Hi. This is Hannah writing about my final weeks in Denmark.

Seven weeks into my stay in Denmark, I had a free week. From my first week in Europe, I started planning this trip to Poland. Fellow students were traveling to famous sightseeing spots, but I wanted to experience history. A friend talked me into visiting Poland, and it was an adventure that was within my budget.

My trip to Krakow, Poland, was the first time that I’ve gone on an adventure purely for myself without any companions or schoolwork associated with it. I flew from the airport in Copenhagen to Kraków – excited to experience in an entirely new place. It was grey and rainy – as most of my days in Europe have been so far.

Main Square Kraków, Poland.

In hindsight, I’m happy I was able to make the trip before the world turned entirely on its head – COVID-19 was not yet at the forefront of all of our conversations.

I arrived on Sunday afternoon and played tourist on Monday and Tuesday. It wasn’t crowded, and there were still some people populating the squares and shopping in the local areas.

Planty Park Kraków, Poland.

There were a few things I knew I wanted to see while I was in the city – some monuments, the museum that a friend worked at during her time in Poland, and an old pinball arcade. I made it my mission to walk and experience as much as I possibly could. I loved that almost everywhere I wandered, I ended up walking through a park to get to where I was going.

Planty Park Kraków, Poland.

I walked miles and miles through the parks and streets, trying to see everything that made Kraków – Kraków.

Kraków, Poland.

About fifteen minutes before I took this photo of Wawel Castle, my camera died. It was extremely unfortunate timing, and I spent a lot of time trying to resurrect it. Ultimately I had to set it aside so I didn’t miss out on my trip. Thankfully, most of us walk around with cameras in our pockets in the form of a cell phone.

I happened upon this very cool bridge over the Vistula River on my walk back from the Podgorze District. As I walked across it, I wondered how heavy this bridge must be from the weight of all of the locks. Apparently, lovers fasten the lock and toss the key into the river.

Vistula River Kraków, Poland.

Vistula River Kraków, Poland.

My friend, Sam, interned at The Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow. When I walked in, the ticket person asked what brought me to this museum in particular. I told her that my friend had worked here and recommended it – and that she would never speak to me ever again if I didn’t take the time to see it. For anyone considering a trip to Poland, I highly recommend it. Their photography exhibition is marvelous.

This is the glass market. It felt as if all the vendors were selling very similar things, but it was a lot of fun to walk through regardless.

Kraków, Poland.

Another view of Wawel Castle – and this time when I took the photo, I knew what I was looking at. Apparently, there are dragon bones in the basement, but I wasn’t able to visit at the right times to be able to see for myself.

I loved that there were so many open areas. It made being in a city feel much less claustrophobic.

The different colors of the buildings also helped to make the landscape pop, especially against the perpetually grey sky.

Kraków, Poland.

The Pharmacy Under the Eagle (above) was the only apothecary in the Jewish Ghetto created by the Nazi’s. The owners, non-Jews, risked their lives to help provide medicine, food, and documentation for many people. It was fascinating to hear the stories of people who quietly resisted helping others, regardless of their religion.

On Tuesday, I spent the majority of my day at Auschwitz on a guided tour.

As I walked through the first camp, it didn’t seem real. I knew what had happened here, in the exact spot I was standing, but I spent the first hour trying to process it all in my head.

The magnitude of it clicked when I saw the horrendous mountains of glasses (above), shoes, and other belongings confiscated from the prisoners by the Nazi’s. I genuinely don’t have words to describe how I felt.

The crematory in Auchwitz 1 connected to the only gas chamber still standing. The Nazi’s destroyed as much as they could before they fled in advance of the Russian’s arrival. To me, this proves that the Nazi soldiers knew what they were doing was wrong.

This was beginning of the end for so many people. This is where people were separated into different lines – one for the gas chamber, and one for registration. At the time, they didn’t know what was happening next.

I was astounded by the size of the place and the sheer amount of people who went through Auschwitz. At the end of the day I was just so emotionally drained. I found that I was disturbed by the sight of people taking selfies in front of the buildings.

I am incredibly thankful that I made the journey. It’s a memory that will never leave me.