An underrated European gem
Poznań in the west is the fifth largest city in Poland, and I was surprised by the stunning scenery here.
Poland is in Central Europe, with Western Europe to the west and Eastern Europe to the east, making it a true Central European country. It borders Germany to the west (having fought Germany/Prussia many times in history, and was blitzed by Germany in WWII), and Czechoslovakia to the south, which was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Poland was divided by them in the 18th century. It borders Ukraine/Belarus to the east, which was originally Russian territory, and before WWI, Tsarist Russia and Germany divided Poland many times. It borders Lithuania to the north, and Poland and Lithuania were once a united country in history, fighting the Teutonic Knights together. There is a triangular territory between Poland and Lithuania, which is an enclave of Russia, established after the war to keep Russia's access to the Baltic Sea, and Kaliningrad is the most famous city in this enclave!
"Where to next?" The daily life of a travel addict is either traveling or planning a trip.
"I haven't decided yet, but I've been traveling to relatively less developed and stable countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Iran this year. To be honest, I do miss Europe."
"Then go to Poland and the Baltic sisters. It was originally planned for 2020, but it was delayed for so long, now you can fulfill your dream."
"It doesn't seem to be peaceful there now, does it? It's right next to Ukraine, and when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, didn't Ukrainians flee to Poland? Recently, the sisters haven't been on good terms with us either."
"Poland isn't at war, and they're far from the battlefield. As for the sisters, we don't talk about politics. You're a civilized and polite tourist, traveling properly, helping them boost the economy and promote consumption, what's the problem?"
"Maybe I'll be discriminated against."
"Haha, with your poor English, you won't even have the chance to interact and communicate with the locals, how can they discriminate against you? The hotel you booked won't let you stay? The restaurant won't let you order? Or the attractions won't let you in? The world may be chaotic, but the most chaotic places are phones, computers, and the Internet, with all kinds of hearsay and exaggerated information flying around. Whether it's peaceful or friendly, you have to experience it yourself to have a say."