Vacation Ideas — Ella & Piotr

If Poland’s Mountains are far away, you may like to turn this into a European vacation. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

See More of Our Favorite Parts of Poland

Gdańsk

On the Baltic Sea, Gdańsk is one of the most picturesque cities in Poland and is the largest amber producer in the world. It’s so gorgeous, Russia, Prussia/Germany, and Sweden fought over it for millennia.
Ella and Piotr have both visited with their families and found it breathtaking!

What to Do
Kraków

The location of our Welcome Drinks and Bar Crawl, Kraków is Ella’s favorite city in Poland. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country and filled with museums, art, and activity. It is also surrounded by a number of great day-trips to begin or end your Polish vacation.
Ella studied abroad in Kraków for the summer after her sophomore year in college and came back to volunteer for World Youth Day (Światowe Dni Młodzieży). So it has a very special place in her heart that she’s excited to share with you!

What to Do
Warszawa

Warsaw, or Warszawa in Polish, is the Capital of Poland and the center of industry and history. The old town square has been beautifully rebuilt since WWII into its 15th century glory. And it is filled with more history museums than you could see in a week.
Piotr was born in Warsaw, so it is his first hometown and a must-see city. Warsaw is also where Ella and Piotr kissed for the first time and bonded in Łazienki Park in the rain. It’s lovely.

What to Do
Zakopane

Nestled in the Tatry mountains, Zakopane is the most relaxing city on this list and the closest to the venue. If you would like to enjoy beautiful hikes, walks to Slovakia, and mulled beer, please take a couple days to visit.
Zakopane was a particularly special place for Ella’s Babcia and Dziadek (grandparents) who came here for their honeymoon and continued to visit until their 90s. Ella also fell in love with Zakopane and it was the first place she traveled solo. Now Ella and Piotr plan to make it special together by getting married nearby!

What to Do
Wrocław & Bolesławiec

Wrocław is home to one of the most colorful town squares in Europe. It is also filled with hidden elf sculptures throughout the city, which makes it a very popular family vacation spot. Nearby is Bolesławiec, the home of Polish pottery, the classic hand-painted cobalt designs that have become widely popular across the world.
Ella visited Wrocław and Bolesławiec with her Mom as stops between Vienna and Kraków and because of her love of pottery. The cities more than met their expectations!

What to Do

Find a Great Vacation Along the Way

Vienna

Austria’s capital Vienna is a beautiful historic city with fewer crowds than Paris or London. It is also near the Alps so it’s wonderful for a trip to two mountainsides combined with museums tours.
Ella visited Vienna with her Mom when traveling from Florence to Krakow during her summer studying abroad, so check out some of her favorite spots!
Berlin

Berlin can be a trip filled with history, a trip filled with parties, a trip filled with modern and contemporary art, or a wonderful combination of them all. It is a striking modern city that we should all have the opportunity to visit at some point in our lives. It’s also a popular layover for Lufthansa flights.
Piotr visited Berlin in less than 24 hours and still managed to hit most of the landmarks! Ella also visited with her mom - we both loved it!
Budapest

Budapest in Hungary is another great historic city that is perfect to visit when already near Eastern Europe.
Ella and Piotr have both dreamed of visiting, so if you explore the city, be sure to tell us about your adventures after you go!
Paris

Paris is a perfect city if you’d like to connect a trip with a layover as AirFrance always stops by. Paris is also a wonderful capital of delicious food - especially escargot - and fine art.
Piotr and Ella visited here on the way home from Poland in 2019, checking out some favorite locations with help from Ella’s Wujek Jendrek (Uncle Andrew) who lives there now!
Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a great layover city as every BLM flight to Krakow stops here. It is also incredibly picturesque with plenty of fine art, museums, and activities beyond the red-light district.
Piotr came here with his friends Gregorio, Georgio, and Imro while he was finishing his PhD in Leeds. Ella came here during her MA to study the art at the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk museum. So it’s a place filled with learning and adventure for both of them!
London

London may be the most popular layover of all these cities and British Airways will stop here. London is a very fun and family friendly place to visit!
Ella came here the first time for her quinceñera trip (instead of a party - a sort-of tradition in her family) and since Ella and Piotr lived together for the first time in Leeds, UK, England has a particularly special place in their hearts!
Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czechia, formerly known as the Czech Republic, and is the most recent place the two visited on this list. It is just a few hours from Poland and filled with life, history, and incredible artictecturhe.
Ella just visited after she finished the Bar Exam last fall, attaching it to a trip to the venue with Piotr. So she can attest, it’s very easy to get here after the wedding!