Rick Steves' Europe

-Hey, I'm Rick Steves and we're in Poland.

This is a land of soul and pride with a hard history that created an epic story and a strong culture.

In this special, we'll see why this is such a rewarding place to visit.

Thanks for joining us.

In this hour, we'll see Poland's highlights: Krakw's crowd-pleasing square, its medieval glory, and tasty cuisine.

-Wow.

Potato pancakes.

Grandma's food is always the best food.

-We'll remember the horror of the Holocaust and take a nostalgic communist-era joy ride.

We'll cook like a local -- or at least try... and cap our visit with a twilight stroll.

Warsaw, Poland's cosmopolitan capital, is gilded with a grand palace and a trendy urbanity.

We'll learn about its turbulent 20th century and enjoy some Chopin in the park.

Then we visit a gingerbread medieval town, taste its sweet claim to fame, and storm a massive Teutonic fortress.

Finally, we'll discover the port of Gdansk and how it helped bring down communism in Europe.

Poland -- about the size of Arizona -- sits in the north of central Europe.

Medieval Poland was prominent on Europe's map, but in the late 1700s it disappeared, partitioned by its powerful neighbors.

It reappeared after WWI.

Then, after WWII, it was part of communist Eastern Europe.

And today, with the Iron Curtain long gone, Poland is a leading country in Central Europe.

We're following the Vistula River -- from Poland's historic and cultural capital Krakw, to its modern capital Warsaw, further north, past Torun and Malbork Castle, and finishing at Gdansk on the Baltic Sea.

Poland's political capital may have moved to Warsaw centuries ago, but Krakw remains the historic, cultural, and intellectual capital... a proud symbol of the Polish national identity.

Krakw -- or, as locals like to say, "Crock-oof" -- was a trading center, a crossroads that boomed back in the 11th century.

Today, it's a sprawling city of a million with a delightful Old Town.

And everything converges on the majestic and massive Main Market Square.

It's hard not to be drawn to this square.

It bustles with life -- enticing cafes... families out for a stroll... fairy-tale carriages... a youthful energy, and, it seems, half the tourists in Poland.

St. Mary's Church stands tall over it all.

Its spire doubles as the town watchtower.

[ Bell tolling ] At the top of each hour -- literally 24/7 -- a fireman with a trumpet comes to the window and plays a tune... [ Trumpet playing ] to announce "all is well"... a tune that suddenly dies -- recalling a legend in which a watchman's throat was pierced by an enemy arrow.

[ Trumpet stops playing abruptly ] [ Applause ] Inside St. Mary's each midday is a medieval moment: a nun swings open the doors' much-adored altarpiece.

This exquisite Gothic triptych with hinged panels was carved in the late 1400s by Veit Stoss.

One of the most impressive medieval woodcarvings in Europe, it depicts the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven with emotion rare in Gothic art.

The square's centerpiece is the Cloth Hall.

Once a marketplace for cloth merchants, today it's home to souvenir stalls.

Vendors sell gifty crafts from all over Poland.

Like painted wooden plates from the mountain forests... colorful embroidery delicately hand-stitched... hand-painted pottery from Silesia... and amber jewelry from the Baltic Coast, for your favorite travel partner.

Krakw's Old Town is compact and easy to navigate.

The vibe is relaxed as modern and medieval mix it up.

In the 13th century, after their city was destroyed by invaders from the east, Krakwians rebuilt it with a near-perfect grid plan.

Today, it's pedestrian-friendly and thriving.

They also encircled their city with a wall featuring classic ramparts and towers.

The big, round free-standing fort is a barbican, which provided extra protection at the main gate.

Later, the wall was mostly torn down leaving just a few evocative remnants.

The moat was filled in, and a fine park was created in its place.

This circular green belt, called the Planty, is popular with today's Krakwians.

And if you need a break from all the tourists, you can bike or hike around the Planty and along the riverbank.

It's a charming local scene -- fun-loving boaters... lazy picnics... but beware the dragon!

Oh, and if you think you're good at chess, challenge one of these guys.

The riverside path is inviting... and so is the playful rigging on its delightful pedestrian bridge.

Cultured Krakw comes with fine museums.

The Czartoryski Museum shows off the eclectic collection of a local aristocrat.

Its galleries span the centuries... and it's worth a visit for one painting in particular -- Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine .

Leonardo painted this lifelike portrait before his more famous Mona Lisa , but he used the same enigmatic smile.

The subject was likely the 16-year-old mistress of the powerful Duke of Milan.

She was famous for her beauty and charm.

Her white ermine was a symbol of loyalty and purity... ...but it was also the nickname of her lover.

I guess it's up to the viewer to decide what's really goin' on.

Krakw has been called "Little Rome."

That's because of its many churches.

There are 23 in the Old Town alone.

[ Choir singing ] The country is devoutly Catholic.

Almost 2/3 of Poles attend weekly Mass, so churches here aren't just tourist attractions -- they're alive with worshipers.

Catholicism is central to Polish identity.

[ Singing ends ] Squeezed for centuries between Protestant Germans and Orthodox Russia, Poles were united and strengthened by their Catholic faith.

And after WWII, when Poland was ruled by anti-Church communists, going to Mass was more than worship -- it was a political statement... a chance to express both dissent and a desire for freedom.

It was during these challenging times that a charismatic Krakw priest named Karol Wojtyla led his flock in defiance of communist authorities.

Throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, he fought for the right to worship inside the communist state.

The Church hierarchy was impressed, and in 1978, that humble Polish priest was elected Pope John Paul II.

The first non-Italian pope in centuries was made a saint in 2014.

Although he's a controversial figure to some, many locals consider him "the greatest Pole."

Krakw's Franciscan Church was special to John Paul.

He'd come here all alone to pray.

This was his favorite pew, way in the back.

To people across the Eastern Bloc, and to Catholics worldwide, Pope John Paul II embodied the resistance fighting Soviet rule, and he inspired the Polish people with his soothing refrain, "Have no fear."

The church is also a fine introduction to Art Nouveau Polish style.

With its stained glass weaving together images of the favorite Franciscan saints, it employs the movement's characteristic organic swoops and floral motifs.

Another window shows God in the Act of Creation, turning natural light into spiritual energy.

The Art Nouveau style flourished across Europe in the early 20th century.

While Klimt was painting in Vienna, and Mucha was busy in Prague, Poland's Art Nouveau movement was led by Stanislaw Wyspianski.

At the museum dedicated to the artist, you see how the movement was playful, lyrical, and inspired by folklore.

Wyspianski and his fellow artists mixed gloom and mysticism into beauty that came with a message -- the spirit of Poland will live on.

To learn more about Polish culture, I'm joined by my friend and fellow tour guide, Tomasz Klimek.

Every time I travel in Poland, it seems vodka is quite important.

What does vodka mean to Poland?

-Vodka is definitely our national drink.

We take it very seriously.

We're very proud of it.

Polish vodka is a brand that is renowned all over the world, and we do take our vodka very seriously.

So Polish vodka, does that mean Polish ingredients?

Polish vodka has to be not only made in Poland but made from Polish local ingredients.

And those could be either potatoes, so we have potato vodka, or grain.

-So is this potatoes or grain?

-This one is grain vodka.

-Which do you like better?

-I like grain better.

That's my favorite.

-So is there a ritual for drinking it in a pub or a bar?

-Yes, there is.

When we celebrate, we drink it with our friends, and we do mainly the shots.

And we don't sip it like this.

We just do the bottoms up.

-Is that right?

No sipping?

-No sipping.

-What if I sip?

What do people think?

-Well, if you want to be really local, you better do the bottoms up.

-Okay, so really, just throw it right down.

-Exactly.

-And how do you say toast?

-Na zdrowie.

-Na zdrowie.

-And bottoms up.

[ Exhales sharply ] -[ Chuckles ] Ha!

-Yes!

-With or without vodka, Poles know how to have fun.

On this warm September evening, people are out and about enjoying the moment -- whether at cafes with a view, in the back streets, or in characteristic cellar bars.

It's time for a traditional Polish dinner, and Tomasz is eager to give us an education in his favorite cuisine.

I get a feeling that in Poland the cuisine is a very proud part of the culture.

-Yes, and getting to know the culture through its food is always the best way, and tonight we're trying all the classics.

They always start with the soup.

Soup is an integral part of our meal, so we have around 200 different soups for different occasions, and today we're having the most traditional ones.

So what you're having is called zurek.

-Zurek.

-Zurek, perfect.

Fermented rye flour forms a base for the soup.

-I can taste that -- that rye.

There's that sourness.

Fermented rye.

And what's yours?

-And I am having borscht.

-Borscht?

-Yes, just beetroot soup with the pieces of beetroot, with potatoes, and with dill as a final touch.

-This is a good start to the meal.

How do we say bon appetit?

-In Poland, we say smacznego.

-Smacznego.

-Smacznego, perfect.

-Alright.

-Smacznego.

Enjoy your meal.

-Oh.

-Wow.

Potato pancakes...

Thank you.

Always one of Polish classics, potato pancakes.

Crispy on the outside, soft inside, which is a secret of every grandma.

So, there are many different ways of having potato pancakes.

One is with sour cream.

The other traditional way is having them with goulash.

-I bet there's a lot of childhood memories on that plate.

-Oh, yes, because, you know, grandma's food is always the best food.

This is the one that you remember, so, yes.

-This restaurant specializes in grandma's cooking.

Krakwians come for both the great food and to feel nostalgic.

So now our education in Polish cuisine continues.

-Yes, we continue with three other classics.

We have Polish sausage, kielbasa.

This is something you must try while you're in Poland and we're having the grilled version right now served with onions fried on butter together with mustard.

-Sausage and beers.

-Always.

-Life is good.

-Always together.

-What's next?

-So, the next is bigos.

Bigos sometimes being translated as a hunter's stew.

Basically, fermented cabbage, meat, sausage, mushroom, and a lot of spices boiled for many days.

-And there's another plate.

-And there's another plate, another Polish classic, golabki.

-So golabki, cabbage rolls that are stuffed with rice and meat.

And we serve them with tomato sauce.

No matter how much you eat, there's always room for dessert, so we are having a racuchy .

Racuchy is a...you would call it like apple fritter.

It comes not only with the powdered sugar, but also with vanilla and berry sauce that you put on top of it.

-This is great.

And, you know, food tastes even better when you know a little bit about what you're eating.

-It's true.

-From Krakw's Old Town, a ramp leads up to the most hallowed ground in all of Poland.

Wawel Hill is sacred to the Polish people -- a castle and royal residence since the 11th century.

The park-like scene entices Poles to drop by and celebrate their nation's epic story.

Everything is layered in history, including the venerable Wawel Cathedral.

Architecturally, it's a hodgepodge -- a riot of towers and chapels.

This national church, with its many tombs, is a who's who of the nation's most beloved figures -- from saints, to generals, to kings and queens.

And if you're going to remember only one name, make it Kazimierz the Great.

He ruled Poland from Krakw in the 14th century.

The larger-than-life Kazimierz was a great warrior, diplomat, and patron of the arts.

His scribes bragged that "Kazimierz found Poland made of wood, and left it made of stone and brick."

In fact, he even made it onto the 50 zloty note.

Kazimierz provided refuge for Jews expelled from other lands, and he established the tradition that Poland would provide safe refuge for Europe's Jews.

In fact, for centuries, an estimated 1/3 of the world's Jews lived right here in a land known as "the Jewish paradise."

While they still faced some persecution, Jews carved out a relatively vital niche in Polish society, as Poland became home to an estimated 1/3 of the world's Jews.

Krakw's historic Jewish district is named for Kazimierz.

Until the 20th century, Jews made up a quarter of Krakw's population.

Of the neighborhood's many historic synagogues, some are still places of worship.

But today the economy is mostly tourism.

And touristy restaurants feature klezmer, a Jewish traditional folk music that stokes a nostalgia for their poignant story.

[ Cheers and applause ] The Old Cemetery of Kazimierz also honors the Jewish past.

This grave remembers a beloved 16th century rabbi.

Prayers are lovingly tucked into the cracks and crevices of his tombstone, and rocks stacked atop tombs -- also representing prayers -- recall the ancient Jewish tradition of covering sandy graves with stones to prevent them from being disturbed.

Jewish cemeteries, like the community of Kazimierz itself, were nearly destroyed after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

Gravestones, crushed under Nazi tank treads, were later assembled into memorial mosaic walls.

During the Holocaust, the vast majority of Krakw's Jews ended up in concentration camps, and fewer than 1 in 10 survived World War II.

About an hour away is perhaps the most powerful Holocaust memorial in all of Europe -- the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This was the biggest and most notorious concentration camp in the vast Nazi system.

After invading and occupying Poland in 1939, Nazi Germany built many such camps here, far from mainstream German society.

Ultimately, they murdered an estimated six million people -- mostly Jews, and about half of those came from Poland.

The Nazis turned this army base into a death camp.

Over a million people, the vast majority of them Jews, were systematically exterminated here at Auschwitz.

The notorious gate welcomed inmates with a cruel lie: Arbeit Macht Frei.

"Work will set you free."

The former cell blocks now display powerful museum exhibits that, while difficult to see, must, out of respect to its victims, be seen.

People were told they'd be starting new lives and to bring luggage -- clearly labeled with their names.

After they were killed, everything of value was seized and sorted.

Crutches and prosthetic limbs remind us that the first people exterminated were the mentally and physically ill. Piles of glasses... a seemingly endless mountain of shoes... it's hard to comprehend the numbers.

Even children.

The Nazis spared no one.

Halls are lined with photographs of victims -- men... ...and women... each marked with the date of arrival and the date of death.

Inmates rarely survived more than a couple months.

The gas chamber and crematorium is marked by its chimney.

Up to 700 people at a time could be gassed, but it required two days to burn that many bodies.

The Nazis wanted an even higher death toll, so they built a far bigger camp nearby.

That camp, called Birkenau, was an efficient factory for the mass production of death designed to implement the Nazis' Final Solution -- genocide... the murder of all Jews.

It could hold about 100,000 prisoners at a time.

People from all over Europe were loaded like animals into train cars like this.

They'd pass under the infamous gatehouse, into the camp, and to the dividing platform.

A Nazi doctor stood here and evaluated each prisoner as they stepped off the train.

If he pointed one way, that prisoner marched, unknowingly, directly to the gas chamber.

If he pointed the other, the person was judged fit to work and would live a little longer.

It was here that countless families from across Europe were torn apart forever.

Barracks were packed with up to 1,000 prisoners -- each person with an ID number rather than a name.

Two chimneys connected by a brick duct provided a little heat.

The bricks are worn smooth by countless inmates who sat here to catch a little warmth in the middle of a bitter Polish winter.

I can't imagine how cold they must have been, hungry, wet, and dressed in rags... and terrified.

As the Allies advanced and Germany retreated, the Nazis bombed the evidence of their crimes.

The gas chambers, where the mass killing was done, were disguised as showers.

People were given hooks to hang their clothes on, conned into thinking they'd be coming back.

The Nazis didn't want a panic.

Then the inmates piled into the "shower room."

At Birkenau, the Nazis gassed and cremated thousands of people per day.

The camp monument represents gravestones and the chimney of a crematorium.

Plaques, in each of the languages spoken by camp victims, explain the mission of this memorial.

Back in Krakw, tourists can learn about the next chapter of Poland's story -- becoming a Soviet satellite after World War II.

One entertaining yet informative way to get a peek at that is by looking through the windows of tiny communist-era cars.

-Hop in.

-And we'll do the same, visiting the communist-planned workers' town of Nowa Huta.

Oh, I love this little car.

-Don't get too comfortable.

[ Laughter ] -And our guide is Cornelia.

This is such a treat.

Tell me about this little car.

-So we are driving a famous Trabant from East Germany, a very popular family car in Poland.

Also one of few to choose from, so people had no choice and they were happy with what they got.

-Was it easy to get the car?

-Not so easy.

Like, you had to wait quite a lot.

10, 15 years.

Record in Poland is 20 years.

-So tell me about this neighborhood.

What is this?

-We are in Nowa Huta district.

It's a communist model city from the '50s.

The only place like that in Poland, actually.

So, it's supposed to be a showcase, kind of proving that communism works -- people get jobs, apartments, and they're happy.

-Nowa Huta was designed around a new enormous steel mill, the largest in Poland.

Called the Lenin Steelworks, it employed nearly 40,000 workers who worked in 3 shifts, 24 hours a day.

It was intended as a high-production factory to show off the Soviet Bloc's industrial might.

How many people lived in Nowa Huta?

-The design was for 100,000 people, but it was like a worker's paradise.

So most men had a job in one factory over here, steelworks, and families, women, you had jobs like services, hospitals, so it was self-sufficient town.

-So why did Stalin want to give that plan to Krakw?

-Well, one of the main reasons for sure were to punish the Intelligentsia, to kind of counterbalance this society in Krakw with a lot of churches, universities, with workers which before were farmers and had quite simple lives.

-So punish Krakw for having culture, education and churches?

-Yeah.

-What was it like to actually live here in the '50s?

-So after the war, this was a very attractive place for people to come.

So they had jobs, they had apartments for free, and shops were even better than the center.

They wanted to show people in Krakw that it's working.

So after the war, that was a good place to live.

-So what is the story of Nowa Huta after communism fell?

-After communism fell, it was not the best place to be, especially that you had a job in the factory, which you probably lost in the '90s.

But now within 30 years' time, this is a pretty nice place to live in.

People are happy, people have beautiful space to live in, and they definitely prefer it more than being in the busy center.

Probably one of the best districts to live in Krakw.

-And the central plaza, reflecting the transition from communism to democracy and capitalism, is called Ronald Reagan Square.

Back in the heart of Krakw, we're meeting up with Tomasz again to do some shopping at the market.

It's a festival of fresh and local produce -- berries... mushrooms... eggs right off the farm... fresh baked bread... mountain cheeses... sausages, and other rustic village food.

Some of these humble family businesses go back generations.

In a market like this, the community comes together shopping daily, taking full advantage of the fertility of this land.

And as Tomasz will attempt to teach me how to cook a classic Polish dish, we're buying the necessary ingredients.

-Alright.

-Okay.

-[ Indistinct ] -Thank you.

-Flip it over onto the dough board.

-In Tomasz's kitchen, I'm learning how to make pierogi.

First, you knead the potato dough to just the right texture.

-It's very relaxing.

It's like going to a spa for your body and soul.

-Is Grandma looking down?

-I hope she is.

-[ Chuckles ] Then you roll it out, flat as a Polish crepe... -You want it as thin as possible, because our dough is generally flavorless.

What gives flavor to our dish is the filling and topping.

-...and cut out small discs.

-Beautiful.

Mm-hmm.

-Circle.

Making cute little pockets, you tuck in the cheese, onion, and meat filling, then seal it water-tight around the edges.

-[ Indistinct ] -There we go.

-Your first pierogi.

Congratulations!

And we just wait for them to float.

-After a short boiling bath, they're ready to eat.

In true family style, we enjoy a little sunshine in the backyard and a classic Polish meal just like Grandma, or Babcia, used to make.

Dziekuje Babcia.

-Dziekuje Babcia, yes.

I hope she's proud.

-Alright.

Let's work off some of that pierogi with an evening walk and one last slice of Krakw.

The Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, has transformed into a thriving night spot with trendy pubs and restaurants and an inviting energy.

The round market hall is now a food circus popular with families and locals out on a cheap date, many munching zapiekanka, the local pizza.

And back at the Main Market Square, locals and visitors alike make the scene.

Cafes are full... ...the horse carriages add to the genteel atmosphere... and it's all about another great travel tip -- savoring the moment.

As the sun sets and the lights come on, Krakw takes on a timeless and romantic aura.

About 150 miles north down the Vistula River lies the capital city, Warsaw -- the heartbeat of contemporary Poland.

Warsaw is an energetic metropolis offering a fascinating foray into urban Poland.

It comes with both a hard-fought history and a modern vibrancy.

Today, Warsaw -- pronounced "var-SHA-va" here -- is Poland's biggest city with close to two million people.

It's muscular and sprawling, broad boulevards and imposing buildings, and glittering glass office towers.

Today's Warsaw is a thriving European center of business, banking, and politics with a cosmopolitan energy.

Warsaw's glory days peaked between the World Wars, when it was one of Europe's most genteel capitals.

That spirit survives along its rebuilt sweeping main drag, the sweeping Royal Way, with its elegant facades and its popularity with local strollers.

Just being out and about, you feel the youthful confidence of this society.

Stately hotels and government buildings -- this is the president's residence -- add to the Royal Way's grandeur.

The Blikle bakery is every Pole's favorite for paczki -- jelly donuts.

When locals here "go out for doughnuts," they go out for paczki .

My favorite is the classic.

It's filled with wild rose jam.

Mmm!

But it's not all jelly doughnuts.

Vast squares with memorials remind all of Poland's hard-fought history.

Here, the eternal flame honors war dead with numbers almost incomprehensible.

As the city was totally destroyed by Nazis in World War II, nearly everything you'll see -- palaces, churches, and fountains -- was painstakingly rebuilt from the rubble of 1945.

I keep having to remind myself that, in this city, hardly a building standing is over 80 years old.

Consequently, Warsaw is an architectural jumble, rebuilt both old and new.

Warsaw's meticulously rebuilt Old Town is dominated by its meticulously rebuilt Royal Castle.

The castle, a symbol of Polish sovereignty now for over 400 years, boasts some of this country's most lavish halls, gilded and glittering with chandeliers.

The palace reflects how Poland was independent and strong for centuries, starting in the Middle Ages.

When the home-grown dynasty died out, Poland's nobility elected foreign kings at gatherings like this.

Many of those imported rulers squandered Poland's resources on their own selfish agendas.

They weakened the country until it actually ceased to exist in 1795.

For over 100 years, Poland disappeared from the map, partitioned by three empires -- Prussia, Austria, and Russia.

But the Poles succeeded in preserving their culture until their country was reborn in 1918 after WWI.

Today, back out on the streets, the atmospheric Old Town entertains tourists.

Here the 21st century seems to rule these cobbled lanes.

The Market Square is another painstakingly reconstructed part of the old town.

It's a great place to get something to eat or just relax and people watch.

The mermaid -- a symbol of Warsaw -- serenades the townspeople, still welcoming friends while keeping out foes.

To me, this fountain, always energetic with kids playing, feels like a celebration of life... Polish life.

And Polish life comes with music, especially the genius of favorite son, Frdric Chopin.

On summer Sundays, Chopin concerts pack the park.

It's an expression of this city's pride in its culture and in an enduring appetite for community.

Poland's great Romantic composer sits under a willow tree.

Though he lived and worked mostly in Paris, locals cherish the thought that Chopin's inspiration came from memories of the breeze blowing through the willow trees of his native land, Poland.

Warsaw museums work hard to explain its complicated history, and much of Poland's story is a Jewish story.

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews celebrates a thousand years of Jews living in Poland.

A winding route traces their experience.

With the relative tolerance of medieval kings, Jews became established in Polish society.

But because they still suffered through pogroms and other persecution, few actual artifacts survive.

Many Jews lived in market towns called shtetls, with richly decorated wooden synagogues.

Above the traditional elevated prayer platform is a colorful ceiling, a humble canopy rich with symbolism.

When Poland regained its independence after World War I, Jewish culture blossomed, especially in the 1920s when, for the first time, Jews had full citizenship and voting rights.

And Warsaw was the biggest Jewish city in Europe.

[ Explosions ] Tragically, this flourishing of Jewish culture was crushed when Fascist Germany invaded in 1939.

Jews were then corralled into a miserable ghetto... subjected to unlivable conditions before being shipped off to Nazi death camps and killed.

A monument captures the desperation of the ghetto's last days.

Realizing they were all doomed anyway, the haggard and hungry who remained staged a desperate uprising.

Nearly all were killed.

This was just one city's experience in a Europe-wide Holocaust.

In this attempted genocide, Hitler tried to rid the world of Jewish people.

Of the six million he killed, half died here in Poland.

With its Jewish population decimated, Warsaw's next chapter was a second valiant but doomed uprising -- this time by the non-Jewish Poles who remained.

Under Nazi occupation, Poles had formed the biggest underground resistance army in history.

Late in the war, as the Nazis began to falter and the Soviets advanced, Poland's Home Army mobilized to liberate the country.

But the Nazis regrouped and brutally put down the Warsaw Uprising.

Hitler then ordered that Warsaw be "destroyed to its foundations."

The Soviet Army sat here, across the river, and watched and waited.

Finally, when the Germans were gone, the Russians marched in to claim the wasteland that was once Warsaw, kicking off over four decades of communist rule.

Like a phoenix, this city has risen from the ashes.

And today, Warsaw is filled with a happy and youthful populace that has no living memory of those hard times.

Today's Warsaw's is hip and trendy.

Hulking old buildings -- no longer fascist or communist -- are filled with a rainbow of global food choices.

"Post-industrial" architecture is all the rage.

Old red-brick factories and power plants have been transformed into convivial hubs for dining, drinking, and shopping.

I'm joined by my friend and fellow guidebook author, Cameron Hewitt and the show's producer, Simon Griffith, at Bibenda for a taste of Warsaw's urbane foodie scene.

This trendy restaurant specializes in craft cocktails and Polish fusion cuisine.

The menu takes fresh local ingredients like heirloom tomatoes and beets and gives them an international spin -- padrn peppers... falafel... pumpkin dumplings... all washed down with a good Spanish wine.

Whether Polish or international, you can see that we thought everything was delicious.

It's a reminder of how cosmopolitan Warsaw respects Polish tradition while also embracing a global future.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy our last night in Warsaw.

Heading north from Warsaw through the rolling farmland of the Polish countryside, we reach a small-town break from our big city itinerary, Torun.

Torun feels affluent.

In the Middle Ages, it was part of the Hanseatic League, a trade union of northern European merchant cities.

Like much of northern Poland, many of its buildings are finely crafted of red brick.

The city has an easygoing ambiance that comes with the heavenly scent of... gingerbread.

Every Pole knows Torun for two reasons -- Copernicus and gingerbread.

This was the birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus, who, 500 years ago, established that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

But today, here in Torun anyway, a lot revolves around this -- gingerbread.

This recreated old bakery is a favorite for field trips.

Costumed guides teach young students how, in the Middle Ages, Torun's trading connections gave local bakers access to exotic spices -- spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove -- and how the honey in the dough was a natural preservative, allowing it to be traded far and wide.

Then the children get to actually roll the dough... ...press it into traditional molds... ...and pop their little creations into the oven.

Local gingerbread shops let you mix-and-match a variety of tasty treats, with any combination of jams, glazes, and chocolate.

For locals, the word is actually a verb -- if you've eaten too much, you have "gingerbreaded."

I think this will get me to our next stop.

Further north is the Malbork Castle, another red-brick masterpiece.

Called the biggest brick castle in the world, this was the 14th century headquarters of the Teutonic Knights.

These Germanic Crusaders-turned-mercenaries were hired here by a Christian duke to convert the local pagans.

Job done, the Teutonic Knights decided they liked it here.

So they stuck around, built this castle, and dominated northern Poland for over a century.

Malbork Castle was essentially a fortified monastery -- home to monks, knights, and their leader, the Grand Master.

Malbork's fortifications are formidable indeed.

The complex was surrounded by an imposing moat and a mighty brick wall.

The heavy portcullis stopped anyone who breached the moat.

Then, from slits up above, archers could rain down arrows.

And the inner drawbridge made the core of the castle an impenetrable last refuge.

While knights lived in the outer castle, monks lived in the inner castle.

The Grand Master's lavish and well-fortified quarters with their fan-vaulted assembly rooms and expansive dining halls were the capital of those Teutonic Knights, from where they administered their domain.

The main attractions of Poland -- Krakw and most of what we're seeing in this program -- are connected by the Vistula River... the commercial and cultural thread that has tied this nation together since its earliest days.

And we're just an hour's drive from our last stop.

Gdansk, historically Poland's leading port, sits near where the Vistula meets the Baltic Sea.

For a thousand years, a cultural crossroads with a rich maritime history, architecturally it feels more Scandinavian or Dutch than Polish.

During its medieval golden age, Gdansk prospered as a key member of the Hanseatic League.

The Hanseatic League was an association of over 100 cities and ports across Northern Europe.

Its mission -- to protect and promote trade.

Busy hunting down pirates, building light houses, and boycotting ports that didn't join the club, it dominated the economy and politics in the region through the late Middle Ages.

In a way, the Hanseatic League was a precursor to the European Union.

Its motto, "All power to the merchants."

Along the embankment is a structure those merchants put to good use -- a hulking 15th century crane.

Back then, this entire river could be filled, bank to bank, with trading vessels.

Maritime trade from distant lands made Gdansk both prosperous and tolerant.

It attracted merchants from all over Europe who brought with them elements of their home cultures.

These were then woven into the tapestry of the city, reflected in its eclectic architecture.

[ Bells chiming ] Overhead, the Town Hall tower holds a carillon that marks each hour with a cheerful tune.

To better understand Gdansk, we're joined by my friend and fellow tour guide Agnieszka Syroka.

Our first stop is the Town Hall.

-So, the city was governed from this exact room here.

-And the art is -- There's a lot of art here.

-Yeah, that's amazing, isn't it?

In the middle of the vaulting, have a look at this magnificent painting from 1608.

The Vistula River starts over there in the mountains.

Look at these barges filled with the grain from all over the Kingdom of Poland.

So all the goods were shipped from Gdansk down the Vistula River to the Baltic Sea.

They are taking that grain, and that grain goes all over Western Europe.

And look, deals, businesses made here in front of the Artus Court.

-These would be traders from all over Northern Europe, part of the Hanseatic League here making a deal, shaking hands.

-Indeed, like 1600 stock market.

-And God's hand.

So, He's holding not the church, but the Town Hall.

-Exactly.

Because Gdansk was so multicultural and multi-religious throughout centuries, it really never mattered what religion you are, but how much money you can bring to the city doing your business.

-The Guildhall is next door.

This is a magnificent room.

-It's a beautiful guild house, a great example of a great social space where guilds, medieval merchant groups, met.

-Okay, so this is like a networking.

-Exactly, exactly.

Exclusive social club.

Merchants from all over Europe were coming here to do their business.

Each arch belonged to one guild.

Imagine in front of each arch there was goldsmith guild, beer guild, amber guild.

They were very competitive.

They were coming here to do their business.

-So that the traders from Lbeck would meet the traders from Amsterdam and from Riga coming together.

-And then buying grain, timber, coal, and exporting that all over Europe.

-The city is ornamented with fine red-brick buildings.

That's because here in the marshy north of Poland, stone is scarce.

Grand buildings like this old mill elevate bricklaying to an art form.

The old Market Hall has long provided an impressive place for farmers to sell their produce.

The train station gives visitors a red-brick welcome, and even the modern shopping malls carry on this love of brick.

And rising high above everything is St. Mary's Church, one of the biggest brick churches anywhere.

To be both tall and stable without the strength of stone, it was fortified with beefy brick buttresses.

Stepping inside, you're struck by the stark, austere, and very white interior.

This is a remarkable church.

-Mary's Church was built before Reformation.

Look at the beautiful triptych altar, coronation of St. Virgin Mary.

-So the altar piece is from before the Reformation.

-Exactly.

And then the city converted to Protestant.

And what was really important was the pulpit, because of the Word of God, and music coming from magnificent organ.

-Look at that pipe organ.

This is like a pavement of tombstones.

-Exactly.

500 gravestones of the wealthiest merchants of Gdansk who wanted to be buried here in their parish church.

And if not buried in a tomb, you could commemorate your family on the wall with an epitaph.

-In the shadow of the church, atmospheric Mariacka Street is lined with traditional porches, clever gargoyles, and vendors selling the prized amber that the Baltic Coast is so famous for.

For amber as high art, the striking Amber Museum fills an old mill with precious deposits of this fossilized tree sap.

Much of the world's amber comes from Poland.

Amber, which can be tens of millions of years old, comes in shades of white, yellow, and brown.

It's a favorite medium of local artisans who create exquisite items from an organically sculptured candelabra, to a chessboard that would mesmerize a grand master.

There's an exquisite miniature storage chest, and even furniture such as this gorgeous writing desk.

Gdansk lived its most dramatic moments in the 20th century.

World War II began right here in 1939, when Hitler invaded.

And those cranes mark the shipyard where, 40 years later in 1980, the Soviet Bloc finally began to crack.

During communist times, Gdansk was home to the massive Lenin Shipyard.

In 1980, after decades of frustrations and struggles, shipyard workers went on strike.

They created a trade union called Solidarity.

Locking themselves inside the shipyard, they refused to work and scrawled their list of 21 demands on plywood.

A fired shipyard electrician, Lech Walesa, heard news of the strike.

He came here and literally climbed over the wall to get inside and join his comrades.

The strike had its leader.

The European Solidarity Center, with its industrial-strength architecture and inspiring exhibits, tells the story both vividly and proudly.

For 18 days, 17,000 workers -- welders, machinists, and steel-workers -- stood strong.

Their only connection to the outside world was to come to the gate.

There they'd pass messages to family members and receive food, supplies, and encouragement.

The strikers were hungry, tired, and scared, but they were both inspired and emboldened by the new Polish pope, John Paul II.

Finally, the communist authorities gave in and legalized the union.

Half of the nation's workforce joined Solidarity, and change was in the air.

But then, after 16 hopeful months, Polish authorities, fearful of Soviet intervention, declared martial law.

Tanks rumbled through the snowy streets of Poland, and the riot police cracked down on dissidents.

Solidarity went underground, yet gained momentum.

In 1989, the Round Table Talks brought about elections.

The result?

Solidarity, now a political party, won every available seat.

These first cracks in the Eastern Bloc spread quickly.

Within a few months, the Berlin Wall fell, borders opened up, communist regimes voted themselves out of existence, and Lech Walesa was elected the first post-communist president of Poland.

Today, Gdansk, mindful of its history, is a forward-looking community.

Facing the skyline of old Gdansk across the river is a modern development.

Only recently rebuilt from WWII bombings, it echoes the historic roof lines.

With its 21st century affluence, Gdansk provides its people a stylish boardwalk for good living.

Strolling here, you feel the promise of a bright Polish future.

The resilience of Poland's culture and the warmth of its people inspire me.

And learning from this country's hard history, I'm reminded that freedom, peace, and prosperity are hard-earned and that we have lots to be thankful for.

I hope you've enjoyed our look at perhaps Europe's most underrated and surprising country.

I'm Rick Steves.

Until next time, keep on traveling!

-It's filled with wild rose jam.

-[ Chuckles ] -Whoa!

It's a colorful, historic port city with a dramatic 20th century story.

[ Chuckles ] This is a -- This -- [ Both chuckle ] -Go.

-Oh.

Ohh!

[ Laughter ] Like painted wooden plates from mountain forests.

[ Laughs ]