First time trip to Berlin & Poland
Discussion
I'm going to confess straight away... I have no idea what to expect!
A friend has asked me to join him on a 10 day road trip / photographic / looking at ruins & abandoned sites trip.
Can anyone share any good / bad / ugly experiences? Anything to look out for, anything to avoid?
I dont care if we are roughing it to be honest - its just the kind of escape I need right now!
A friend has asked me to join him on a 10 day road trip / photographic / looking at ruins & abandoned sites trip.
Can anyone share any good / bad / ugly experiences? Anything to look out for, anything to avoid?
I dont care if we are roughing it to be honest - its just the kind of escape I need right now!
before the p&p breakup, there were recent threads on berlin [started by me], wroclaw, and krakow. maybe worth giving the search hamsters a poke.
do you want a big night out at any point? i would heartily recommend 'white trash fast food' in berlin. i went on a saturday last month, had a fantastic night in here until the small hours, then onto a place called kaffeeburger [old GDR social club] until lunchtime!
whats your route? i'd try and go somewhere really random/out of the way in poland if you can. you always end up having an interesting experience when you do this, being english is an advantage sometimes.
do you want a big night out at any point? i would heartily recommend 'white trash fast food' in berlin. i went on a saturday last month, had a fantastic night in here until the small hours, then onto a place called kaffeeburger [old GDR social club] until lunchtime!
whats your route? i'd try and go somewhere really random/out of the way in poland if you can. you always end up having an interesting experience when you do this, being english is an advantage sometimes.
driving all the way? some distance there and no mistake, though i know my dad drove from krakow to calais in 9hrs once.
i reckon a good route would be to go up via hamburg or berlin and skirt the coast around to gdansk. i would expect some good derelict photo ops there. if you sort a visa, you can then hop into russia [kaliningrad] then head south to warsaw and krakow before returning via the czech republic.
if using rotterdam, be sure to pick up supplies
i reckon a good route would be to go up via hamburg or berlin and skirt the coast around to gdansk. i would expect some good derelict photo ops there. if you sort a visa, you can then hop into russia [kaliningrad] then head south to warsaw and krakow before returning via the czech republic.
if using rotterdam, be sure to pick up supplies

shirt said:
driving all the way? some distance there and no mistake, though i know my dad drove from krakow to calais in 9hrs once.
i reckon a good route would be to go up via hamburg or berlin and skirt the coast around to gdansk. i would expect some good derelict photo ops there. if you sort a visa, you can then hop into russia [kaliningrad] then head south to warsaw and krakow before returning via the czech republic.
if using rotterdam, be sure to pick up supplies
Oh no - sorry - I mean hire a motor when we get there!i reckon a good route would be to go up via hamburg or berlin and skirt the coast around to gdansk. i would expect some good derelict photo ops there. if you sort a visa, you can then hop into russia [kaliningrad] then head south to warsaw and krakow before returning via the czech republic.
if using rotterdam, be sure to pick up supplies

There are a few sites in Berlin that we have ear marked - then if we are going to Krakow I guess Auschwitz will be on the list too.... not 100% sure how I feel about that though

Edited by Steamer on Tuesday 21st April 16:31
go by train if you can. i took one from wroclaw to krakow with some mates and it was a great waste of 4hrs. needs music & beer though.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.
shirt said:
go by train if you can. i took one from wroclaw to krakow with some mates and it was a great waste of 4hrs. needs music & beer though.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.

Great advice Shirt - thanks again.
I totally understand what you mean about Aushwitz - I dont want to look like a tourist - but by the same token I'd like to pay some respect... I just spent the last half hour reading about in on Wiki and that was hard enough to handle.
On a brighter note - yes the Stadium is at the top of the list for a visit!
Steamer said:
shirt said:
go by train if you can. i took one from wroclaw to krakow with some mates and it was a great waste of 4hrs. needs music & beer though.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.
i didn't visit auschwitz as it was a fairly lairy holiday and i didn't want to go feeling rough or half cut, disrespectful in any case.
you should visit the wielickza salt mine though, quality place. also don't forget there's sachsenhausen conc. camp nr berlin. the olympic stadium is photogenic and we took some quite surreal images from the middle of the jewish memorial by brandenburg gate.

Great advice Shirt - thanks again.
I totally understand what you mean about Aushwitz - I dont want to look like a tourist - but by the same token I'd like to pay some respect... I just spent the last half hour reading about in on Wiki and that was hard enough to handle.
On a brighter note - yes the Stadium is at the top of the list for a visit!
I went over new year 2007/8 and visited Auschwitz on Hogmanay, and whilst a very difficult experience, it's not to be missed when you're there.
Here's my photos and thoughts written up shortly afterwards.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigalinembra/sets/721...
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