Biking to Poland

[Steve H]

I’m planning a bike ride to Poland this April to visit some former Nazi camps: Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanec, Chelmno and whilst there - Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair. It’ll be a 12 day trip and around 1700 miles. Has anyone got recent experience of riding in Poland? Camping or low budget-level hotels? I last drove there in 2015 and all the A roads were single lane but in good order. The motorway from Berlin was unfinished but the southern Motorway to Krakow was finished and full of lorries. I’ll be taking the north route so, Holland - Brandenburg - just south of Berlin and on towards Chelmno Nad Neren then Łódź in Poland. I’d appreciate any knowledge especially of Eastern Poland as I’ve never been before. Cheers.

 

[Heywood Jablomey]

Where’s Helen when she’s needed, feckit!

 

[spaz]

That sounds a cheerful trip.

Personally I'm planning on cycling to all the Yorkshire Rippers' murder sites.

 

[RangdoOfArg]

Steve, go onto bikeradar. There is a section for touring, and if you put your question out there they will help. Good luck on your slightly macabre quest.

 

[Steve H]

Steve, go onto bikeradar. There is a section for touring, and if you put your question out there they will help. Good luck on your slightly macabre quest.

Thank you. Perhaps an explanation is in order. Almost all Holocaust survivors are now deceased. There are many who deny it happened or write unscrupulous books based on fiction not fact. I started writing a book 5 years ago and these visits form the final chapters. I’ve got to have something to do when I retire!

 

[RangdoOfArg]

Thank you. Perhaps an explanation is in order. Almost all Holocaust survivors are now deceased. There are many who deny it happened or write unscrupulous books based on fiction not fact. I started writing a book 5 years ago and these visits form the final chapters. I’ve got to have something to do when I retire!

Roger. Logistical questions may be better answered on the other site. Good luck with your endeavours.

 

[baldbof]

I understand Dianne Abbott may be a suitable travelling companion - she done a motorbike tour of eastern Europe a few years back, so knows her way around.

E2a; You could do us all a favour by dropping her off east of the Vistula without a map.

 

[Trans-sane]

If you are heading to Krakow, there is a good hostel very close to the city centre. Can't recall the name so I'll ask the missus. We've stayed there twice. There is also a superb restraunt in walking distance that has the advantage of NOT being a tourist trap rip-off and being very authentic polish cuisine.

 

[Steve H]

I’m planning a bike ride to Poland this April to visit some former Nazi camps: Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanec, Chelmno and whilst there - Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair. It’ll be a 12 day trip and around 1700 miles. Has anyone got recent experience of riding in Poland? Camping or low budget-level hotels? I last drove there in 2015 and all the A roads were single lane but in good order. The motorway from Berlin was unfinished but the southern Motorway to Krakow was finished and full of lorries. I’ll be taking the north route so, Holland - Brandenburg - just south of Berlin and on towards Chelmno Nad Neren then Łódź in Poland. I’d appreciate any knowledge especially of Eastern Poland as I’ve never been before. Cheers.

Just to explain that I may have led some people astray - sorry - I’m doing it on a motorbike not a cycle. Cheers.

 

[Trans-sane]

The hostel was Mundo Hostel and the restaurant was called Koko. The staff at Mundo will be able to direct you. A day trip to Auswitz is possible but if you can read German or polish, don't bother with a guide. The times we've been round the guides were just talking about the Jews murdered there (1.1m of them) and a polish Saint that took the place of someone else in one of the starvation chambers. There was no mention of the non-jewish polish political prisoners killed off there (approx 650k, which along with the 650k polish Jews means 1.3m poles were murdered there...)

Also make a trip to the salt mines. One of the best things I've ever seen.