We are now in very familiar territory, places we have been to before and just had to stop again to revisit for nostalgia.
Followed the “Not so blue Danube” through picture perfect countryside with little alpine villages popping up at every corner. Came around a corner and right in front of us was the Melk Abbey. We visited this in 2001 but in the winter when everything was white and not green.
Melk Abbey
The abbey is one of the biggest and most beautiful European baroque monasteries and is one of Austria’s most visited art-historical sites. The Benedictine monks still live and work in the abbey. It still has prayer services on Sundays but mostly now a tourist attraction with museum, exhibitions and the stunning gardens. It is perched high on the hill overlooking the town and of course the Danube.
Our camp for tonight: Abadja de Melk, Melk,
Parked Ziggy in the last motorhome spot (right on the Danube). The fee of €6 covered us for an overnight stop (bonus as we only wanted to stay for a few hours). Headed into Melk Old Town, only very small but lots of character then up to the Abbey but our trip was cut short as the black sky and thunder clouds overhead threatened the start of a serious storm so we scampered back to Ziggy at a fast rate of knots and sat and watched the storm pass overhead.
Navigator and Driver on the Danube at Melk
Friday 15th September
Temperature dropped considerably overnight after the storm, so was difficult to get started early. Can’t believe summer is over so quickly. Really sorry we didn’t buy those warm slippers in Poland when we got the chance – will definitely have to invest in some warm woolly boots VERY SOON! Went for a long walk across a bridge to the other side of the Danube where there were several river cruise boats moored. Melk Abbey is one of the stops along the Danube for these cruise boats.
Cruise boats on the Danube at Melk
Again we kept away from the motorways and spent time in the smaller villages along the way. Stopped in at a place called Ybbs (spelt correctly) where there was supposed to be a camp spot on the Danube adjacent to a grassy riverbank, but when we arrived, there were signs up everywhere prohibiting motorhomes. We stopped illegally for an hour or so and had lunch and then moved on. Shame they missed out on the millions we were going to spend in that town!
Our camp for tonight: Stellplarz Edbauer, Aschbach Markt
Further into rural Austria we travelled, just breathtaking scenery all the way and arrived at a farm just 7kms outside of Aschbach Markt. Corn fields and fruit trees everywhere.
This little place allows for only a few motorhomes but the setting is just magic. A private house with manicured lawns for the motorhomes to park on. Apple and pear trees scattered around everywhere ripe with fruit and a vegetable and herb patch right beside us. The facilities are first class and the farmer leaves you to roam about the gardens and lawns. There is no fee as such but they ask for a small donation to cover costs.
My Navigator in our beautiful overnight setting in Aschbach Markt
Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th September
Now deep into the ski areas and mountains, we came across some beautiful lakes. It has been raining all day, so no opportunity to take photos today. Had planned to stay at Traunsee at Ebensee but when we arrived, the motorhome pitches were boggy and the fog was so thick, we couldn’t see any more than a few feet into the lake. Decided we didn’t want to stay here until the weather cleared.
Checked our APP and found another campsite around 7kms away – up the mountain.
Our camp for tonight: Parking Langbathsee, Ebensee
What a gem. A really windy road but so picturesque with waterfalls cascading down beside the road. Shame about the fog and rain but still amazing nonetheless.
The mixed carpark at the top is the start of many walks in and around Langbathsee. A large beautiful mountain lake with thick forests bordering the walking tracks and white sandy beaches. The shortest track is a brisk 50 minute walk with others extending to 4-5 hours.
Our overnight view at Langbathsee
When we arrived there were people setting up marquees and what looked like the finish post for a marathon race. A bit reluctant to stay here but after speaking to one of the workers found out that the following day (Sunday) was a fun day and running marathon day for the locals. He said we were welcome to stay and enjoy the festivities.
Settled in for the evening and after all the workers left, there was just the three of us (Ziggy, her driver and navigator) to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature (the rain) for the rest of the evening.
Next morning, bright and early, the cars rolled in with food, drink and people. This carpark and the one adjacent to the restaurant here was packed to the brim and so was the road coming up the mountain.
We had a birds eye view of the finish
The rain continued to fall, though not as heavily as the day before. We sat in the front seat and watched the races to begin with and then joined the crowds at the finish post. The first race with toddlers holding the hands of their excited parents, dragging them to the finish line and then the joy when all received the coloured balloon of their choice and a medal. Brought back memories of not so long ago when we participated in a similar fun day with our grandkids. All ages raced with the final race being a half marathon around the lake.
Really enjoyed the day’s activities but then we were so wet and cold we retreated to our Ziggy bus to warm up. Shame the rain spoiled the day for so many, the end result being many leaving earlier than they might have. Apart from a few couples going to the restaurant in the evening, we were the only ones left after 9pm.
Monday 18th September
Light rain fell during the night but woke up to a sky with small patches of blue. On with the walking shoes for a power walk around the lake. Several locals had also arrived to enjoy the walking tracks (most with their four legged friends). Temperatures during the last two nights had fallen to single figures but with the sun peeking out for a minute or two occasionally, it soon warmed up a little.
Returned back to Traunsee am Ebensee to see the view we missed out on a couple of days before. Like something out of a travel video, the view was spectacular. Two gems in Ebensee Paradise and we were lucky enough to experience and see both.
Our view at Traunsee, Ebensee
Again our planned stop for the night changed as we were informed by NAVIE that the highway to this destination was closed. The alternative route put on another 70kms and took us in a direction we did not want to travel. It took an hour before we realised this so had to double back.
Our camp for tonight: Parking Kaiservilla, Bad Ischl
Back on track now, we stopped here for the night. Bad Ischl as we saw it in winter many years ago, is very different now. A thriving tourist town even in the non winter months. The parking place is in the centre of town so did not take long to venture out and explore the village. Remarkably quiet considering the location.
Monday 11th September & Tuesday 12th September – Vienna
Stopped at the border to buy a Vignette (Austrian road toll) and were surprised to see border officials pulling over all cars and trucks. They were checking all car boots and all vans were required to open cargo doors for inspection.
We fully expected an inspection of Ziggy but the officials just smiled and waved us through without passport or Ziggy checks. Seems they are not interested in vehicles with GB number plates or maybe the Aussie sticker had something to do with it – then maybe two old folks were of no interest to them.
Now well over 6 months into our travels and no Schengen checks so far.
We had met two German motorhomers in Bratislava who gave us the thumbs up for a place to stay just outside of Vienna so we thought we would try it.
Our camping spot for two nights: Parking Pillichsdorf 15kms from Vienna
We are travelling in familiar territory now as we spent some time here on our first European tour in the summer of 1978 (July and August) with my mother’s relatives in Eisenstadt (just outside Vienna).
Karlskirche Vienna
Since then we have had a few other trips here but always during the winter months – 2001 skiing in Saalbach and Hinterglemm, 2002 skiing in Hopfgarten and Soll and 2005 skiing in Obertauren.
Very different now in Summer with the lush green pastures replacing the snow covered trees and mountains. Both very beautiful seasons of the year.
Belvedere Gardens Vienna
We visited many places in Vienna back in 1978 including Schoenbrunn Castle so did not revisit these places again -(think we had 4 Weiner Schnitzels in 1 day for lunch and dinner with 4 different sets of relatives)
Pillichsdorf is only a very small village and the Stellplatz is provided by the local tennis and sporting club. It only takes 5 motorhomes and provides all facilities one might need. WC and shower are in the tennis club house and are really great. They leave a key outside in the meter box. You can have a game of tennis if you want but they do not provide racquets – plenty of balls though.
St Stephans Cathedral Vienna
Only small negative is that you have two trains to catch into Vienna – one little train (station is just across the road) but that connects after only one stop (Obersdorf) to a fast luxurious train that takes you right into Vienna within 30 minutes. Both trains work on the same timetable so no waiting (return trip get onto back carriage of fast train so that you can quickly get to small train before it departs – only waits a minute for you so if you get off at the front, you may miss it – we did and had to wait half an hour for next train.
AlbertinaPlatz Vienna
Weather was miserable in the afternoon so opted to take a walk around the little village today and head into the big smoke next morning. Very little to see in the village but the bikeways are excellent.
Left early to make the most of the day (still miserable) and easily caught the trains right into Vienna Mitte. There is a huge shopping mall opposite the train station and a city map which also shows the subway systems – available in English from the Information counter. Also picked up a prepaid SIM card there from the “3” shop which covers all EU countries and can be topped up monthly via Internet.
Der Graben Vienna
Spent the whole day walking through this romantic city which is full of every conceivable museum you would ever want to see. – statues, fountains and old architecture mixed with the modern and ultra new.
Some of our favourite spots being Church of St Charles, City Hall and the most amazing St Stephens Cathedral and the wonderful malls in and around here. Stadt Park itself takes a couple of hours to explore.
You could easily spend a week in Vienna and the easiest way to explore it is with the Hop On and Hop Off Buses. Most major cities have them and whilst we chose to walk it ourselves, we were completely exhausted at the end of the day and welcomed the rattle and hum of the train on the way back. I think we both fell asleep at different times on the homeward journey but managed to get off at the right station.
Thought about taking the Hop On and Hop Off Buses next day to see anything we missed the previous day.
Wednesday 13th September
Woke up next morning (very late) to a beautiful blue cloudless day but decided to move on and spend more time driving for a few days instead of walking.
Roads are just super here and Ziggy just purrs along. We are opting to avoid the highways and motorways and pass through many quaint little villages, often stopping along the way for breaks and sightseeing.
We are keen to revisit some of our favourite skiing spots and places we have been to before and heading toward the Danube and the Romantic Road.
Our camp for tonight: Parking Ottenschlag
Set just on the outskirts of this small town, this camp stop borders a forest and a small lake. It is a Stellplatz run by the community here and a small payment of €5 is requested to be paid at the Town Hall. No cooking for the chef tonight so we head for town to pay our fee and to find the illusive quaint little bar/restaurant. It is Wednesday and we find the many eating places closed (“Ruhig Tag” it is known as which means “quiet day”) it’s their day off. – ugh!. We pass by the Town Hall which is closed and on our way home, the alluring smell of food hits the nostrils and like the Pied Piper we are drawn to the castle grounds where the smells seem to be coming from. Part of the ground floor of the castle has been transformed to a bar and restaurant with so much character. Dimly lit bar with stone walls, Austrian artefacts and pictures in every little nook and cranny. “Heuringer Im Schloss” is the name and run by Helga Wimmer. We ordered two beers (in German) and Helga speaks back to us in English!!! Didn’t know our German was that bad.
Ottenschlag Castle where we had dinner with Helga
Had a really great conversation with her and talked about a soup my mother used to make – Griessknodelsuppe. It wasn’t on the menu but chef made it for us – how good is that. Got to say it wasn’t as good as mums but really special that they made it for me. The place was packed and every man and his dog (yes dogs are allowed in everywhere in Europe) came in. Had a great night.
We passed through the Czech, Austrian and Slovakian borders all within a few kilometres – 3 different countries, 3 different languages, 3 different cultures, 2 different currencies and 2 different Vignettes required for Ziggy
There was one border check where all vehicles were stopped – we had our Passports out but as soon as they saw the 2 old grey heads with GB registration and Aussie stickers we were waved straight through without having to stop – not so for all the other vehicles.
Decided as we were so close to Slovakia we would venture back because we did not see everything we wanted to see when we were here in mid May.
Our trip in Slovakia was cut short when we were called back to Poland to complete another step in getting my passport and citizenship finalised.
Camping place for Saturday & Sunday: Parking Danubio, Bratislava
Very impressed with NAVIE, our new Sat Nav. Her instructions are super and so easy to follow.
Bratislava has a population of around half a million, has been the capital of the Slovak Republic since 1993 and part of the European Union since 2004.
The UFO Bridge – one of a few over the Danube
Bratislava is divided by the Danube river making the road system a maze of twists and turns around the bridges. A tourist drivers nightmare. I listened to NAVIE issue at least 10 minutes of instructions without drawing breath and wondered how my driver could follow them all.
Old Town street scene
All comments on our APPs rate this place highly and we were not disappointed. A free camping and parking area right on the Danube with views across the river to Old Town and the beautiful castle high on the hill. There are several motorhomes here so feels very very safe. Police on foot patrol at night.
One of the floating restaurants in front of Ziggy where we had dinner one night
Two restaurants on boats moored in the river – are only metres away. Obviously this is a city visited by the river boats – eg AAPT and from where we sit, there are 4 of these on the other side coming and going.
Night time is spectacular with the castle on the hill and two bridges fully lit as well as the buildings in Old Town.
Visited Old Town on Sunday morning – very quiet compared to Saturday. Not a huge amount to see compared to what we saw in Prague and easily walked though Old Town in a few hours.
Old Town street scene and old driver
Had a wonderful dinner on one of the restaurant boats (which had its own micro brewery on board) on the “not so blue” Danube. So pretty at night with all the sparkling lights across the river.
Dinner on board the floating restaurant with Bratislava Castle in the background
Left Slovakia for probably the last time ever on Monday morning and headed back across the border into Austria. We really loved this little country.
Our next stop Kutna Hora – a medieval city about 70 kms from Prague rich in silver ore. From a distance we saw three huge spires perched high on the hill overlooking the town. Expected it was near or at Old Town so took Ziggy up the hill and after venturing into Old Town, the roads narrowed and narrowed and soon we opted to find the best spot to turn around before we became sandwiched. One of the many times we have wished we could bring in the side mirrors.
St Barbara’s Cathedral
Found a spot a short way away and set off looking for the three spires. The information board in Old Town was only in Czech – ugh !!! We meandered through Old Town into the main square – very quiet compared to Prague – but again witnessed the pride of this town with all old buildings restored and painted.
St Barbara;s Cathedral
We saw a bus group heading up the hill so we followed them and at the end were rewarded with coming face to face with the three spires – St Barbara’s Cathedral – wow. It rivals St Vitus in Prague in size and elegance. Its soaring nave culminates in elegant six petalled ribbed vaults. The chapels include 15th century frescoes. This cathedral certainly is the most impressive externally.
Looking across the valley from the Cathedral
There are several other places of interest here and the views across the valley are more than spectacular. A wine growing region also and local wines can be purchased here.
St Barbara;s Cathedral
Time to move on and find a campsite for the night.
Campsite for tonight: Autokemp Vysocina Jihlava-Stoky
Not a lot of places to choose from and as Czech Republic does not allow wild camping we pulled into this one as it was getting late. Again misled by the pictures in our APP, this place is not one that is recommended. A parking area attached to a restaurant (which was not open) and accommodation place for workers (all male) with one WC and shower (with no door) for everyone to share – not good so again opted to use Ziggy for showers and toilet.
We have been experiencing and hearing a growing noise (thought to be wheel bearings) and though have had it checked out twice already, Rob is very concerned and eager to find someone who will take his concerns seriously.
Wednesday 6th September
Had a quiet night – not expected with the clientele staying here and left reasonably early.
Spoke to a mechanic in Jihlava about 20kms away who again didn’t want to help so headed for the next big town Brno.
Wednesday & Thursday nights 6th & 7th September
Camp for 2 nights – Motortec, Brno
Motortec is a Fiat/Alfa Romeo/Maserati sales and service operation and they bent over backwards to help us out.
They advised us not to drive any further and said they would check out the problem.
Looks like the really rough roads we had been driving over In Poland had finally caught us with us and we had done some damage in the front left wheel.
It would take a couple of days to get the parts from Italy but it would be ok to park at the front of their business overnight whilst they waited for parts.
They provided us with a courtesy Fiat car to drive around and see the sights of Brno.
The parts arrived, they fitted them and off we set.
Their service was excellent – fortunately their service manager spoke some English otherwise the task would have been very difficult.
AUSTRIA
Friday 8th September – Austria for one night only
Keen to leave Brno now, even though we did not visit the town. Decided to find a quiet country campsite for some R& R.
So relieved as we drove away from Motortec in Brno and soon hit the highway – no noise – Ziggy purred along – we were so relieved that someone took the time to listen to our concerns and more than that saved us from a potentially dangerous situation.
Spent our remaining Czech money at Lidl and soon after passed through the border gates into Austria. No checkpoint check again and travel through borders in the Schengen area has been seamless.
Campsite for tonight: Bernhardsthal – Austria
Just what the doctor ordered. 5 minutes outside this quaint little town, set on lush green grass, green trees everywhere and on a river, a free spot for motorhomes was provided. Two other motorhomes were already there enjoying the peace and tranquility and Ziggy happily nestled between them. We sat and bathed in the remaining day’s sunshine and talked and laughed about our adventures thus far.
Only 100 metres away, there was a small club house/restaurant where the locals came and went. Outside the clubhouse, there were two long cement rinks (similar to our bowling greens but cement) where a group of men were playing a game which I think is called tut put. They hurled flat bottom pucks about half meter diameter with handles on top, along the cement – the aim to get as close to the x marked in a square at the end of the rink. They played for hours into the night under flood lights. Have not seen this played before and will do some research on it when next in wifi zone. The clubhouse had external WC which they offered campers the use of.
Concrete Bowls Rinks
We have seen so much and experienced so much. Our history and geography lesson continues day by day.
Woke up Saturday morning – again a beautiful but windy day. This sleepy little town came alive – tractors, bicycles, cars all towing trailers full of branches, all heading in the same direction. Continued for hours, so expect this must have been the towns clean up day.
ATM in the street in a shipping container – a few seconds after I took the photo the little boy, being curious, opened the door – it opened exposing the back of the ATM
Ventured into town for a look around. Just a little quaint village in the back blocks of Austria – close to the Czech and Slovakian borders.
Thursday 31st August – Chabarovice, Czech Republic
We entered Czech via a secondary road and received a bit of a culture shock. The roads were horrific and in really bad condition. The first town we passed through was the worst we had seen. Buildings dilapidated, ugly grey coloured cement buildings – very depressing and with the rain coming down, it was dark and dismal which didn’t help our first impression of this country. We have experienced this a few times now when we have left one country into a poorer country, the towns and roads just across the border have been sadly neglected.
Our stop for the night was not far over the border and was beside a lake.
Campsite for tonight: Autokemp Chabarovice – 2 nights
Mostly accommodated tourists in cabins with about 5 spots for vans or campers or tents. Still raining when we arrived and didn’t let up for two days. Didn’t get to walk anywhere – first time we have had such bad weather for two days straight.
Internet was good so took advantage of our down time to do research on Prague.
Would not recommend this place as drinking water only available by the bucket – no grey water disposal area – chemical toilet disposal was dumping this into a toilet in the men’s block – not pleasant as other motorhomers would know. Showers were at an additional cost as was power – we have not got any Czech money yet – so not an option. Happily used Ziggy for showers as the campsite showers looked like they were extremely old and dirty and filled up the water tanks by bucket before we left.
Probably in better weather conditions, the lakeside would have made this place more attractive.
2nd – 5th September – Prague
The countryside and buildings and roads improved dramatically as we ventured closer to Prague – expected this and with the help of our new NAVIE, had no trouble finding our campsite for the next few days.
Campsite for 3 nights: Autocamp Dana Troja, Prague
Reviews for this place were excellent and though more expensive than some others, we can’t recommend this place highly enough. Only very small (maximum 12 motorhomes), it is set in a garden that once was an orchard. Apple trees still nestled between the sites, had a good crop of delicious red apples there for the picking, though this short person needed the services of my best friend to reach apples high up on the lower branches 😊
The service provided by the owners was the best by far of all the places we have stayed in and nothing was too much trouble. They even offered to put my washing on and hang on the line while we went touring. Tram tickets are organised at reception and they offer money exchange from euros at the best rate we saw anywhere. Trip into Old Town only takes 10-15 minutes by tram.
Most places in Prague take either euros or Czech koruna (CZK) which made life very easy. Even menus in restaurants show both prices and have English translations.
We had three fabulous days in Old Town (Stare Mesto) , Lesser Town (Mala Strana), New Town (Nova Mesto) and Castle District (Hradcany). This area is the largest of any of the cities we have visited to date. Only our pictures can show how magically different this city is – but again none do it justice.
Prague Old Town
Prague is one of the most beautiful cities we have seen. It’s uniquely preserved historical centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site reflects eleven centuries of history. This culturally rich city is full of fabulous monuments and diverse architecture. Spires and domes, statues, buildings showcasing fabulous paintings, on the outside as well as inside, parks and gardens and boats filled with tourists travelling up and down the Vitava River – so much to see at every corner.
The Astronomical Clock in Prague Old Town
The main square in Old Town is filled with thousands and thousands of tourists all standing and looking in awe – in every direction – just too much to take in all at once. Buskers in every corner. Horses and carriages (for the romantically inclined), colourful restored antique cars (for the “look at me” tourists) and electric big wheel bikes were among some of the forms of transport offered.
The Apostles who appear on the Clock
It took a couple of days to stroll down most of the streets which included visits to the Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock where the 12 apostles appear on the hour; Cathedral of Our Lady before Tyn (another impressive Gothic Cathedral) and St Nicholas Church and too many more to mention. Thoroughly enjoyed the stroll across Charles Bridge from Old Town to the Castle District – for every tourist a must do to see the rich sculptural decorations and statues at ever few metres along this bridge.
The Powder Room Tower in Old Town
Treated ourselves several times to pub and restaurant stops for a pint or two and the footlong bread rolls with kobasa sausage, sauerkraut and sauce and mustard – yummy!
The Navigator with a Trdelnik
Also just had to have the local treat here Trdelnik which can be eaten on its own or stuffed with ice cream and other sweet things. It tastes a bit like donuts but is a sweet rolled pastry encrusted with sugar and cooked on a rotisserie. Certainly a favourite with the local bees who swarm around anyone eating one of these – double yummy and- yes – the weight is getting harder to control.
Inside St Vitus
Cathedral of St Vitus is one of the 10 top cathedrals in the world to visit. It stands high on the hill in the Prague Castle precinct. Just breathtaking, can’t find words to describe this Gothic cathedral that took over 600 years to build.
The Old Royal Palace and the Guards
We toured through the Old Royal Palace and St George’s Basilica and then down Golden Lane which are a row of small houses built in the castle grounds to house workers and marksmen who defended the castle. Stayed long enough to see the pomp and ceremony of the changing of the guards at the palace.
Beautiful architecture in Old Town
The public transit system is really great – very fast and very punctual, however travelling on this type of system in another country where all the signage is in the home country language can be a challenge.
The Municipal House in Old Town
On our first trip into Prague Old Town we were not sure as to which tram stop to get off – we knew it was probably about the sixth stop – when it was about the fifth stop I asked my Navigator if she could see the sign announcing the name of the station – she replied it is Zákaz Kouření. I smiled and laughed and said no that means “No smoking”. The only reason I knew was because I had looked it up on Google Translate previously.
One of the many sets of statues on the famous Charles Bridge – on weekends the crowds are huge on the bridge
A fairytale city that could take one a week or more to truly see everything.
Sadly we left on Tuesday morning with a basket full of delicious apples and so many memories.
We were eager to get back to the countryside now after three fabulous energised days in Berlin though Rob was feeling a little worried there was something important he missed seeing here.“I am worried that we will not have time to see everything in Europe that we want to see, we are running out of time” – were his comments as we drove out.Only around 18 months to go!
The trip out of Berlin was trouble free.Think our old Sat Nav heard it was due to be replaced soon. We had tried to upload the maps to the new Garmin Camper 770 (NAVIE) using our internet data and soaked up the lot only to have it crash twice in the process. Over 7.9 GB needed for this exercise. We will have to get a new SIM card or find a place with good internet to update NAVIE.
Again we travelled along miles of tree lined roads and when these stopped the tree lined streets were replaced with massive wind turbines. Germany has certainly given these big monsters a big tick.
Campsite for tonight: Flair Hotel Reuner, Zossen
Only a short trip was planned for today to give the feet a chance to recover.
The Hotel offered a great area for motorhomes at the rear of the building in a beautiful garden and grassed area. There is no cost to stay here as long as you spend some money in the hotel or alternatively the fee stated is €5 for the night and you get to use their facilities when open. They also supply electricity if need be.NAVIE was excited to swallow up their free internet and soon was up and running.
Left the driver with his new toy and ventured into the village on foot. The village is only very small with only a couple of shops so returned in just over an hour. Strange though to see a traffic jam on the Main Street of this little village in the middle of nowhere.
Shame about the lawn mower and whipper snipper that happily munched grass and shrubs around us for the rest of the afternoon – not the peace and quiet (after Berlin) that we had hoped for. Noise all done for the day, we sat and enjoyed what was left of a beautiful sunny day in this colourful garden setting.
Tuesday 29th August – Torgau, Germany
Campsite for tonight: Elbeparkplatz, Torgau
€5.10 overnight or free up to 10 hours (some motorhomers arrived after 6pm and left before 8 – staff collected money at 5pm and then 9am – how sad!)
Rob’s birthday today and his choice for tonight had to be a small village with a great restaurant and some atmosphere.
The campsite is right on the Elbe River and only caters for 5 motorhomes (though by next morning there were 7 parked there). Some locals use this to park during the day as the village centre is only about a ten minute walk.
Torgau is the place where during the Second World War, United States Army forces coming from the west met forces of the Soviet Union coming from the east during the invasion of Germany on 25 April 1945, which is now remembered as “Elbe Day”.
Torgau Main Square
We strolled up and down the quaint cobble stoned streets and checked out the restaurants – most were around the Castle perimeter and St Mary’s Cathedral and of course into Market Square – the centre of town (and of course with the regulatory fountain). Rose gardens were everywhere starting from our campsite though to the Market Square. We are still getting used to knowing whether places are open or closed and it is a matter of giving the door handle a go to see. Tried to buy a SIM card but at €15 for 1 GB – gave it a miss – WOW how expensive is that compared to Poland.
Nice architecture at the Town Hall
Sat and people watched – with a not so small black beer – for an hour or so before returning to Ziggy for a rest before dinner.
Our Italian dinner venue
Choice for tonight was an Italian restaurant, Calabrese, just off the Market Square, which catered for about 20 outside and some inside. A perfect sunny day led to a balmy summers night. Italian food and funny and friendly staff were more than fantastic.
First place of interest to visit was Colditz Castle and Museum.
We booked an extended tour with Steffi our English speaking guide for 2pm and with a couple of hours to soak up, headed into town (Castle was on the top of the hill overlooking town – so all down hill – think we are gluttons for punishment). Rewarded ourselves with an iced coffee before climbing the many stairs back up hill.
Part of Colditz Castle from near the front entrance
We were very lucky to have Steffi as our personal guide as her knowledge of the castle and its history was really great and with the extended tour you get access to all the escape tunnels and the famous glider etc.
The Colditz Glder in the secret attic where it was built
There were many escape attempts, many executions of captured escapees and around 31 escapees made it to freedom.
The French Tunnel
There was a TV series with David McCallum and Robert Wagner made about the castle in the early 70’s.
Some of the notable prisoners included the Englishman Douglas “Tin Legs” Bader and Charles Upham, a Kiwi, who was the only person during World War 2 to be honoured with the Victoria Cross twice.
The Pat Reid escape route
The castle is huge and is still under renovation – even now secret hiding spots, radios, cameras etc that the prisoners had for their escape plans are still being uncovered as work continues.
The ingenuity of the prisoners – one is a dummy and one is the real person – all from scraps – which is which?
Campsite for tonight: Welcome Wellness & Sport, Dobeln, Germany
What a fantastic sports facility. Sports fields all round and a building that provides apart from a restaurant, climbing wall, bowling, badminton, tennis, gymnasium, solarium – just to name a few.
Only 3 spots available for motorhomes and again, we were first to arrive and were then joined by a Polish couple who spoke excellent German. Rob got on well with them and soon was happily jabbering away in his best German. Quite busy during the day, but after 6pm – just so quiet and peaceful – though one of the hottest days we have experienced with the evening not cooling below 25 degrees.
Rained during the night so hope this will cool things down for tomorrow.
Thursday 31st August – Germany
Travelled though rain squalls most of the day and were disappointed when the place we chose to stay at today, did not look anything like the picture in the “Parkings APP” – picture showed it overlooking water – not so. We moved on and though not planned, arrived at the Czech border – a new day, a new country, a new language, a new currency and new challenges – bring them on.
For the first time our Sat Nav behaved itself and did not do anything tricky on the way into Berlin.We had a dream run and it wasn’t until the last 50 metres that we took a wrong turn.
Not the fault of the Sat Nav. – just a case of missing the entry to the campsite.
This is not going to save the Sat Nav though as we will be buying a new Garmin Camper 770 whilst in Berlin and committing the old unit to the scrap heap.
The Garmin will have the NKC, ACSI and Motorhome Facts databases preloaded so this will make it much easier to research and locate the sites we want to go to.
We had reservations about staying at this particular campsite, but even though the campsite is really old, it was so central and the staff were so great, we really enjoyed our stay here.
We didn’t use the WC or bathroom facilities as they were quite limited for the size of the park.
Comments on the blog sites about sirens were correct. Such a big city kept police and other emergency services busy continually and only being 3kms out, sirens were heard day and night.
Noise from the nearby airport did not bother us at all as we were out all day and so tired at night, noting would keep us awake.
The restaurant area near the local S and UBahn stations (Gesundbrunnen) was full of Muslims – we went there to have dinner one evening but changed our minds as restaurant after restaurant was full of men only – not a female in sight – we did not feel comfortable so left the area.
Berlin is certainly a multicultural city – on the walk from Alexander Platz to Brandenberg Gate (a couple of kilometres) it was very rare to hear the German language spoken.
The International Clock in Alexander Platz
Day one, we went exploring without the aid of the SBahn, UBahn or buses and walked into Friederich Strasse – 3 km away and did some preliminary sightseeing.
After that we walked to Alexanderplatz where we purchased our new Garmin Sat Nav system – we tried to buy it online whilst in Poland but for some reason the online agents would not mail it to Poland.
Went down as far as the Brandenbrerg Gate and then after a long drink and a short break tried to find our way home.
The Driver having a well earned beer with the Brandenberg Gate in the background
Long story short – we arrived home exhausted after over 7 hours of walking and just crashed after a wonderfully exhausting day.
Brandenberg Gate
This campsite closes its gates after 8pm to vehicular traffic but entry via pedestrian gate with key is permitted afterwards.
Took a while to get started next morning as we were keen to try out the new sat nav.
After a frustrating couple of hours trying to update the European map (7.9 GB) and with crashes every couple of minutes and each time sucking valuable data from our now limited supply of Sim card data, we closed everything down and hit the tourist trail.
We purchased a two day Berlin Welcome Card which entitled us to unlimited transport and up to 50% discount on entrance to museums and attractions and restaurants and then total confusion reigned for the next two days.
Won’t go into detail, but I think over the next two days, we spent more time, taking the wrong trams, going the wrong way and then trying to come back than we did on day one walking everywhere.
Looking towards the Victory Column – taken whilst standing under the Brandenberg Gate
Each day we came home absolutely exhausted after 8- 9 hours of being out and about but we have to say that this city is absolutely amazing and the sights and places we visited over the three days were just unbelievable as the photos will show.
From the Berlin Dom Cathedral – the Brandenburg Gates – Reichstag (parliament House) – the Berlin Wall – Checkpoint Charlie and so many museums.
Berlin Dom – what an impressive building
At the Berlin Dom we climbed the 271 steps to the top (and then back down again) – the view from the top was great.
Inside the Berlin Dom
The area around Checkpoint Charlie is really tacky and we encountered more American youngsters in that area than we have anywhere else on our tour.
The Reichstag – an impressive building – photo does not do it justiceCheckpoint Charlie – very tacky – attracted many Americans
It was interesting in that the younger generation seemed more interested in history surrounding the Berlin Wall rather than the second world war – maybe the war was too long ago whereas the Wall came down around 1989 and their parents memories of those events would still have been fairly fresh.
One of the largest remaining sections of the Wall – the Eastside Gallery – this side done professionallyThe other side of The Wall – open to grafitti
We could have stayed many more days and it really wasn’t until day three that we became familiar with the complicated but efficient transport system in this great city.
This campsite takes over 100 motorhomes and over the three days we met so many really great people.
Dirk and Petra Neumann from Oldenberg, Germany were our neighbours for a couple of days and invited us to visit their home after we leave Berlin.
Our neighbours Petra and Dirk Neumann and their Motorhome – a Hymer of course
When they left on day two, Petra left us with a basket full of tomatoes and the longest cucumber I have ever seen, grown in her garden and promised they would refill our vege stocks when we visit them in Oldenberg.
Our blog friends, Debbie and Mike Cohen from the Gold Coast, arrived on Sunday afternoon and we met them for a drink and exchanged travel stories over a cuppa. We hope to catch up again somewhere before they head back to Oz next April.
Got to say our feet gave up before the thirst to see more of Berlin and after day three and probably 27 hours on our feet during that time, we decided to have a couple of days rest away from the buzz, noise, sirens, sights, fantastic buildings, history and attractions of this great city.
Reluctantly we left on Monday morning.
We had a big decision to make when we exited the gate at the campsite – should we turn left or right?
Tuesday – Wednesday 22-23rd August – Lebus, Germany
Campsite for two nights: Ausflugsgastatte Anglerheim
Back into Germany now and decided to spend a few days in the countryside before going into the big smoke of Berlin.Travelled south from the border to a little town called Lebus which is on the Oder River.Passed along many tree lined roads on the way.
This free campsite is just magical and can accommodate many motorhomes and cars.When we arrived, there were two German motorhomes there.Located right on the Oder river with just a large green grassed area between Ziggy and the river.The Anglerheim Restaurant fronts the car park and over the two days was really popular with the locals for both lunch and dinner.It has a great outdoor area so we took advantage of this and enjoyed a couple of beers late afternoon and then ventured into the restaurant which was fitted out with German artefacts and waitresses wearing traditional outfits.First time since our disastrous episode with the smoked fish, that we ordered fish for dinner.Salmon and mackerel was just amazing – and no bones (plus sauerkraut of course).
The inside of the Anglerheim where we had dinner
Lebus is right smack in the middle of a bike track that goes north or south forever along the Oder River.A kind of backpackers style Accommodation in this little town is focused on bikers who travel for days along this bikeway, most who also carry basic camping gear on their bikes.
Strange to watch anglers on our side of the Oder, (in Germany), casting their lines out in to the middle of the Oder and watching other anglers on the other side of the Oder (in Poland) casting their lines out in to the middle of the Oder – 2 different countries and currencies but maybe not languages, customs and cultures so much as the borders between these countries has changed so often over the years.
Decided to stay another night here and do our first big bike ride for a while.Set off after breakfast – again my best friend opting to go by manpower alone while his navigator again taking battery power (just in case!!!).The bike track was amazing – bitumen all the way and reasonably flat.Through the countryside on one side and the river on the other we pedalled for over 20kms and though absolutely breathtaking scenery but did not come across that little village we wanted to stop at and have a pint or two and mix with the locals. Mostly all farm land here.Came back a little tired so stopped for a rest for a while and padlocked up the bikes and then ventured up into the little town by foot.
The beer garden where we had a few “Schwarz Bier” (black beers)
Robbed the bank of some euros and headed back to Ziggy for some well deserved R & R.Sat and watched the multitudes of bikers come and go – most stopping at the restaurant for coffee and ice cream before heading on to wherever.
Next morning, we saw Milo and Otis going for a stroll. Tickled my fancy watching owner and dog going for a walk with the cat a couple of paces behind.So unusual seeing cat and dog going together for a stroll.
Just loved this great camp and would highly recommend it.
Thursday 24th. August, – Muncheberg, Germany
Spent a few minutes speaking with Barbara and Ramsay – Ramsay’s 86th birthday today – happy Birthday Ramsay, so glad you had such a great day with friends – we then headed off after a slow and relaxing start to the day.
Didn’t travel very far today as we planned to spend another night outside of Berlin and then venture in tomorrow for the weekend.
Campsite for tonight: Parkplatz Muncheberg, Muncheberg, Germany
After a couple of bad choices for our overnight campsite and some not so forgiving cobble stone roads – (Ziggy just hates these and so does the driver), – we found Parkplatz Muncheberg. Just outside of the CBD of this small town, there is a great Parkplatz which is away from the hustle and bustle of town but only a few minutes walk to the centre.
Our overnight spot just outside the walled city – on our own again – amazing only 50 klm from Berlin
There are lots of spaces, but again we are the only ones here.We needed to buy a new bike pump as the one we brought with us from Australia only succeeded in letting the air out of our bikes instead of the opposite.Found a bike shop and invested in one that did the right thing.
Muncheberg was a walled town only 50klm from Berlin which had 2 city entry gates and this is oneThis is the other entry gate
Made friends with a little girl – 6 years old who was very intrigued with Ziggy and rode round and round us for ages before stopping to talk to us.She only spoke German so our conversation was quite amusing but she was just delightful and we really enjoyed trying out our limited German with her.She smiled many times and shrugged her shoulders when she couldn’t understand us.So cute but we were concerned why she was out on her own on her bike talking to strangers.
Next morning she appeared with her whole family who ventured out on bikes together.
Another really lovely little town with some very unusual buildings.
Arrived in Biala Podlaska on Thursday evening 10th August and stayed until the following Wednesday 16th August – again into the welcoming arms of my Polish Family.
Barbara and Kornelia had just returned from a scuba diving holiday in the Canary Islands and were still on holidays when we arrived. Piotr was home for 4 days before taking off to Spain with a group of Russian tourists (he is the coach driver) and Kornelia joined us on Friday evening for 4 days before heading back to Warsaw University.
Piotr, Kornelia, Barbara and Kamil and Piotr’s Godson and his family, plus my Navigator, of course
We enjoyed six great days and nights here – some with only Google Translate to translate for us and the rest with Kornelia translating for us. It is quite a lot of fun using Google to speak and translate and quite often Google does not quite understand our Australian accents and gets the words all wrong which makes us all break out in fits of laughter. We do get to say lots more when Kornelia is around to translate for us. Barbara has been taking English classes for quite a few months now and is able to understand quite a lot as long as we speak very, very slowly.
Friday was a really big day for us. Finally, after more than 12 months, I received my Polish passport. A marathon effort – so many times I thought of giving up. The whole process (in excess of 12 months) was not made easy by the Polish Government Citizenship and Passport offices.
My Navigator with her Polish Passport
You may wonder why we went to all the time, trouble and expense to obtain dual Citizenship (Australia and Poland) and a Polish Passport for me but the following are the reasons why:-
Australian passport holders can only stay in the Schengen Zone for 3 months in total before being required to exit the Schengen Zone for 3 months before being able to return to the Zone again.
That would have made our trip around Europe (about 30 countries) very awkward, inefficiently time consuming and expensive to organise.
Now we can both stay in the Schengen Zone indefinitely without having to leave.
Additionally, we can also enjoy the benefits available to European Citizens such as opening bank accounts, purchasing vehicles, taking up permanent residency and purchasing real estate.
We also wanted to be able to provide an option for our 2 daughters, should they wish to do so, to be able to apply for Polish Citizenship themselves, via hereditary access rights. We feel that the way the world is changing it would be good for the girls to have that option – if they don’t want to take it up then fine.
I refer to Barbara as my little sister now – the sister I have never had. Barbara, Piotr and Kornelia have been so wonderful and leaving this time has been so very hard as we know the chances of coming back soon are slim. They have promised to visit us in Australia and we believe they will come.
Ziggy was in real need of a pair of new shoes on the front (having done in excess of 20,000 klms on some terrible roads), so Piotr kindly arranged for the delivery and fitting of 2 new tyres and when they arrived on Wednesday, we said our “not goodbye but see you laters” and sadly left Biala Podlaska.
Liwiec Thursday 17th August
Our campsite for the night – Zaliwie-Szpinki (Coord N 52.258565 E 22.090296)
At a cost of 40zl or around $15, we found another magic Polish holiday spot. Remote and in a rural setting. It offers swimming and kayaks for hire. A great flat grassed area with the locals (cows) just a stones throw away (fortunately behind a fence so campsite was not littered with farm cakes). Weekends here are packed, but again we were alone and had only the owners to share with.
Ziggy and our campsite with 77 kayaks
Groups are catered for with a huge marquee, kitchen and undercover dining area. Basic meals and drinks are available – though expect this is not open for one or two people. There are over 70 kayaks for hire here. They provide WC, shower, water and electricity (though by long extension lead only)
Enjoyed a great steak on our BBQ – picked up at Lidl after leaving Biala, and washed it down with a reasonably good red.
Friday 18th August
Left Liwiec
Wanted to get through to the western side of Warsaw today and as all roads seem to lead to Warsaw, we had no option but to go through this great Polish Capital. Arrived in Warsaw just before lunch but the traffic was still horrible and took quite some time to get through to the western side.
There just was nowhere to stop to have lunch, so pulled into a large service station for a short lunch break. There were no customers at all as their fuel prices were quite high and no one was anywhere to be seen.
Then an angry pony tailed specimen of a man (I am giving him a good description) came out of the shop and not so politely told us to move on. This is the first time we have experienced anyone in Poland that has not been so helpful and polite. People here are great and we hope that soon, Poland will open more camping facilities and service points as we feel more tourists will come if they are available.
Travelled through acre after acre and mile after mile and town after town of fruit and vegetables growing on both sides of the road. Maize, strawberries, cabbages, cauliflower, radish, beetroot and spinach to name a few. We are sure Poland must be the salad bowl of Europe. Apart from the large farms everywhere, every house has its own vegetable patch in the back yard. When in Biala, Barbara came home every day with fresh fruit and vegetables she picked up from a local farmer (apart from the veges she has in her hot house out the back).
Near Skoki Male, Poland
Our campsite for the night was Gosciniec Pod Zaglamco (Coord N 52.60425 E 19.41930)
After 2 unsuccessful wild goose chases trying to find a camp for the night, we found a roadside resort with massive amounts of parking, including parking bays for trucks. We figured if they welcomed trucks we had a chance. We dropped into the bar and spoke to the owner who was more than happy for us to stay the night but apologised that he had no facilities for us to use. The rest is history. We had a couple of drinks and sat by the huge lake and watched sailing boats dock at the small marina and come in for dinner and then sail away into the sunset. We spoke about how much we missed our boat and the sea and agreed that after our overseas adventure, we would find another boat.
My Navigator enjoying the view at Gosciniec Pod Zaglamco
The outdoor area and gardens are just beautiful so we stayed, had dinner (so reasonably priced) and then settled in for the night. Very quiet and slept peacefully.
Friday 19th August
Left Gosciniec Pod Zaglamco.
Decided that tonight, we would find a camping ground instead of trying to find a wild camp so travelled for a couple of hours only. We had had a couple of long days driving – today, it would be a shorter drive.
Wrezesnia
Our campsite for the night: Camping Wrzesnia
Again our Sat Nav took us on a wild goose chase. Have had enough of this Sat Nav – so many times it has let us down, particularly in the bigger towns. Have decided to buy a Garmin Camper 770 at first opportunity. Tried to find this in Poland but they don’t stock it as there is very little requirement as it is motorhome and camping specific. Expect to find it in Berlin in a few days. Happy to toss the one we have out the window!!
Finally, after a “cook’s tour” of this town – compliments again of our Sat Nav – we found this camp site. Looked like a demolition derby – massive trees with girth of 1-2 metres, totally uprooted – some torn in half – trucks full of tree carcasses – chain saws going at every corner – looked like a massive tornado had been through this part of town.
Owner didn’t speak English so couldn’t not get an explanation from them. Searched the web and found that massive storms had hit this part of Poland approx 6 days earlier, leaving some fatalities and the Polish Media saying that it would take until 2019 to clear the damaged trees in the forests.
The campsite generally would take around 20 motorhomes but only about 6 had been cleared of debris and were able to be used. We camped in the one with the least amount of trees standing nearby! The campsite is on a waterway and we took a walk around it – just couldn’t believe what we saw. So thankful we were not parked here during this massive storm.
Again, we were the only motorhome here.
Saturday – 20th August to Monday 21st August
Left Wrezesnia and unfortunately did not take photos of the devastation.
We passed forests with only a few trees left – complete forests totally demolished for miles and miles. Strangely, we did not see any damaged houses so hope they escaped with little or no damage.
Poznan
Our campsite for two nights: Hotel-Camping, Malta, Poznan
So happy to see the countryside return to normal (no damaged trees)
Again our Sat Nav let us down and once we arrived in Poznan we went round and round in circles. When we were within 400 metres of the first camp site we selected our Sat Nav took us to a low railway bridge which we had no way of making it under without leaving our satellite TV dome embedded in the concrete. With no way around it, we selected Sat Nav option 2 and again were provided with incorrect information but we finally arrived.
One of the most expensive camp sites we have stayed in at 90 zl – just over $33 per night but really well located and only a short distance by tram to Old Town.
Research told us that Poznan has a great Old Town (forgot to mention, we picked up a 50GB internet package in Biala (thank you Kornelia) for 20 zl ($8) so can use internet day and night until we get to Germany.
Our Dinner place in Poznan Old Town
Took the No 8 tram – about 500 metres walk away and 6 stops later arrived at the Old Markets in Old Town. Spent some 6 hours there and took happy snaps by the bucketful. We are so intrigued and so drawn to these building treasures that have been so beautifully restored. An absolute gold mine for these cities, where tourists and locals gather in the thousands daily and into the evening and enjoy the restaurants and entertainment provided there.
Poznan Old Town Architecture
Of course dinner and a few shots of our favourite vodka (mad dog – vodka with a dash of cherry syrup and a few drops of Tabasco) which we found in a pub on the way out – warmed us for our tram trip and the 500 m walk home.
Poznan Old Town Architecture
We have been invaded at the camp site by Italians – about 20 motor homes belonging to a club are here for a couple of days – should be fun!
We have gone from being the only motorhome whilst wild camping to all of a sudden a United Nations of about 40 motorhomes, side by side.
Slept in till around 8.30 – late for us. This place is set on a huge lake which has an Olympic class 2 km x 9 lane rowing course. On both sides of the rowing course, there are indoor and outdoor pools and water slides, toboggan rides, tube rides and so much more for families to enjoy.
My driver updating his monument knowledge
We had planned to walk to the massive shopping centre at the end of the lake – 3kms away and then come back and go biking. We did the walk round trip of around 8kms and that was the end of that. The bikeways were fantastic – probably best we have seen so far – but just didn’t have the energy.
Just another Poznan Old Town Monument
The weather in Poland since returning here a couple of weeks ago has been sunny and some days even hot – last couple of days it is getting cooler in the evenings – think we have had our two weeks of summer now!
Rest of the day was spent reading and catching up on info for the blog site.
Monday 21st August
We have now seen so much of Poland and this time again taking a different route.
We are headed for the border between Poland and Germany with one more stop on the way in Poland to stock up on supplies (alcohol and meat in particular). and selected the place to camp but again, found a gem along the way.
Wild camp in Nadlesnictwo Skwierzyna – forest
Our campsite for the night : (Coordinates N52.59115 E15.32806)
There is a massive national forest on both sides of Highway 24. We had passed a couple of designated parking places in the forest along the way and commented that now that we are about to leave Poland we have found the illusive places to stop and park and camp for the night. Just couldn’t resist so pulled in at the next one. Only facilities were tables and dustbins but it is really hard to describe the majestic trees and the lush mossy ground cover with a multitude of different coloured moss and plants. Saw mushrooms growing not far from our camp site.
My Navigator catching up on her notes in the forest
We have had perfect weather this time round in Poland but today the rain clouds came over and it bucketed down for most of the late afternoon.
The temperature is dropping day by day and is quite cool at night now – almost time to bring the winter woolies into play again.
Wanted to walk along the forest tracks again but rain prevented us from leaving Ziggy so a quiet and restful afternoon was on the agenda.
Tuesday 22nd August
Woke up to an overcast day and it wasn’t long before a car pulled up beside us. Out came the gum boots, hats and baskets and off they trundled into the forest to pick mushrooms. We had seen some mushrooms yesterday but there were heaps more this morning.
Saw another half dozen or so parking spots further down the road, so for the traveller, a goldmine of places to camp along this highway. Cars were parked at every available spot with eager mushroom pickers seen tramping through the forest.
Kostrzyn nad Odra
Last town on the highway before leaving Poland, we stopped here to stock up on wine and food supplies. As usual Lidl was our first stop but only a small one so not a lot of wine to choose from. Polish people are generally not wine drinkers so the selection has not been great so have stocked up on the labels we recognise. Have had some woeful wines in our travels. The fridge is full, the bar is full and so ready to move forward to our next adventures in Germany – another country, another language, another currency and other challenges.
First chore for the day, was to find somewhere to repair our back tyre which had been slowly losing air since Helsinki. We have been filling up with fuel and at the same time topping up the tyre. Couldn’t see a puncture so guessed it was a leaky valve. As it was getting worse needed to find a tyre repair shop and soon.
We passed many service stations along the way, many had no air hose at all and some who were not able to give us the 5.5 Bars (80PSI) we needed to pump up the tyre. The most air pressure we were able to get was 3 Bars so we headed to the largest town closest to us and drove very slowly towards Suwalki on a tyre which was inflated to at best around 3 Bars. We did a quick google translation and needed a shop that said Opony (polish for tyre). It was now midday Saturday and based on our information, most stores closed around noon on a Saturday.
Yeah!!! – after two tyre repair shops were unable to fit us in today, we were able to find a shop and within an hour we were hoisted up, the tyre removed (with a lot of effort) hole plugged up (hole in middle of tyre) and tyre refitted to Ziggy (with a lot of effort) – a total of 40 zloty – a mere $15.00 for all that work and we were away again.
Augustow Poland
Next we travelled to Augustow where there was a great place we wanted to camp in at a marina near the centre of town. Driving through town, it was obvious this is one of the hot holiday spots in Poland and felt apprehensive regarding a vacancy here. The town was packed, the beaches were packed, people everywhere. We could hardly get anywhere near the gates to the marina. Looked a fantastic place to stay but certainly not during the peak season. After a frustrating 20 minutes, we quickly headed out of town and tried to find Plaska and Plaska Water Station, the home of our friends we helped bring their boat and car out at Merkine.
Andrzej (Andrew) and Gosha (Margaret) and Jacob (their son) greeted us like long lost friends and quickly made us feel at home.
We parked on a beautiful lush green lawn, right on Kanal Augustowskim, where ducks swam happily past the beautiful water flowers. We were surrounded by campers in tents, caravans and some in sleeping bags ready to settle down under the stars. There are also cabins for hire and 4 boats ready to take away for a week at a time and navigate the beautiful waterways. The waterway consists of 18 locks – 14 locks through Poland 1 right on the border with Belarus and 3 through Belarus (no visas required by Belarus but you can’t leave the boat for a swim!!!)
Our campsite at Stanica Wodna Plaska with the hire boats in the background
Space is limited for motorhomes so would suggest phoning first to check availability.
There are Kanal front huts with tables and chairs and a small restaurant and bar serving absolutely delicious Polish food. We were lucky to sample the absolutely “must have” home made Kartacze (potato dumplings filled with meat, seasoned with onions and pork) and two beautiful Salads and sampled two amazing homemade liqueurs made with Andrzej’s secret recipe.
Andrzej and Gosha with us outside their restaurant and office
A secret hideaway away from it all in the midst of a tiny little place only 20 kms away from Augustow – a must to see and spend some relaxing days.
Jezjoro Nidzkie (Lake Nidzkie)
(Camp in the forest)
We had keyed in the co ordinates for a camp spot called Camping U Basi, Jaskowo, west of Pisz, however on the way, we found a great free camp about 3 kms from our proposed destination.
Designated as Parking, it was a large grassed area at the beginning of the National Forest. There were a few houses about and given that it was off the beaten track, we were surprised how many cars and bicycles actually went by. We had passed quite a few of these Parking spots but didn’t realise they were part of the National Forest.
We saw several fishermen go into the forest. Eager to find out where the forest tracks led, we put on our backpacks and followed the tracks through the forest. The tracks were marked at each intersection, so these were designated walking tracks. Only a few minutes in we came to the massive lake and followed the track right around the lake. So quiet and peaceful and nothing but us and the huge forest trees. Walked for about an hour and decided to head back. Suddenly about 50 metres away a group of 8 deer ran across the track in front of us. Too slow to get the camera going so missed that photo opportunity.
My father loved the forests in Poland and I can remember the stories he told of collecting berries and mushrooms in the forest. We have seen many people in our travels walking with buckets in hand and picking berries and mushrooms. We didn’t see any berries but came across several species of mushrooms – one with a beautiful bright red top – looks more like a flower. Do not know enough about which ones you can eat so left them be.
Really enjoyed this beautiful place.
Lomza
(Camp: Camping Mozir – Port Lomza)
A really well set up camp spot at a small marina on the edge of town. Pricing information in “Campings” was incorrect – instead of €15 + electricity it was a mere €6.5 incl electricity. We advised them of the inaccuracy as I am sure the camp would be packed if they changed this info. Set around a beautiful park and river which provided kids playground, gym equipment and a great bikeway. The place was packed with people coming and going all day and night. A great pizza restaurant and bar only metres away, which we just had to try, overlooking the park.
Marina and office at our campsite at Port Lomza
Took the bikes for a ride into town but once the bikeway stopped, we had to negotiate around the crazy drivers and narrow footpaths. A little too hard for this novice rider so happily walked the bikes back to the bikeways and pedalled home.
Spent a relaxing day the following day catching up on some reading and gave Ziggy a well deserved spring clean.
Drohiczyn
(Coord N 52.393311: E 22.661150)
Wild camp at restaurant on Bug River
We are still totally amazed at how impatient, aggressive and dangerous the drivers in Poland are. We keep to the speed limit and are regularly passed as if we were standing still and are regularly passed over double unbroken white lines, going uphill and or round corners.
This part of Poland has no rest stops at all and it has been virtually impossible to find any camp sites whether free or at a cost so close to the Russian and Belarusian borders. The roads today were so bad and we really looked forward to stopping for a break.
Found by chance this great spot on the Bug River at Drohiczyn with large grassy area and a restaurant which serves traditional Polish food. Sat in a massive undercover outside area at the restaurant and watched locals riding bikes, horses and swimming.
Polish restaurant at our wild camp spot at Drohiczyn
After a delicious Polish dinner, we camped here for the night overlooking the Bug river.
