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Warsaw teems with flowers, nightlife, friendly people By John Bordsen Charlotte (N.C.) Observer What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit. Brendan Ian Burke is Executive English Editor of The Warsaw Voice newspaper. The New Jersey native, 35, has lived in Poland five years. Q. We've read stories and seen footage about how terrible this winter has been in Eastern Europe. What's your take on it? A. In the past, winters were pretty mild...

Tourists head for Krakow 24.08.2005 In the wake of more assertive campaigning from the Polish Tourist Board, Krakow, the historic city in the south of the country, is experiencing a boom in the number of tourists who visit there. Statistics say that more than 52 % of Poles consider Krakow the most people-friendly city in the country. Last year the number of visitors to the city increased by 20%, to around 6.5 million tourists. This year, 8mln tourists are expected according to the Promotion Department of the City of Krakow. And that’s no accident, as it’s a city wrapped in...

Mat Schulz goes hunting for the endangered bison in a primeval corner of Poland. For most people, Poland is connected with images of factories, coalmines and shipyards. But between the industrial landscapes there are mountains, lakes and sea. Most surprisingly, on the border with Belarus, Poland also has mainland Europe's last primeval forest - 8000 years old and 1250 square kilometres in size. The Bialowieza Forest still exists because Polish and Lithuanian royalty used it for hunting from the 14th century. When, in the 19th century, the land became part of Russia, the tsar reserved it for the same purpose....

Bialowieza and Podlasie If you want to escape the bustling city life, there is no better place in Poland to go than to Białowieża Forest in the eastern Polish region of Podlesia. By Gabriel Stille Known as the home of the Zubr, the European bison, The Bialowieza National Park protects a rare remnant of the primeval lowland forest that once covered most of Eastern Europe. And Podlesia, a region who cherishes its age-old ties to the east, is an interesting place in itself. The Polish part of the Białowieża forest comprises of over 10,000 hectares of land, of which almost...

Kraków a crown for Poland 02:30 PM CDT on Friday, June 16, 2006 By RICK STEVES / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News The top stop in Poland is Kraków. And enjoying a drink on its marvelous main market square, you’ll know why. The biggest square in medieval Europe remains one of Europe’s most gasp-worthy public spaces. Knowing this is one of Europe’s least expensive countries, I choose the fanciest cafe on Kraków’s fanciest piece of real estate and order without even considering the price. Sinking deep into my chair and sipping deep into my drink, I ponder the...

Warsaw looks back, ahead Polish city proves vibrant, affordable By Beth D'Addono, Globe Correspondent | March 8, 2006 WARSAW -- When Danuta Mieloch wants an upscale, energetic getaway from her busy Rescue Rittenhouse spa business in Philadelphia, she doesn't jet off to London or Paris. She heads to Warsaw, the capital of her native Poland. ''It's the most happening place in Eastern Europe, and Americans don't really know about it," said Mieloch, who came to America 15 years ago. ''The bars and restaurants are fabulous, the shopping is great, and the city is very young and vibrant. And best of...

Pumped in Poland Article by Thomas Lundy, Grey and impoverished, a downtrodden land inhabited by dour cynics. This was my perception of Poland prior to going there. I had been asking fellow travelers for years about Poland and all had unequivocally recommended Cracow. So, Cracow it was: Poland's third largest city of under one million inhabitants and also its best preserved (unlike Warsaw, Cracow wasn't annhilated by bombings during World War II). I took a direct flight from Amsterdam to Cracow on SkyEurope, a low-budget airline specialising in Eastern European destinations. Upon landing I was overjoyed at the sight before...