excellence of its restaurant.
Having settled into our comfortable and pleasingly decorated room, which came with oak floors, peach-colored walls, contemporary paintings and a woodburning cast-iron stove, we enjoyed an afternoon of cycling through the surrounding woods. On our return, we idled in the sauna and Jacuzzi prior to a splendid dinner of wild salmon, duck and local mushrooms. The creature comforts at Kania Lodge are first-rate, and the setting is blissfully tranquil, but what really makes this place special is the hospitality of Borrell and his wife.
Driving away in the morning, I couldn’t help but recall my first trip to Poland, when it was still under communist rule. Back then, I stayed in cavernous state-run hotels, ate stodgy food and endured robotic tour guides. In contrast, Poland today is a free and thriving country that is developing its own unique and very appealing style of hospitality.
KANIA LODGE 90 Double Room, $165; Suite, $210. Sytna Góra 10, Kartuzy. Tel. (48) 58-681-0677.
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