FUN-travel: Kraków to Auschwitz to Wroclaw, Poland
July 22, 2014 by Susan Clarke
Day 17 – Thursday, July 17 – Kraków to Auschwitz to Wroclaw, Poland – blue skies turn to ominous, thick dark clouds late – low 80’s
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – wake up
- Slept good but back still a bit still
- Nespresso machine in room
- 9:30 – breakfast – pretty typical choices
- – room is exquisite!
- – richly appointed draperies & chandeliers
- Order omelet – more like frittata
- Make sandwich to go
- 10:00 – walk the square for grandkids souvenirs
- 11:05 – check out – load car
- 11:30 – head off
- GPS works brilliantly!
- 1:10 – starts spitting rain
- 2:00 – arrive Auschwitz
- – need Zlotys & ATM works
- 2:15 – need toilet
- 2:30 – English guided tour ($40 Zlotys ea = $26 US)
- 4:00 – tour takes break & meets up @ Birkenau camp
- 5:00 – drive for Wroclaw
- 7:30 – arrive & don’t have hotel booked
- (checked Hotels.com before leaving Kraków)
- Best Western Plus Q – brand new hotel
- Has room for 350 zlotys – on line more like 300
- – bargain & get lower rate!
- – nice thick towels & in room coffee
- Walk to Main Square – 25 mins
- Really cute! – filled w/lots of people
- 8:50 – dinner
FUN-food – Greek Taverna – traditional Greek salad, sautéed eggplant stuffed w/cheese, fresh Dorado (boned tableside) w/grilled veggies – Santa Carolina Carmenere Gran Reserva = $292 Zlotys
- 11:00 – nice walk back (if you want to be closer to action don’t stay here)
- Night night after midnight
What I DON’T LIKE
- Mattress not good – wake up stiff back
- 12:00 – realize I left my coat in room
- No exits for 15 minutes
- Takes 35 minutes to get back
- & it’s a toll road
- Need Zloty’s to park & use toilet
- ATM minimum withdrawal $800 Zlotys = $278 US
- Best Western Plus supposed to be up scale
- – no bath amenities or face cloths
- No AC in room – controls once again do nothing but blow hot air!
- Welcome to Europe in summer!
FUN-fact – Kraków is just a jewel of a city! It is the 2nd largest city and dates back to the 7th century. Oskar Schindler’s enamelware plant was located here.
More FF – Auschwitz is free after 3:00. Before that time you have to pay for a guided tour.
Not so FF – The Nazis envisioned turning Kraków into a completely German city after removing all Jews and Poles, renamed locations and streets into German and sponsored propaganda attempting to portray it as historically German city.