Tag: 2016

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Kerman, Iran

How much does it cost to travel in Iran? Our budget and tips

Iran is one of those countries where you start off as a millionaire but your millions run out very fast:) And with so many zeros and unclear prices it can be quite a challenge to keep track of your budget. Somehow we managed and it turns out we spent a total of 1565 euros over 28 days of stay. So that makes it 28 euros per day per person.

Let’s see where all the euros went 🙂

Where did we go?

Our journey through Iran started like many others in the capital- Tehran. Afterwards we continued south passing through Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman and many more until we ended our trip on the Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.

How did we travel?

With very low prices of petrol and unclear, inefficient public transport, taxis are quite a great mean of transportation in most of the cities. Obviously we always bargained fiercely but in final end a ride would cost just 1 maybe 2 euros depending on the distance. In Tehran except for taxis we used the metro which was even cheaper (2 cards plus many rides that we did cost us a bit above 2 euros). Metro also included a lot of no- mercy -pushing, huge crowds and quite little air…

Between the cities we used very comfortable and spacious buses. To give you an example a bus from Shiraz to Kerman was 800 000 rials for both of us so around 20 euros. For that price we not only enjoyed the stunning view of desert and mountains from our comfy chairs but we also got some snacks and juice to enjoy it even more 🙂

To get from Bandar Abbas to Qeshm island we took a very pleasant ferry that took around an hour and costed 140 000 rials for both of us (around 3.5 euros).

Transport all together came to 196 euros.

Where did we stay?

Accommodation turned out to be more expensive than we thought. Even in low season and bargaining we spend 565 euros so on average 20 euros. It might not seem that much but if you saw the quality of some of those places you would think otherwise. In places like Tehran or Isfahan there was almost no other choice then to go for the cheapest, the shabbiest hostels ever where toilet paper was not included or the only common space was a tent outside (with around 0 degrees). On the positive side everywhere except for Tehran we stayed in private rooms and many times they were as expensive as two beds in a dorm. For a couple that is great news in a country where no affection can be shown in public and where women have to follow a dress code even in common areas of most of the hotels. As finding accommodation online is quite difficult and finding out their prices is almost impossible we post a full list of the places we stayed in:

  • Tehran- Seven Hostel – quite shabby, very basic accommodation with very limited internet. Price of this doubtful entertainment is 10 dollars per bed. In high season the price goes up to 15 dollars per night. On the positive side you can book it online which is very handy as you need your first address and contact number to get a visa on arrival. It also has free tea all the time which helps to warm up in the only common space available which is a cold tent outside.
  • Isfahan- Amir Kabir – to say that toilet paper is not included in the price says enough. But well it’s by far the cheapest option and for little more money you don’t really get much more service… And here a private room is the same price as two beds in the dorm so 20 dollars (per room) which was tempting enough for us.
  • Kashan- Noghli hotel – definitely our favorite place of them all. For passionately bargained 1 000 000 rials (around 25 euros) we got a big double room with lots of light, private bathroom and a delicious, varied breakfast which offered bread, eggs, beans, halva, veg and much more. Except for sleeping we actually enjoyed hanging out on their stunning courtyard sipping free black tea with cardamom. A place we would definitely recommend.
  • Yazd- Dalan e Behesht- it’s a historical house with quite a nice courtyard with very, very friendly staff. There we got an ok private room with shared bathroom for 20 dollars a night. The only problem is that the hostel is in serious need of cleaning. The toilets make you just nauseous and the carpets haven’t seen a vacuum cleaner in a very long time.
  • Shiraz- Golshan Hotel- probably our second favorite although the most expensive of them all -35 dollars a night for a double room with private bathroom. But it was worth the price. Except for stunning, bright, traditional courtyard with comfy Iranian sitting areas and good breakfast we got a very friendly staff that was ready to answer all of our questions. Although some of them didn’t speak any English and would say yes to every single thing we asked 😀 on the negative side our room was quite small and dark and tea was not included in the price
  • Qeshm- Assad’s homestay- we seriously heard legends about this homestay as being epic, amazing, super friendly. We enjoyed it although there was no doubt that for Assad it’s very much a business now. Keeping in mind that food and accommodation were both very basic and there wasn’t much variety we would say 13 euro per person per night was not such a bargain after all. Also being there we were in the middle of nowhere and as much as we thought we would be close to nice beaches and nature it wasn’t really true. On the positive side Assad is really a nice guy and he can organize tours and transport at very attractive prices.
  • Qeshm- Diplomat hotel- situated in Qeshm City it’s close to all the life of the island. We were hesitant to go there as we couldn’t find any pics online but once we got there we actually saw that the rooms were quite ok, spacious, with more or less working air-co and tv. Not to mention that wifi was the fastest in Iran and there was no limit on it. All of that for a bargain of 800 000 rials a night (around 20 euros).

 

Except for these we spend two nights in the buses and one night on an excursion in the Kalut desert which is not included in the accommodation part of our budget.

What did we eat?

On food and eating out we spent a combined 228 euros. We didn’t have a kitchen for the whole time and so we were forced to eat out. Breakfasts were included practically everywhere, for lunches we mostly bought some flat bread, fruit, and cream cheese. When it comes to dinners we went either for a 1-2 euro falafel or for a very nice, Persian meal for around 5-6 euros. We loved that every time we ate we got really enough vegetables, herbs, spices and in most of the places the food was really tasty and packed with flavor.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

Tourism turned out to be surprisingly expensive and overpriced in many cases. So many of the sight cost 200 000 rials per person (around 5 euro) which is quite pricy considering that most are quite small and you won’t spend more than an hour in there. Thankfully that’s also the price of Persepolis where you can wander around stunned for a whole day:) Unfortunately Iran is no Paris where you can just walk around the streets for days and be absolutely fascinated. The streets don’t offer much to the eyes and so no wonder we ended up spending 533 euros on tickets, tours etc. The most expensive tour was the one visiting the Kalut desert. It was 150 euros for two days and one night of very basic accommodation. Honestly we felt it was overpriced but we couldn’t find anything cheaper than 120 euros and we really wanted to see this absolutely stunning desert. So why did we choose the one for 150 euros if we could just go there for 120? Well the guys that offered us 120 euros either didn’t really speak good English or they didn’t really seem professional.

Where did the rest of our rials go?

Quite minor 42 euros went for variety of things like internet (250 000 rials for the card and 3gb mobile internet so around 6 euros) which turned out to be very handy in a country where internet is very limited. We also spend some money on postcards and laundry.

Our tips to save money in Iran

  1. Bargain, bargain, bargain!! Especially accommodation, tours and taxis are way cheaper if you bargain. So forget about booking a room on the phone, just go to a few places, check out the standard and bargain. The prices are getting even more attractive if you decide to stay for more than 1 night. We traveled through Iran during low season which definitely helped with many of the prices. Bargaining in rials instead of dollars can be very beneficial.
  2. In front of the bus terminals there are guys screaming destinations that bring you to the desk… They don’t do it out of kindness of their hearts. They charge commission. So just pass them without saying where you’re going.
  3. Exchange money in exchange offices not in banks. They will give you a better exchange rate, better than google. You can expect around 1 euro= 40 000-42 000 rials.
  4. Don’t forget to take all the money you need. There is no option of withdrawing money once there and we heard that sending money via carpet sellers is very expensive.
  5. Volunteer! Although we didn’t try it we met quite a few people volunteering on Qeshm island via Workaway. It doesn’t seem like there are much opportunities at the moment but it’s definitely a growing branch.
  6. Check, check, double check! Many times while paying for food we discovered “mistakes” in our bills…
  7. Make sure about the prices!! With so many zeros and big confusion about the rials and tomans it’s easy to get confused and ending up paying way too much. Make sure you know how many zeros the final price has and if it’s in toman or rials (1 toman= 10 rials).
  8. Share! Costs or taxis and tours are often calculated per car so if you’re with more people it’s way cheaper.
  9. Take overnight buses:) they are comfy, cheap and well it will save you accommodation costs.

P.S. Exchange rate used for the overal budget 1 EURO = 40 100 RIALS

Hopefully this post will help you prepare for your trip to Iran:) If you have any questions: don’t hesitate to ask:)

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Kalouts, Iran

Things to know before you go to Iran

Iran is one of those complicated countries where you really want to be prepared for some things. Otherwise it can be quite a challenge to survive not to mention spoil the enjoyment. So here are few tips and lessons we used/learned during our travels in there as well as some curiosities. Some of these we learnt the hard way. Hopefully you won’t have to 🙂

  1. To get to Iran we got our visa on arrival at the airport. We heard rumors that it’s a long process so we were surprised that ours was ready within 45 minutes. You just need to have your first address in Iran (so first hotel, friend etc) and the phone number and valid insurance which preferable says Iran. If you don’t you can buy it in the airport. We got 30 days visa for 75 euros each.
  2. People with a stamp from Israel are not allowed… And citizens of Israel even less. For them country of Israel doesn’t even exist, it’s occupied Palestine.
  3. Iran is SUPER SAFE!! Seriously we never felt safer. As a foreigner you have a status of a holy cow that no one wants to hurt especially with all the Islam stigma that they have and want to erase. In general they don’t really have a culture of stealing or anything like that. You can calmly talk to people, go to their houses etc.
  4. There is no option of withdrawing money in Iran unless you have an Iranian bank account. It means that you have to take cash for your whole stay. It can be either dollar or euro. It doesn’t matter. Many of the hotels except a foreign currency and some give their prices in USD or euro. We set up our budget on 70 euro a day for us both and we managed to keep it that way or lower. Don’t forget that you also have to pay for the visa on arrival. We paid 75 euro each.
  5. Money exchange. The rate that you get on google is way lower that the one you will be offered at exchange offices. We got 40-41 000 rials for one euro. Don’t go to banks, there you will get lower, google exchange rate…
  6. Prices are sometimes expressed in toman and sometimes in rials. Toman is generally one zero less than rials. So 40 000 rials would be just 4 000 toman. It can be very confusing so make sure you understand what you have to pay. Also many times Iranians just skip all the zeros. And so if a taxi driver says “five” he probably means 5 000 toman so 50 000 rials.
  7. Especially for woman there is a dress code. Absolute necessity is a scarf covering part of all your hair. Further you should cover your legs down to ankles and have a loose tunic and dress to cover the curves of your butt. Shoulders and arms should also be covered at least to elbow. In holy shrines and some mosques you will need to wear a chador but you can borrow it there 🙂 for men it’s pretty simple: no shorts…
  8. Drinking alcohol is prohibited so all the beer that you’ll see in the supermarkets are alcohol free and taste like a lemonade… To get some booze you would need to go a bit more underground… And generally it’s not advisable to drink in public places. We heard it’s a rather expensive entertainment as you need to bribe the police and give your booze to them.
  9. Wifi in hostels tends to be pretty bad and limited. It’s best to just get a local sim card and mobile internet. We bought a local sim card for 100 000 rials and 3 gb internet for 150 000 rials valid for a month.
  10. Many web pages are blocked so to enter Facebook, one drive, CNN, Airbnb or many other sites you need a VPN. What it basically means it that you have to send your internet through another country. You can either pay in Iran to get a VPN or you can set up your own. That’s what we did. We set up a computer in Holland and send the signal through there.
  11. Iran is all about tea! It’s a true paradise for tea drinkers. And I’m not talking about the boring black tea. Here it’s always with a little something extra like cardamom or saffron or rose petals. For coffee drinkers … well it can be complicated. Although cafés are appearing the whole time to supply that need as well:)
  12. Getting local food can be challenging because when Iranians go out to eat they mostly go for kebab and fast food. Fortunately we have visited few restaurants with local food that were great but be prepared for higher prices. For a falafel or kebab you can pay 1 or 2 euros while for a meal in a nice restaurant maybe around 6 euros.
  13. Not only the alphabet is different but also the numbers so it’s very handy to learn the numbers to be able to understand the prices:) also take a look at the books, they are written from right to left (except for numbers they are written from left to right) and the front page is our last page:D
  14. Persians are not Arabs! They will be offended when you get that wrong. They have their own language, own culture and costumes. It’s like mistaking a Polish for a Russian 🙂 Pretty bad right?
  15. Friday is their Sunday. So many things are closed although most of the museums and touristic things remain open.
  16. If you’re a couple and you want to hug and kiss, get a room. Literally. It’s illegal to display affection in public between men and women. Holding hands every now and then it’s a maximum. Man to man hugging etc is a different story … Actually men have a lot of affection for each other, they kiss on their cheeks to say hi, they hug… Maybe not in the middle of the street but almost:) Gay guys travelling in Iran could get pretty confused:)
  17. Remember to take off your shoes when going on a carpet or into a mosque!
  18. Hot shower is never a problem and also the heating in the winter is everywhere 🙂 with oil and gas being so cheap you will never get cold, you are more likely to sweat in the winter actually:) Interestingly in public toilets you might not find toilet paper but there will be plenty of soap:)
  19. Don’t throw toilet paper into the toilet!!
  20. Take a copy of your passport. Hotels and hostels will want to keep your passport while you’re there but we didn’t really feel comfortable with that so we always left a copy. They usual only needed a copy of the main page and not the visa.
  21. If Iranians offer you something like food or free ride refuse 3 times to make sure they are not just being polite. It’s Tarof and it’s like their savoir vivre.
  22. Pray before crossing the road. There is no mercy there, Iranians drive like crazy and they won’t stop for anyone. Pedestrians crossing lines and lights are there just for decoration.
  23. Bargain! You want to take a taxi, buy something or get a room. You need to bargain otherwise you will pay wayyyy too much.
  24. Most of the places are nowhere to be found online. You can’t find them on booking.com or aribnb. And they mostly don’t have a webpage. But at least in most of the cities most hotels/hostels/guesthouses are in the same area. So we just searched for options on wikitravel and then we walked around from door to door. Don’t get your hopes up from wikitravel prices, in many places they’re just ancient. Anyway any price you hear, you have to bargain. If you stay more than one night, you have a greater chance to get a better price.
  25. More expensive is not always better! We saw rooms for 60 dollars that were dark, shabby and stinky and rooms that were for 30 dollars and were neat and nice. We got an impression that star rating doesn’t say much and nor does the price. You need to see it all yourself.
  26. Bargain in local currency! Although in many places you can pay in euros or dollars, often you get better prices if you bargain in local currency.
  27. Women first. Woman can seat in the “man section” of the bus or metro. But in the “women only “part, it’s women only:) as a woman you will get offered to sit in the men section.
  28. No hand shaking. As a woman you don’t shake a man’s hand unless they initiate it. I got denied shaking hands many times.
  29. You will smell roses. Rose water and rose petals are everywhere, in food, tea, perfumes… it’s unmissable when walking around the streets.
  30. Nose job. It’s very common, especially for women to get their nose done. So you will see a lot of women and some man with plasters on their noses. Actually it’s in to wear it even if you haven’t done anything… we saw quite a few cases like that.
  31. Cats and dogs are considered unclean and not so great for the family. So we haven’t met anyone who would have them at home… But there are plenty of cats on the streets and they actually look quite good as they are fed by everyone 🙂

 

Hopefully this post will help you a bit to enjoy Iran to the fullest and spot more small things along the way 🙂

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Tehran, Iran

9 experiences you just can’t miss in Tehran

  1. Dive into the chaos of the Grand Bazaar

You just can’t come to Iran and skip the bazaar experience. We absolutely loved the chaos, the carriages coming from everywhere, the smell of fresh tea and spices. Not to mention the architecture which is just stunning. We also went into some antique shops to take a closer look at their ceilings and staircases. Some were absolutely breathtaking. The bazaar is huge so make sure you take your time to get lost and explore it. Remember it’s closed during lunch time.

 

  1. Enjoy the colors and glamour of the Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace was once a royal residence and there is absolutely no doubt about it. The splendor of the place is just immense. There are ceilings made of small glass mirrors, stunning gardens, fountains and walls with colorful tiles. There is plenty to see but get prepared because it’s actually not that easy. First you have to decide what you want to see. You buy a ticket to each part of the complex. If you want to buy them all it’s 940 000 rials (around 24 euro). If not the admission is 150 000 rials (around 4 euro) which allows you to wonder around the garden. Then there are 8 parts for 80 000 each (around 2 euros) and one, the most spectacular is 150 000 rials (so around 4 euro) and it includes the Hall of Ivory, Hall of Mirror and other incredible halls. Unfortunately, in most of the places you can’t take pictures.

  1. See how the last Shah lived at Niavaran Palace

Niavaran was the last residence of the Shah before he was forced to leave the country. Also here you have to decide what you want to see. There is the main house which is the most important part. Next to it there are few museums and a library. In the main house you get an impression of the luxury of the 70s. There is a convertible roof that lets the fresh air and light in, private rooms of the kids and more than one collection of clothes of the Shah and his wife. We paid 150 000 rials admission and 150 000 rials the entrance to the main house (together around 8 euros).

  1. Calm shopping at the Tajrish bazaar

There is no chaos here, you don’t have to jump out of the way to avoid crazy men with their carriages. Here it’s where you can just enjoy the world of spices, food, carpets and whatever you want undisturbed. We were especially amazed by mountains of saffron that are available in so many shops here. In Europe one gram is very expensive, here we are talking about mountains of practically gold. Saffron next to rose seems to be the most important ingredient in local cuisine. When you’re done with saffron there is still tea waiting as well as many, many jewelry shops.

  1. Enjoy winter wonderland going up the Darband mountain

We were in Tehran during winter so we absolutely loved seeing all the snow, barbecues on the side of the road and numerous shops and restaurants. It all seemed so Christmas-like, even though Christmas is not really celebrated here. Not to mention the experience of absolute, beautiful, white winter in a country that we mostly pictured as omnipresent desert.

  1. Watch the sunset next to the Azadi Tower

Azadi Tower is one of the most prominent symbols of Tehran and it was built in 1971 for the commemoration of 2500 years of the Persian Empire. First it was called Shahyad in honor of the Shah but obviously after the revolution it had to be changed and now it’s Freedom Tower. The tower is surrounded by fountains and underneath it has a museum. When we were there, there was maintenance work going on so we could only appreciate the tower itself. We couldn’t complain as first we saw it in full splendor during day light and as the sun went down we saw it illuminated.

  1. Enjoy the panoramic view of the city from Milad Tower

Milad Tower is a kind of thing you would expect in Dubai, glamourous, modern, full of stylish detail with a local touch. There are shops there, restaurants and a stunning terrace to enjoy the views of the city. Honestly we have seen many viewpoints but never have we seen anything like it. In the evening this great metropolis is like a painting of lights. Colorful, vibrant and very lively. The only drawback is that you enjoy the views through a metal fence which makes taking pictures nearly impossible. We almost forgot to mention that it’s the 6th tallest tower in the world. Entrance to the terrace was only 120 000 rials (around 3 euro) and the views were priceless.

  1. Enjoy the power of technology on Tabiat bridge

This brand new bridge maybe doesn’t make it on many “must see” lists but for us it was one of the biggest surprises in Tehran. It’s the most extraordinary pedestrian bridges we have ever seen. Imagine two floors, with little gardens everywhere, views of the city, benches to sit on and also a few restaurants and a really nice café where you can read some books (not only in Farsi). Not to mention that as soon as the sun goes down the bridge lights up with intense green color.

  1. Former American embassy

That’s probably the sight everybody imagines. Murals with anti-american art, passing by ladies in chador, posters of Obama looking like an Islam teacher. It was overtaken in 1979 because of the religious revolution. Later on 52 American citizens were held hostage for 444 days which makes it the longest hostage crisis ever. Although it’s incredible to see where it all started, make sure it’s not the only thing you see.

Salamina, Colombia

Charming villages of Colombia

Charming, little villages were our absolute favorite in Colombia. There is nothing better than sitting in a little bar with an old man, drinking coffee almost looking at the coffee beans growing on the bushes ahead. So sit down with your cup of coffee and let’s go through the best of the best 🙂

  1. Salamina

This little town has completely stolen our hearts. It’s close enough to Medellin to get there with just one bumpy, bus ride but far enough to get far away from the big city life. There is no traffic, rush or groups of tourists in Salamina. Instead there are lovely cafes, colorful houses and green, mountainous heaven around it. It’s truly a perfect place to just relax, read a book and enjoy nature and good weather. Close by there is a stunning valley of Samaria, (to be) famous for its very high wax palms.

In Salamina we stayed with Martin and Angelica, an extraordinary couple on Airbnb. They are not only very inspiring people who create everything around their house by themselves with love, but they also made us feel at home there 🙂 Not to mention they make the best breakfast ever with fresh juices, arepas (corn pancakes) and eggs.

  1. Filandia

When nearby Salento is attracting all the crowds with its wax palms in Cocora Valley, Filandia stays a wonderful, peaceful treat. You won’t see crowds or overpriced hotels over there. Just peaceful but very colorful town with lovely and a bit curious locals. They will ask you how you like Colombia and why you chose Filandia. It’s it obvious? Not only it’s very colorful and has a lot of character but it has the best surroundings ever! Here you will find waterfalls, ever green forests, endless coffee farms and amazing hikes. Not to mention you will see hummingbirds, toucans and even howler monkeys.

In Filandia we volunteered in a really nice hostel called Bidea which is owned by a lovely Colombian-Basque couple. It’s not only a beautiful, Colombian house but also a great atmosphere that makes it a great place to stay. Don’t forget to visit Helena Adentro for great food and a romantic, charming vibe.

  1. Villa de Leyva

Nothing can compare to the white houses or cobblestone streets of Villa de Leyva. Not to mention the one and only, massive, gorgeous Main Square. Although it’s number one on many lists of towns of Colombia, it’s not busy. Not at all. We were actually really positively surprised. All the little streets were charming, white and really clean, even outside of the center. Little markets on the corners were selling true curiosities like dried bushes of pink pepper! And we will never forget an amazing ice cream place, Santa Lucia. Although we shouldn’t, we went there every day… and every single time it was delicious and the owners were just the most cheerful people on earth.

In Villa de Leyva we stayed in a stunning hostel (Buda Hostel), just outside of the city on a hill. It was a struggle to drag the backpack up there but once there the views made everything ok again. The house itself is wonderful, with lots of terraces and open space, not to mention the huge barbecue and chill out space outside.

  1. Palomino

The town itself is not really that nice, there is no beautiful architecture and it was just build along a busy road which goes just in the middle of it. But… those beaches. If you can’t go to Providencia than that’s the second best. Kilometers of sandy paradise with not too many people. There are quite some charming, boutique hotels out there. The beauty of the place is that there is not much to see, just pure relax 🙂

  1. Santa Elena

Probably the most calm place of them all. Middle of absolute nowhere and so close to Medellin. We stayed there surrounded by green, luscious nature in a trailer made into a house (Airbnb). It was just an unforgettable experience to stay away from everyone and everything in this charming little place where all we could do was to just relax, walk around and enjoy. During the evening when it was getting chiller we could sit on our deck, start a fire and observe all of the weird bugs coming to visit us 🙂 It was our last place to visit before we ended our Latin American adventure and we wish such an end to all of you 🙂

Useful tip!

If you’re going to Colombia and you would like to get to charming, little villages that are not so well known you should visit http://www.pueblospatrimoniodecolombia.co/nuestros-pueblos. There you will find a whole list of tiny towns well worth a visit:) Enjoy!

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Łódź, Poland

One day in Łódź

Łódź is famous in Poland for its film academy. Almost all the people that matter in the business pass through that school. Although for many years people went there not for pleasure but for must, now it’s been changing. It’s becoming more and more a bit of a hip city full of young life and creativity. It’s also a very good one day trip from Poznań or Warsaw as it’s just around 2hrs away. Why to visit Łódź?

  1. Łódź Light Move Festival

Visiting Łódź Light Move Festival in October we found ourselves in the world of dreams and nightmares as that was the theme this year. There were installations in parks, 2D/3D mappings, light tram, virtual reality and surprisingly not that many people. Maybe because the festival is still quite small and focused just around the main street of the city. Still very much worth a trip to see it. To make it easy you can download an app android IOS which gives you access to the whole map so that you won’t miss anything.

  1. Manufaktura- not only commercial center

Manufaktura as it is now, is a result of one of the biggest renovation projects in Poland. Previously in the 19th century it was a flourishing series of factories producing various textiles. It was bought in 2000, when its best years were far behind, by a French developer. It took 6 years to bring it back to life. Fortunately the most important and prominent part is still the original factory building, red brick with big windows. The complex is truly huge with a big square in the middle. That’s where most of the life happens in Łódź, there are concerts, cultural events and even an artificial beach in the summer.

  1. Street art miracle

Before coming to Łódź we really thought Wrocław would be the capital of street art in Poland. Well not anymore. Łódź surprised us with numerous pieces of art spread all over the city. There are masterpieces everywhere: on a side of an awful communist block, by the pedestrian crossing in the center and even above a parking lot. It makes this fairly grey city way more colorful, fun, artistic and interesting. Our favorite one was definitely a mural of a famous Polish pianist Artur Rubenstein who playfully stares at the pedestrians. Detailed map of all the amazing murals you can find on the web page of the street art foundation. If you want to see all the pictures first you can check them out on their facebook. (The murals below are included on the map)

  1. Off Piotrowska- hip place for lunch and so much more

As usual when something becomes really popular it becomes a bit outdated for the cool ones. So Manufaktura is not a place to be if you want to be cool. For great cafes, artistic shops and restaurants you have to go to OFF Piotrowska. It was built in the late 19th century as a fabric factory and I would say it wasn’t that much renovated before it opened as a cultural underground in 2011. The windows of the upper part of the complex are broken and it’s all a bit rustic and honestly that’s the charm of it. Going there we felt that it was something real and special… more than Manufaktura. We strongly recommend Drukarnia, it’s a stunning place for lunch, dinner or drinks where you can just sit and relax watching people pass by through the huge industrial windows. It definitely doesn’t hurt that all the people working there smile and seem to enjoy a nice talk and their job.

  1. The famous tram stop

Since 2015 Łódź is very proud of its brand new tram stop that some of them call a “unicorn stable”. Its roof is made of a colorful, almost rainbow-like membrane that’s supposed to imitate more dangerous stained-glass. The effect is quite unbelieve and looking from a distance we got an impression that it almost looked like a part of a cathedral with its high ceiling, colors and arches.

  1. The biggest Jewish cemetery in Europe

180 000 graves ... That’s probably our biggest regret. We were just not in a mindset to visit a cemetery but we strongly recommend it. It’s such a big part of Polish history. In the south you will find 45000 graves of Jews who died in the ghetto and nearby some empty graves that were digged by the Jews for themselves as they were forced by the Nazis. As the Soviets were advancing too fast, the graves remained unused and are left there as a reminder.

  1. Piotrowska street

Although we were not really impressed with Piotrowska street, it would be a sin not to mention it. It’s the main pedestrian street in Łódź where all the life is. It’s almost 5 km which makes it the longest pedestrian street in Europe. If you expect no cars, you’re gonna be disappointed just like we were.

There are quite a few sculptures there as well as the Walk of Fame to honor the Polish pearls in the business like Roman Polański.

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Stary Rynek, Poznan, Poland

9 things not to miss in Poznań

Poznan is my city, I was born and raised here. Probably that’s why it was so difficult for me to see its beauty. Now that I don’t live here anymore, it’s much easier to appreciate what used to be „just” normal. Also in the years that I was away, the city has changed so much and became even more beautiful. Although it’s not nearly as popular as Warsaw or Wroclaw, I think it should be. Or maybe let’s keep it as a hidden gem 🙂 below a few unmissable things to do in Poznan.

  1. Enjoy goats headbutt each other and then some exceptional food in the Old Market Square

The Main Square is famous for pair of mechanical goats that appear every day at noon to headbutt each other 12 times. According to legend the real goats were stolen by a cook that was preparing a banquet for the voivode and his guests but he had burnt the meat and well… needed replacement. The goats felt that those were their last hours so they escaped and ran into the town hall tower and started butting each other which provided such entertainment that voivode decided to save their life and order mechanical goats for the tower.

Although they’re a must see, except for the goats there is quite something to see on the main square. It’s just such a lovely little square with colorful houses and lovely little cafeterias everywhere. If you’re there for lunch we would recommend Weranda Café which changes its interior all the time and serves great food. After lunch you can go to Cacao Republic which is a charming, romantic little place serving decadent desserts and liquid chocolates….mmm. In the evening there is nothing better than going to Brovaria where they have their own little brewery. Jandirk has a problem resisting their honey beer every time we pass by there… Obviously your trip to Poznan wouldn’t be complete without a shot of vodka. Poland has the best vodka in the whole world and for 4zl per shot you can try quite a few in a nice, communism-style bar called Pijalnia wódki i piwa.

  1. Find out all about our croissants and Poznanian dialect in the Croissant Museum

Poznanian people are very different from the rest of the folks in Poland… supposingly scrooge, supposingly with a bit more distance and we talk our funny, little dialect. In the museum a cheerful guy or two, will tell you a bit about Poznan and about our pride- Saint Marcin croissant. They are delicious, heavy, filled with poppy seeds paste, raisins and other goodies. We stuff ourselves with them all day long on the 11th of November when there is a big celebration for Saint Marcin, his name day and the Polish Independence Day. Saint Marcin is also the name of one of the biggest street here so you can imagine that the celebration is epic.

  1. Stroll through the park of Citadel and stop at one of the graves of the British Empire

The park was built on the leftovers of a fort that was there since the XIX century. Some of the fortification is still there but except for that there is a military museum, military cemeteries and plenty of open space. For lovers of art there are quite a few sculptures scattered all over the park. The biggest one is called The Unrecognized and consists of 112 statues of headless people walking in all different directions. In the summer Citadel is very cozy especially because of organized parties, open-air markets etc.

My favorite place in the park is the Old Garrison Cemetery. It might sound weird but those, mostly British graves from first and second World Wars, have just something peaceful about them. Each one of them is unique, many have beautiful, personal notes from the family and yet from far they all look the same. I supposed that’s why not many people come here. And it’s a shame.

  1. Get twisted looking at the most twisted staircase in Poznan

Since I remember Okrąglak has always been a symbol of Poznań. Built after the 2nd World War it was quite unique and modern, later on it became a store house and then it was closed for a long time. Now after many years of renovation it came back as an office place. But you can still enter the building and see the most twisted staircase ever.

 

  1. Enjoy your own beer at the side of Warta river

Especially during summer Warta River is a must-see. There are concerts, café’s, cultural activities, bars, city beaches and even little Jacuzzis. There is also plenty of space for absolutely everyone so you can just come with your own booze and food and picnic looking at the cathedral.

  1. Appreciate street art all over the place

Poznan is growing stronger and stronger when it comes to street art. In last years there have been more and more master pieces coming. The most spectacular one is definitely “The Śródecka tale” which tells the story of the neighborhood and reminds you of the houses that used to be there. It is really realistic and standing in front of it you don’t realize for the few first seconds that it’s a painting and not a reality. Except for that one Poznan has many poems written on the walls in many different places and even an old postcard-like painting in the city center.

  1. Look at the cathedral from a whole new perspective

For me the Cathedral was never anything special. Living in a country where for each neighborhood we have probably two churches, they stopped impressing me in general. But looking at it from the new museum (Porta Posnania) changes the perspective completely. The museum embraces the history of the “cathedral island” with its modern architecture. Just in front of the museum there is also a nice area just by the river where you can have a picnic.

  1. Go shopping at Stary Browar

Stary Browar is definitely one of the most extraordinary commercial centers that I have ever seen. It was built on the leftovers of an old brewery that goes back to the beginning of the 19th century. It still has the old, classic look and atmosphere but with an interesting twist of new, futuristic art. You can not only buy all you need in there but also enjoy cool cafes, art exhibitions and lots of cultural events

  1. Enjoy the mesmerizing fountain

The fountain on the Freedom Square was built in 2012 for the European Football Championship and since then it’s been a pleasure for the eye and relief in warm days of summer. Although I heard it’s difficult in maintenance, from a visitor point of view it’s very impressive. It not only changes colors but also looks a bit like sails of a boat. It attracts many people that would otherwise never choose that place to relax.

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