Medieval marvels

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Poland, the Czech Republ-ic and Hungary are dotted with fairy tale towns and castles out of an illustrated children’s book. We set out on a cold spring day on a road trip that began with Gdansk, a quaint medieval town on the Baltic Sea, the amber capital of the world. Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia are referred to as a tri-city. Sopot used to be the summer gossip capital of Poland where the jet set would indulge in their decadence, shocking the public with scandalous behaviour that was quickly relegated to

lore each new season. Here, Malbork Castle is a medieval marvel, the river Wisla drifting beneath its massive brick walls and towers, built by the fabled Teutonic knights, a rowdy band of monks with a lust for blood and conversions who controlled the amber trade.
In Warsaw, we visited St. John’s Cathedral where the coronations of the Kings of Poland were once held and where the last king of Poland, Stanislaus August Poniatowski was laid to rest. The fascinating “palace on water” was King Poniatowski’s lavish summer residence. On an islet in the middle of the lake, the romantic Lazienki Park edging it with old trees and long canals dotted with gondolas, it houses the picture of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa painted, according to legend, by Saint Luke 2,000 years ago. Miracles were attributed to the image — the sick healed, warring Polish kings victorious. As we gazed at the picture, even we were overcome with a feeling of serenity, faith and devotion.
That sense turned to awe as we walked down the 360 steps into the Wielceska salt mine’s stupendous caverns and underground lakes, testament to the power of nature and the creativity of the miners who carved chapels, chandeliers and sculptures out of the salt wells to festoon this subterranean church!
Then an emotional trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau where we contemplated the atrocities of the Nazis and their ‘final solution’ which killed 15 million Jews, Poles, gypsies and Russians who were brought in trains and sent, on arrival, to the gas chambers to die.
A walk through the old town of Krakow is a refreshing step back in time. Rynek Glowny, the main market square is one of the largest and most beautiful in Europe. Here you explore ancient alleyways to discover modern shops, bazaars brimming with curios and souvenirs.
Gorgeous, golden Prague, the city of a thousand spires cast its spell on us. The first thing you say on entering a café or store is Dobryden (hello/good morning) and then you can order the national dish — roast pork, dumplings and sauerkraut.
The splendid old royal palace used to be the seat of the great bohemian emperors Sobeslav I, Charles IV, Wenceslas IV and Vladislav Jagiello but if royalty doesn’t do it for you, you can mix with the friendly locals in Wenceslas square famous for its astronomical clock or shop for exquisite bohemian glass and crystal.
We took a day trip to Cesky Krumlov on the meandering ‘S’ bend of the river Vltava, an enchanting town of red turrets that still retains its medieval identity. The castle houses a rich haul of history in the form of furniture, tapestries, medieval weaponry, paintings and a golden carriage. It boasts of the oldest baroque theatre in the world and comes with its own ghostly legend. Perchata von Rosenberg, the White Lady was treated badly by her husband, the 15th century Moravian Lord Johann Von Lichtenstein. Dying, Johann asked for her forgiveness. She refused and he cursed her to roam the castle forever. Still, you’ll be relieved to know that the White Lady is a good ghost as she helps her kin find a hidden treasure.