1. The weather
Not so sure whether it’s a plus or a minus but let’s
explain one thing. There are four seasons in Poland and yes, winter can be
extremely cold, but it’s not like we’re close to the Arctic Circle and it’s
freezing all year. And just because I’m from Poland, it doesn’t mean that I’m
used to low temperatures. Many times when
I was in Milano and it was very cold outside, Italians were so surprised: But you’re from Poland, you should be used
to cold. Well, I’m not. Actually, I
had an impression that they cope with 0 degrees
better than me even though they were from south of Italy. In Poland, there can be -30 in the winter and +35
in the summer. So we definitely have all kinds of weather at different times of
the year.
It is believed that Polish people
are one of the most social and hospitable nations in the world (at least most
of the time). You will always find someone willing to help you out but if you
are to ask for advice, try to aim for the younger people because I bet they
speak English. In the EF English Proficiency Index 2016, Poland was ranked tenth. And according to the latest study on
much-loved nations, we are very fond of people from Czechia, Slovakia, Italy
(!), USA, Hungary, and England. There’s a
very known proverb in Poland – ‘guests bring God’s blessing’. So if you ever have the
pleasure of being invited to someone's home in Poland - go ahead, you’re gonna
love it.
3. Food
I’ve just
realized that this point is definitely the main reason to visit Poland. Well,
if you want to try traditional Polish cuisine, forget about the diet and stop
counting calories because that can give you a
heart attack. Poland is really becoming famous for its food and that’s not
surprising at all. I bet some of you already heard about pierogi, usually
served with caramelized onion and chunks of bacon. We are the country of pickles and sauerkraut (like bigos), and soups: barszcz (beetroot soup), kapuśniak (made of brined cabbage), rosół (poultry or beef bouillon served
with noodles). Perhaps the best-known Polish classic is kotlet schabowy - fried pork coated in breadcrumbs (similar to Vienna
schnitzel), traditionally served with potatoes and cabbage. But there’s so much
more because every region has its own specialties. You definitely have to try
Wuzetka in Warsaw (one of my favorite
polish desserts), oscypek in Zakopane (cheese
produced in the mountains) or obwarzanki
in Kraków.
4. Something for everyone
It doesn’t matter
if you like spending time actively or lying
on the beach. Whether you’re looking for an alternative art scene, crazy nightlife, rich cultural
inheritance, modern cities or unique monuments, you can find it here. For
winter sports fans Poland provides you with the majestic Tatra mountain,
where you can do any winter sport you want. It’s a real heaven for those who
like hiking, biking, backpacking, camping, windsurfing, kitesurfing, fishing
and many others. So pack your bag and come over here!
5. Party time
The very first association about Poland
that people from Europe have, it’s that this is a country of vodka. I’m not
exactly sure if it’s a good or a bad thing but it’s that kind of stereotype
that is actually true. If you've ever been
to Poland, you know perfectly well that
the Poles know how to have fun.
There are plenty of awesome places in Warsaw and other cities where you can
have fun and get drunk really fast. Poles are cooler than you
think. We are probably even cooler than we think ourselves.
6. Prices
It’s really
annoying when foreigners say that they like polish prices. They feel that they
can afford much more than in their own countries and that’s great but even
though Poland is one of the cheapest countries in Europe, for us it’s not so
cheap at all. But we’re of course happy that you’re not stingy and willingly support
our economy. Of course in bigger cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław prices
are a little bit higher, but let’s be honest – they’re still much lower in
comparison to London, Rome, Paris or any other European capital.
7. Come and complain
Complaining is our national
sport. We always complain about everything
and everybody. It’s always too hot, too gloomy, too sunny/expensive/quiet/name it.
Do you want to tell me
about how bad your day was? Oh man, mine was much worse. So if you ask Poles, why is he complaining
so much, they will probably say they just do. It’s
just how we are. The truth is we complain for the sake of complaining.
So if you are a
grumpy type, come
to Poland, you will feel at home.
8. Nazywam się Kasia
The Polish language is so
difficult that even not all Polish people can use it properly. We make a lot of
mistakes speaking our mother tongue and I’m not kidding here. Probably if you
can master one of the toughest languages on earth, you’ll feel like you’re a superhero.
We're always astounded to hear a
foreigner speaking Polish well. But if you don’t, we’ll always appreciate your
effort to learn even a few simple words. Let’s take my name, for instance, it’s Katarzyna (or Kasia). It’s quite simple
and easy to pronounce but my foreigner
friends, especially Italians, came up with at least ten ways of saying it:
Kasha, Kesha, Kashia, Katashia, Katerina
and so on. I liked every single of them!
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