Poland
Hitchhiking in
Poland
This guy offers a few interesting thoughts; apparently he
successfully hitchhiked in Poland. Nomadic Simes
brief (positive) mention of
hitchhiking in Poland
For short trips on roads without
much public transport it's probably the best way. It's very
common.
Hiking
If you want go hiking in Eastern Europe,
the High Tatra mountains on the Polish/Slovak border are the place to go. At
least if you're going between mid-June and October, the most exciting trails are
closed the rest of the year. If you haven't decided when to go yet, September is
the best month, since in June there is still a lot of snow, July and August are
most crowded, and in October the weather can get pretty bad already.
Guide
to hiking the High Tatra mountains
If you're a poor college student
Slovakia's ideal, if you add up all the things you spend money on as a tourist
(accommodation, transport, food & drinks, museum/sight entrance fees), it
comes out as the cheapest country in Europe. 5000-6000 crowns
(170-200 US$) is a comfortable budget for a week there. Poland is somewhat more
expensive, but it's still cheaper than western Europe.
Other good hiking
areas nearby include the Karkonosze on the Polish/Czech border and the Slovensky
Raj in Slovakia. They're "open" all year, but also less challenging.
In the Karkanosze mountains it's helpful to speak Polish or Czech.
There are plenty of resources on location. The people there will tell you what
the best trails are. June is a beautiful time to go there, it will be very busy
with tourists (make reservations if you plan to stay at the "schroniska"
(lodges) but the scenery is unforgettable. There is an interactive map on this
site: http://www.gory.ibc.pl/karkon.php
Don't
be afraid to search the web in Polish if you're looking for maps. Give this one
a try. karkonosze.it.pl.
There is information about prices for lodge stays and it is actually spelled
Karkonosze...
Other interactive maps include http://gss.abis.lodz.pl/~ftomek/karko/spis2.html
which also includes times.
Even if you don't speak Polish, you can look
at the pictures.
I bought a good map that included times in Jelenia Gora
beforehand. It had both the Polish and the Czech side on it.
The walks
aren't extremely challenging, you do get to see a lot of fine scenery, odd rock
formations and a couple of waterfalls. I would really recommend the area for
anyone who wants to include some nature in their European
travels.
Places to Stay
There is a
lovely little pension in Szklarska Poreba. It's called Pensjonat Lider and it
actually has a website. It's 50 zloty (about 11 € ) for a single room with
brand new bathroom (the sink even had a plug!), balcony, TV, fridge, kettle and
microwave. It's also an internet cafe and they have unlimited free internet
access for guests. It's another 10 zloty for breakfast. One of the best deals I
ever came across on my travels, and quite accidently
too.
Campsites
For a list of campsites in Poland, see http://www.infolinia.pl/campingidb/default.asp
Wroclaw,
Poland - Camping N° 267 Sleza
Not a particularly nice campsite, but it's
a short walk to the centre. No English spoken, and only a little bit of
German.
Poznan, Poland - Camping N° 155 Malta
Large campsite near lake
Malta. It's about 1/2 hour walk to the Rynek, and 15 minutes (along the lake) to
the nearest tram stop. Walking trails nearby. Very good English spoken at the
reception.
Znin, Poland - PTTK Camping
Small, basic site on the shore
of a lake (beautiful sunsets!). Some German spoken, no English, but they're very
friendly anyway. Probably the only place to stay in the village, which makes an
excellent base for a daytrip to Biskupin, recommended for archaeology- and
(pre)history-lovers. Nature in the area is very nice as well.
Gdansk,
Poland - Camping N°10
A short walk to the beach, not too far from the centre
by tram. The neighbourhood it's located in is nice to walk around as well. Many
different nationalities staying here, especially popular with Scandinavians.
German spoken. There's a bar.
Wroclaw, Poland - Olimpijski (N°
117)
Further from the centre (but easy to reach by tram) than the Sleza site,
but also a lot nicer. Across the street from Park Szczytnicki, a very large and
pleasant park where you can easily spend an entire day
Jelenia Gora,
Poland - Park (N°130)
Just outside the old town, about a 10 minute walk from
the Rynek. Most of the terrain is occupied by cabins, but there's a field for
tents too. Has a kitchen.
Klodzko, Poland - Camping Amfiteatr (N°
132)
Also just outside the old town. Small site, nothing special but OK.
