On Saturday July 3rd we left around six AM. We drove via Hengelo, Osnabrück, Hannover, Magdeburg and
Leipzig towards Dresden. Along the way, the weather varied from moment to moment, from heavy rain showers to sunshine.
Around 2:30 PM we arrived at our hotel in Dresden, Hotel-Pension Kaden. Apart from the owner there was no personnel in the
hotel. She took us to our room. After we had some rest from the tiring journey we took the tram to the Altstad of Dresden. In the meantime, the
weather had changed completely into a bright blue sky. Around 3:30 PM we arrived in the centre of Dresden. There was some kind of
festival, booths and music everywhere. We walked along some of the sightings of Dresden, like the Frauenkirche that is being restored
(from the damage of WW II!), the cathedral, the Semper opera, the Stallhof and of course the most famous sight of all, the Zwinger.
There is a lot of restoring going own in Dresden; most of it is still repair work from the damage of WW II that had not been carried out
in the DDR (former Eastern Germany) era. After a great dinner, outside, on a terrace as the weather was still great, we took the tram
back to our hotel. On the way the our hotel it started to rain again.
The following day we left after breakfast around 9:15 AM. The weather looked promising, again a bright blue sky with some friendly
white clouds. Just after ten o'clock we arrived at the German-Polish border. We didn't have to wait very long. In just under 10 minutes
we set foot at Polish soil. But unfortunately, the highway ended right after the border and we continued our way via local roads through
small villages and towns. Ciska, seeing all the old houses, wondered if there were actually people living in those old houses.
After about 60 km we thought we would arrive at the highway towards Wrocław. We did, but the road is still under construction, so
most of the way is still a bumpy 2-lane road on which overtaking is impossible. Some parts are finished so on those parts you can make some
progress. Finally, around 1 PM we arrived in the centre of Wrocław where we parked our car and continued by foot.
First we went to the central square called Rynek. This square has been beautiful restored and is loaded with all kinds of restaurants.
At the Tourist Info we picked up a map of the town and then we walked to the university where we saw, among other things, the Leopoldine Hall.
We also climbed the tower of the university from which you have a nice view over Wrocław. From the university we walked
to the Raclawice Panorama, a gigantic rotunda accommodating a 120 meters wide and 15 meters high panoramic painting which represents
the battle of Raclawice in 1794 between Russian troops and Polish rebels. Via a headphone you can get explanations in several languages.
When we left the Panorama it was already 5 PM so we went back to our car to continue out journey towards Kalna, a more than 3-hour drive
from Wrocław. From Wrocław onwards the highway is finished and all the way to Gliwice it is a four-line highway where progress can
be made. The highway ends at Gliwice and from there on you are mostly on local roads. Around 8:30 PM we arrived at Villa Kotlina
in Kalna where we were welcomed by the friendly Dutch owners, Kees and Gerda. This pension is no longer operating.
Outward journey to Poland
The Brühl terrace with the academy of arts
The world-famous Semper opera of Dresden
The splendid Rynek square in Wrocław
Again the Rynek square
The old town hall of Wrocław
Kalna - Villa Kotlina
The next day we didn't do very much apart from resting from the journey of the past two days and exploring the direct surroundings of Villa Kotlina.
Ciska played some games and helped Gerda. After lunch we left to pick bilberries for desert. While doing that, it started to rain so we decided to
have a drive through the countryside. We wanted to see the old wooden church in Szczyrk, but the rain was really pouring so we decided to go back to
Kalna and it also started to thunder. An hour after we were back in Kalna the weather cleared and the sun was shining again.
Ciska helping Gerda doing the laundry
Picking bilberries
View from Villa Kotlina
Wieliczka and Chabówka
The next day, the sky was grey and it was raining. For this day we planned to visit the old city of Krakow, but the weather didn't invite us to do a citywalk.
But still we left for Krakow, maybe the weather will change. Along the way we stopped at a beautiful wooden church in Gilowice. The closer we
got to Krakow, the more it poured. So we decided to go to Wieliczka, a town about 15 km southeast of Krakow that is famous for its salt mine.
And as a mine is underground, and hence dry, a very suitable tourist destination for a rainy day like this one. If you visit the mine by car, ignore all people
and signs inviting you to park your car, just continue until you reach the mine and park your car at the premises of the mine, it will save you a long walk.
At 12:30 PM we descended, guided by an English speaking guide, into the mine. First we had to walk down 54 stairs with a total of 378 steps to a depth of 64 metres
below surface. After that we descended slowly to a depth of 135 metres below surface. In the mine, a lot of chambers are cut out in the salt and a lot of them
have beautiful sculptures, also made of salt of course. The most impressive area is the chapel of Saint Kinga, a complete church hewed out in the salt
(made in the 19th century!) at a depth of 100 meters of 54 meters long and 10 metres high. A chapel with salt statues and also the famous painting
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, in salt of course. Even the chandeliers are made of salt. The lowest point in the mine is at
327 meters under ground and the galleries span a total of 250 km. As a tourist you only see a few percent of them during the 2-hour tour.
The ascend to ground level is by a means of a (narrow) elevator. Back at ground level it turned out that it had stopped raining. As we agreed with
Kees and Gerda not to have dinner with them we decided to visit something else. So we went to the railway museum near Chabówka. Our
guidebook didn't have any opening hours, but it turned out to be open until 7 PM. The museum (called Skansen) has a large collection of steam locomotives,
most of them are still in good shape. We walked around for an hour or so before we left to have dinner.
Horses were used a lot in the Wieliczka saltmine
Elevator for lifting large blocks of salt
Overview of the Kinga chapel
Snow plough and steam locomotive in the museum (Skansen) in Chabówka
