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@Poland on the Map

Ciesz się wycieczką! Enjoy your visit! Poland is located in the heart of central Europe. It is a vast country, rich in culture and history, with beauti­ful forests, lakes, moun­tain ranges and idyllic sea­side towns. It will appeal to any foodie, with treats includ­ing the classic pierogi, borscht and bigos.

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@Lublin-Kraków

"Czy mówisz po angielsku?" Synnøve, a Great Grandchild of Old Man Emu, asked DORTHEA as they waited in the queue at Lublin Airport baggage claim. DORTHEA, a Wild Brumby Horse, looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What did you say, Synnøve?"
"I'm trying to learn some Polish," she said, holding up her phone with a translation app open. "I thought it'd be fun to surprise our new friends!"
DORTHEA chuckled. "Good idea. We'll need to know some phrases if we're going to explore Poland properly."

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@Cathedral at Dusk, Lublin

Once they had their luggage, they made their way to the tour coach to be taken with the other pets to the hotel. The scenery outside the windows grew darker as the sun dipped below the horizon. The city lights of Lublin began to twinkle like stars as they approach­­ed their destination. The hotel was charm­­ing, with a quaint lobby filled with the scent of fresh flowers and polish­ed wood. The reception­ist greet­­ed them with a cheerful "Witaj!" and handed out keys.

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@Lake, Lublin

Their rooms were cosy, with a view of the illuminat­ed cathe­dral spires in the distance. After quickly wash­ing and chang­ing, they head­ed down­­stairs for kolacja, or supper. They started with soup, follow­ed by stuff­ed cabbage leaves. To finish, they enjoy­ed szarlotka, a spiced apple cake with a crumbly topping. Then it was an early night for all!

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@Cold Cuts for Breakfast

The next morning, they were served a hearty break­fast of cold cuts, cheeses, and pastries, accompan­­ied by a variety of fruit juices. The sweet aroma of fresh berries fill­ed the air, and they couldn't resist fill­­ing their plates with the vibrant colours of the fruit. Ajax and DORTHEA chatted with the other pets on the tour, shar­ing their excite­­ment for the day ahead.

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@Guide Books for All

Before they left the hotel, Moriarty and DORTHEA visited the gift shop. They pick­ed out some post­­cards to send home and a couple of guide­­books for their stay. DORTHEA was taken by the sight of a small plush lynx toy. "We might actually see one of these in the wild," she whisper­ed to Moriarty, her paws clutch­ing the soft toy tightly. They paid with their zloty and grosz, the currency feel­ing un­­familiar but thrilling­ly novel in their paws.

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@Polish currency

The tour coach pulled up outside the hotel, and they all piled in, eager for the day's adventure. As they drove through the pictur­esque country­­side, the land­scape roll­ed by in a tapestry of greens and golds.

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@Countryside Landscape

They passed farmhouses with thatch­ed roofs, fields of sun­flowers nodd­ing in the breeze, and groups of animals work­ing together in the fields. They seemed to see every­where paths lead­ing into fields, forests and beyond, the track wind­ing tempting­ly onwards until it disappeared from sight.

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@Fields, Forests, Farms

For lunch, they stopped at a charm­ing tavern nestled in a clear­ing surround­ed by trees. The animals inside look­ed up from their meals, curious as the tour group filed in. The tavern smelled of smoked meats and spices, and the sound of clink­ing glasses and laughter filled the room.

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@Traditional Polish Meal

They feasted on a traditional meal of hunter's stew, boil­ed potato and kapusta kiszona (sauer­kraut), a simple meal but with delicious flavours.
After lunch, they continued their journey, the coach wind­ing through the Bieszczady Mountains.

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@Polish Lynx

The air grew cooler, and the trees grew taller, their branches brush­ing the sky. The road was narrow, but the driver navigat­ed it with ease. Unexpected­ly, the coach drew to a gentle halt. There, stand­ing majestic­ally by the side of the road, was a lynx. Its fur was a tawny gold, dappled with black, its long, pointy ears twitch­ed in response to faint sounds and its eyes gleam­ed with curiosity. The pets took photos and whisper­ed in amaze­ment before the lynx turn­ed and disappear­ed into the forest, leav­ing them with an unforgettable memory.

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@Waterfall at Bieszczady

The next stop was a breathtaking water­fall hidden in the heart of the forest. They tumbled out of the coach, eager to explore. The sound of the fall­ing water was like music to their ears, and the spray mist­ed their fur and feath­ers as they approached. They laugh­ed and played, the cool water a refreshing contrast to the warm day.

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@Rural Polish Village

When they had all had their fill of the natural wonder, they climb­ed back into the coach, feeling invigorated. Poland had such a wide variety of landscape and sights!

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@Polish Village

The journey to Niedzica Castle was filled with more stunning views: rolling hills, quaint churches, and the occasional deer grazing by the roadside.

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@Niedzica Castle

Upon arrival, the castle loomed before them, its ancient stones bath­ed in the golden light of the setting sun. The excite­ment grew palpable as they stepp­ed through the arched gate­way and into the court­yard, where they were greet­ed by the castle staff, all dressed in traditional garb.

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@Niedzica Castle from Vistula

The rooms inside were surprisingly comfortable, with plush beds and warm, welcom­ing fires crack­ling in the hearths. After a brief rest, they gather­ed for dinner in the grand hall, where the walls were adorn­ed with tapestries depict­ing scenes from Polish history. The meal was fit for royalty—rich stews, crusty bread, and a selection of desserts that made their mouths water. They dined along­side the other animals, shar­ing travel stories and making plans for the following day's adventures.

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@Scenic Cornfield

The following morning, they woke to the sound of roosters crow­ing out­side their windows. After a break­fast of hot kiełbasa and eggs, they board­ed the coach once more, ready to explore the vibrant city of Kraków. The drive was filled with chatter and excite­ment as they passed through the verdant country­side, the corn­fields stretching out like a golden sea.

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@Krakow, on Vistula

Upon arriving in Kraków, they were greet­ed by the hustle and bustle of the city. The cobble­stone streets were lined with colour­ful build­ings, and the air was filled with the aroma of fresh­ly baked bread and spices. Their guide led them on a walk­ing tour, point­ing out the iconic sites with a flourish of her umbrella. They crossed the River Vistula, the water shimmer­ing beneath them, and made their way to the bust­ling heart of the city: the Market Square.

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@Market Square, Krakow

The square was a kaleidoscope of activity, with stalls selling amber jewellery, hand-painted eggs, and poppy seed bagels. The bagels, known as obwarzanki, were a delight­ful surprise—sweet and chewy, per­fect for nibbling as they strolled.

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@Poppy Seed Bagels, Krakow

Their guide led them through the winding streets, sharing tales of kings and dragons that made the city feel like a story­book come to life. They stopped at the base of Wawel Hill, where Wawel Castle loom­ed, a bastion of history and legend.

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@City Centre, Kraków

Once at the top, they marvelled at the castle's grandeur. The red-brick towers pierced the sky, and the walls whisper­ed of centuries of secrets. They listen­ed as their guide recount­ed the story of the Wawel Dragon, whose fiery breath had once terroris­ed the city before being out­smarted by a brave hero. They explored the Royal Chambers, where the walls were adorn­ed with intric­ate tapestries and the floors gleam­ed with polished stone. In the after­noon, they took a carriage ride drawn by a pair of strong, black horses through the cobbled streets of the city. The carriage's wooden frame creak­ed gently as it roll­ed over the ancient stones, and the plush velvet seats made the journ­ey feel like a royal procession. They saw the Jagiellon­ian Univers­ity, one of the oldest in the world, where the air was thick with the scent of old books and wisdom.

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@Wawel Castle, Kraków

They also visited the Cloth Hall, where they were dazzled by the array of goods on display—beautiful fabrics, shimmer­ing jewell­ery, and intricate carvings that seem­ed to hold the essence of Poland's soul. They watched in amaze­ment as the Cloth Hall, a mediaeval trad­ing centre, trans­formed before their eyes into a bust­ling shopping destination with goods from across the globe. DORTHEA couldn't resist buy­ing a hand-crafted wooden souvenir for her grand­parents back home.
After a day filled with history and wonder, they retreated to their hotel in the heart of the city. The lobby was adorn­ed with vibrant paint­ings of the city's land­marks, and the staff, a mix of animals from the local area, were eager to share their knowledge of the city's nightlife.

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@Kraków Town Centre

The group decided to split up into smaller parties to explore the town. Gary and DORTHEA, along with a few others, ventured out to experience the city's vibrant nightlife.

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@Kraków, Wawel Castle

They wandered down cobbled streets lined with gas lamps, casting a warm glow on the build­ing facades. The sound of music and laugh­ter spilled out of the many bars and restaur­ants, fill­ing the air with an infectious energy. They found a cosy little place with an out­door patio, where a jazz band play­ed a soul­ful tune that had the crowd tapping their paws and hooves. The smell of grilling kiełbasa waft­ed through the air, and they couldn't resist order­ing a plate to share. The sausage was spiced to perfect­ion and was served with tangy mustard.

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@Winter Forest Path

The night grew late, and the group decided to head back to the hotel. As they stroll­ed along the Vistula, the lights of Wawel Castle reflect­ed off the water, creat­ing a magical scene. The moon was high in the sky, casting long shadows that danced on the cobble­stones. They talk­ed about the advent­ures they'd had so far and what they were most look­ing for­ward to see­ing next. DORTHEA dreamt of amazing snow­scenes that night!

DORTHEA has enjoyed visiting Poland, but it is time to go home. Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy this event!