Question:
Black woman traveling alone to Poland?
?
2011-11-09 14:11:35 UTC
I'm am currently studying abroad in France. I would love to take a weekend trip to Poland before my semester ends. However I am really scared since I would end up traveling alone.
I want to go to Poland because my great-grandmonther is Polish. Her family migrated to Haiti a long time ago. She passed away before I got to meet her. My grand-mother is therefore half-polish and her dad is haitian. Hearing the stories about my great-grandmother really makes me want to go to Poland and visit.
Problem is I'm not sure how accepting of black people they are in Poland.
I am black and will be traveling alone if I decide to go.

What would you suggest?
Five answers:
anonymous
2011-11-09 15:04:24 UTC
You may attract some looks, but generally that's about it. And those looks won't be because people have something against you, just we don't see that many black folks here (the smaller the city you wanna visit, the more looks you'll attract. But those will curious looks, more often than anything else).



Any safety advices I may give you here, are something common for people of all colours and genders when they travel alone to a different country not knowing the language. Elder Poles, don't speak English at all. You might have to get use to a lot of pointing at things in shops and so on - but younger generations are taught English in schools, so with high probability you'll be able to communicate with them.

Beside that? Avoid walking streets alone after dark, don't drink with people you don't know and don't eat the yellow snow ;)

Speaking of snow - if you plan visiting during cold season (that is since November till March-ish) be ready for temperatures below 0 ºC/32 ºF

Poles are generally friendly folk. Arm yourself with a dictionary or at least a map and you're good.



Hmm.. what else...? Depends what part of Poland you want to visit, what part of culture or history you're interested in? A weekend isn't much time to get even basics of all those things covered - so it's even harder for me to give you any overview of it here.

In any case, have a fun trip (if you thinking about visiting Warsaw might try to give you some "must-see-in-2-days" list of things)! :)



..:: EDIT ::..



Warsaw is most cosmopolitan city in Poland, to my knowledge - I see black people pretty much everyday in downtown. Standing, sitting and waiting on our public communication alongside everyone else. Hell, we have a black member in the Parliament - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Godson



So yeah, visiting Warsaw you must be ready for some public transportation issues. There's just one line of metro here - they're building 2nd one, but it will be few years so...

If you're not planning to use TAXI, buy a 3-day City Travelcard - should be available in most news-stands. Once you have it, enter bus, tram or metro and validate it in the validator thingy - and you're good for 72 hours. To move effectively (who am I kidding..) around city check out http://www.ztm.waw.pl/?l=2 route planner.



Things that are "must see" in Warsaw depend on what you want to focus on. Due to Polish history there is a lot of places, museums and expositions related to WW2 - from which most prominent is:

Warsaw Uprising Museum - http://www.1944.pl/en/

It focuses not only on uprising itself, but on lifestyle of normal people under nazi occupation and during the uprising.



National Museum - http://www.mnw.art.pl/index.php/en/

National has revolving doors policy with the temporal exhibitions, but part of the permanent exposition is the "Polish Art Gallery" and "Polish 20th-century Art Gallery" (if you wanna focus on Poland only)



Royal Palace - http://www.zamek-krolewski.pl/?page=1114

RP's exhibitions are most often related to Polish history, with focus on Warsaw in particular.



It's also common to look at Warsaw from 30th floor of Palace of Culture and Science... I wish I could give you some links to PoCaS but... they don't have English version of their page so... ;) Building itself can't be missed, it's that strange looking thing in middle of downtown, tall, grey and with clock on the top that you can't see most of the time anyway ;)



Last of the big things imo, even if little remote is Wilanow - http://www.wilanow-palac.pl/

Palace build for John III Sobieski in XVII c. gathered rather impressive collection of art over the years.
anonymous
2011-11-10 06:27:38 UTC
lol, IDF is being loving and supportive as always :) ...anyway, Su Command Unit is vary right. If you are gonna attract attention it is gonna be in smaller towns, definitly not in Warsaw.

Countriside is just like any other countryside in the world, monocultural, which means that ANY forigner will attract some attention. Even Poles living in big cities while travelling to the rural parts of Poland are being treated like forigners sometimes :) but aren't all people living in the countriside, small communities the same anywhere in the world. Everyone from outside of the community is a stranger and will attract some attention. But besides for the looks you can get, you will be totally safe.

Unlike IDF always writes, we are not racist and turists in Poland are welcome and safe.

If you are willing to learn few words in Polish and smile to people, you will get help when needed.

As for a women travelling alone, it is never 100% safe in any country but you will have great time if you are smart and cautious, and avoid : dark empty streets at night, starngers offering drinks at the bar/club, sleeping in dodgy hostels or hitch-hiking.

I always read a lot about culture and tradition of the country I travel to, how to behave, great people and what to expect in everyday situations is sometimes far more important then a lugguge and helps a lot during your trip.

have fun, btw. if you need any help while in Warsaw, write to me on yahoo address, I will be glad to help and guide you around my beautiful town :)
anonymous
2015-06-13 12:54:08 UTC
Sorry but Black immigrants are too many even in Eastern Europe where i live.

You should say you dont want to be an immigrant to Poles at least.

Poles have a Nationalist Party National Rebirth of Poland,which is growing.
Sally
2011-11-09 14:14:02 UTC
You are more likely to be harrassed for being american then the color of your skin the eastern europeans are quite friendly I say go for it have fun.
?
2011-11-09 15:07:46 UTC
Be careful , polish people are racists generally .

You may meet some Intelligent person but they are very rare .

One of polish catholic church leader in public called some black priest -you are so dirty ? did not you wash yourself ?

Just be careful .


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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