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One of the best parts about being in Europe is that you can find super cheap flights to just about anywhere within the continent. My favorite flight search engine is Google Flights (Kiwi is also great) because you can choose the dates and port of departure, then see a map of all the places you can go with prices. Earlier in the quarter Chad and I were looking for tickets to go somewhere cool, preferably a new country for both of us, when we happened to stumble across a town in Poland called Gdańsk. When we saw pictures (and the incredibly low price) we were sold! We also got to try couch surfing for the first time, and had an excellent experience. Our host told us all about the town and about living in Poland, and he even showed us around town a bit. It was a great weekend!
The Old Town
The first place we visited was the famous Old Town in Gdańsk. Here we visited many historical and cultural sites, including Neptune's fountain and the lovely Mariacka Street. We were absolutely overwhelmed with the beauty and vibrant colors of the buildings!
The famous Mariacka Street, where you can shop for amber while enjoying the colorful buildings and wonderful smell of fresh food.
Inside the famous St. Mary's Basilica
The Crane
The Green Gate
The Neptune Fountain
Food
Normally I wouldn't dedicate a whole section just to food, but we ate so much wonderful food in Poland thanks to incredibly low prices. I just had to share!
We found this cute little place and after seeing that they had legit Belgian chocolate we were sold.
After hot chocolate we felt like we needed a good, hearty breakfast and we happened to stumble upon this cute little restaurant. The food was simple, but delicious!
I'd heard about Drukarnia Cafe and wanted to try it, so we hunted it down and weren't disappointed! The coffee was great, but the unique design and creative cups were my favorite part.
Being in Poland, we obviously had to try pierogies. Pierogarnia Mandu was the perfect place to experience these wonderful little dumplings! Ranked #9 out of 507 restaurants in Gdańsk, it had so many different options of fillings, savory or sweet. It was so good we came back the next day!
Oliwa
A cozy little suburb of Gdańsk, the town of Oliwa was a great place to visit our second day in Poland. The main attraction for us was a short but amazing organ concert at the Oliwa Cathedral. We enjoyed a variety of pieces, including Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba."
The Oliwa Cathedral, where we got to a short but spectacular organ concert.
Sopot
Our weekend ended with the seaside town of Sopot, filled with restaurants, shops, and a pier. The town is mostly for tourists, but it is cute nonetheless. It was dark so I didn't get many photos, but here are a couple:
Before Gdańsk I had never really considered going to Poland, but I am so glad I went. Not only was the food amazing, but the relaxed culture and beautiful architecture make the trip worth it!