Get creative
Organize your art supplies and get to crafting. Consider creating a Polish wycinanki paper cutting craft, painting a poppy (Poland’s national flower), or leaning a traditional Polish dance.
Need more inspiration? Check out these virtual tours of famous Polish museums and more.
Pick a film
Watch a movie that relates to your destination. Some ideas for Poland include:
- The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
- Ida (2013)
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Study some history
Dive deep into the history of specific sites you’ll visit on tour. Study the Warsaw Uprising, the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and why Kraków was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, tour Kraków’s Market Square with this virtual reality video.
Choose a book
Read and discuss a book that takes place in your destination or describes the local culture. Pick from titles like:
- The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly
- Night by Elie Wiesel
- Maus by Art Spiegelman
Fill up your plate
Arrange a potluck and encourage your friends to bring a traditional dish from your destination. Know a chef? Hold a virtual cooking class with your travel group, or support a local restaurant that offers delivery/take-out of your destination’s cuisine. Try making pierogi, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), or goulash.
Learn the language
Call up a friend or set up a group video chat and practice your language skills. It helps to make flashcards with common sayings to use on the phone or throughout your travels (think about ordering at restaurants, buying souvenirs, and chatting with locals).
Did you know?
Every television program in Poland is dubbed by one man!
Meet Your Partner in Travel
Jenn traveled to Poland to visit where her family lived before immigrating to the United States. She spent her time traveling from Warsaw to Kraków so that she could follow the same path her ancestors took during World War II. A few of her highlights were enjoying fresh pierogis in Kraków, the Jewish Museum in Warsaw, and visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau. She recommends keeping an eye out for the tile outline of the Warsaw Ghetto, as the original buildings were destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising.