Guide for a long weekend in Poland

Written by Tommaso

Lectures were ending and the exam period was about to start, when my roommate Filippo introduced me to his new friend group made at our university; that weekend we would be both invited and hosted in Poland, by a girl named Hania.

Our trip started from Prague Černý Most, with a FlixBus to Liberec. In Liberec, me and my friends, took a train to Černousy (which is the closest Czech village to the Polish border). There, waiting for us, was her mom. It was a short distance trip by car to arrive to the hometown of the polish friend that was hosting us, Sulików.
In Poland places like Sulików are called a “Trójstyk granic”, a polish word meant for places where the borders of three countries touch. It was the tripoint of Poland, Czechia, and Germany. The hosting family was exceedingly kind, and had prepared a sushi night for us, Hania’s little sister taught us how to prepare and roll sushi. It was lots of fun and a wonderful way of getting to know their family with an interesting activity.
The next day we went ice skating in Görlitz, an incredibly beautiful German city at the border with the Polish city Zgorzelec, you can cross the countries by walking down a bridge that connects them across a river. Sometimes referred as Görliwood the city is famous to have been the set for movies like Grand Budapest Hotel and Inglorious Basterds.

After that, we visited Bolesławiec for the thermal’s baths, very typical in countries like Poland. For dinner, her mom made prepared us a typical polish dish: Pierogis. Pierogis are soft Polish dumplings made from thin dough, filled with savory or sweet ingredients like potatoes and cheese, meat, mushrooms, or fruit. They’re boiled until tender and often pan-fried in butter, then served with sour cream, onions, or bacon.
To go back we went to Zittau in Germany by car, where we took a FlixBus that arrived directly to Prague. It was an unexpected trip that I hadn’t prepared for, yet it turned out to be an incredibly meaningful experience. Seeing the border between Germany and Poland, a border that can simply be crossed by walking across a bridge, was fascinating and thought-provoking. It made me reflect on how borders, which often seem so rigid in theory, can feel almost invisible in reality.
I am truly grateful to study in such an international community, which gives me the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and explore places I might otherwise never have discovered. Experiences like this remind me how valuable it is to step outside my comfort zone and embrace spontaneity.