A Day in Zgorzelec, Poland
This May I visited Zgorzelec, Poland on a day excursion with my Middle Tennessee State University study abroad group. We arrived in Görlitz, Germany, the sister city Zgorzelec, by train and crossed into Poland by foot over the Lusatian Neisse River. Our day included a visit to the military cemetery of the Polish Second Army, St. Peter and Paul Church, the famous Whispering Arch of Görlitz (Flüsterbogen), a Polish bookstore, and several basket and pottery shops along the way.
The “spellbinding” arches of St. Peter and Paul Church. Each arch is 275.6 feet tall.
As we walked through Görlitz, the exquisite buildings lining the street revealed both old and new architecture. The most prominent building was St. Peter and Paul Church (or Pfarrkirche St. Peter and Paul), which stands 263 feet high. According to cityseeker.com, “This Gothic church was constructed with five aisles between 1425 and 1497.” A fire in 1691 destroyed much of the interior, which was rebuilt in Baroque style.
Toscha and my mom outside St. Peter and Paul Church.
As we crossed the Lusatian Neisse into Poland, we could see the fullness of the Pfarrkirche on the opposite bank.
St. Peter and Paul Church on the banks of the Lusatian Neisse.
Once we reached Zgorzelec, a party of us decided to walk to the military cemetery of the Polish Second Army. The cemetery contains the graves of 3,420 soldiers who died fighting for the Nysa river on April 16-17, 1945.
For lunch we stopped at a kebab place called Kebab Star Marks and afterward visited a Polish bookstore. Although we couldn’t read any of the books, we did learn to say “thank you” in Polish: dziękuję, which sounds like “jing-quia”.
Baskets on display along the streets of Zgorzelec, Poland
After exploring lots basket and pottery shops, we found a little coffeeshop called Czarna Kaffka.
Czarna Kaffka, a coffeeshop in Zgorzelec, Poland
The color scheme and interior design of the place fascinated me! I also got to practice ordering in German.
Kanapka means “sandwich” in Polish
The sandwiches, or “kanapkas,” were displayed in the loviest of glass domes. My mom and I shared a milchkaffee, a tart, and a bit of time together to reflect on the day.
Milchkaffee at Czarna Kaffka with my mom
Me at Czarna Kaffka in Zgorzelec, Poland
When it was time to head back to the Hauptbahnhof, we crossed the back to Görlitz over the Lusatian Neisse. Blue skies finally peeked through the overcast clouds, making the reds of the roofs along the riverbank stand out among the trees. On the train ride back we each shared stories and experiences from the day.
View of Zgorzelec, Poland on the right while crossing the Lusatian Neisse.
And remember, as you travel life’s highway…
Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses… or the wisteria!
