And despite it’s well-trodden tourist trail, Europe is also scattered with unique, odd, and extremely obscure sites and attractions that visitors often overlook. Museums dedicated to currywurst in Germany or phallic objects in Iceland; odd sculptures and street art installations in Sarajevo, Prague, and Paris; and the uniqueness of Antoni Gaudi’s works in Barcelona offer visitors respite from admiring yet another baroque church or breathtaking vista.

While the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum are at little risk of losing their prestige to many these lesser-known sites, visitors seeking offbeat attractions will find plenty to marvel at in Europe. During our time exploring this continent we stumbled onto our fair share of unique, obscure, and sometimes plain weird sites. Here are a few of our favorites.

Gnome Sculptures – Wroclaw, Poland

Hundreds of small bronze gnome sculpture, about a foot in height, are scattered through the historic core of Wroclaw, Poland and surrounding neighbourhoods. “Cool” gnomes riding motorcycles, wizard gnomes in tall pointy hats, and environmentally conscious gnomes pushing recycling bins are tucked into corners, suspended form lampposts, and hidden in plain sight for those that know where to look. Anyone want to play I spy?

Comic Strip Murals – Brussels, Belgium

“Yoko Tsuno” – You can really see the size

Much like Gdansk’s gnomes, the city of Brussels is dotted with epic murals depicting a range of famous and obscure comic book characters. Tintin (and his little dog Snowy) is likely the most famous characters to appear in these murals, however even non-comic book reading visitors are sure to spot a few other familiar faces while exploring the city. They murals even have a Wikipedia page.

Pregnant Lady Street Art Installation – Prague, Czech Republic

image via

A contender for the strangest piece of public art we’ve seen to date, this sculpture depicts a pregnant lady, kneeling on the ground with her legs spread and her hands firmly clasped behind her head. Still not obscure enough for Prague, the sculpture is created out of shiny aluminum and is very reminiscent of a lego sculpture.  Overtly sexual, somehow the sculpture works in Prague, even if passing school children look up at it with puzzled expressions.

Carmo Convent – Lisbon, Portugal

Rows of large arches

Ruined by earthquake in 1755, today all that remains of Carmo Convent are the beautiful Gothic pillars of the former church and a small museum. These exterior elements of Carmo Convent are quite stunning, especially on a sunny day, and the site’s museum houses two Peruvian mummies from the 16th century – an off-putting display that only gets creepier upon closer inspection. A real contender for oldest human hair we’ve ever seen in person.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery – Paris, France

The presence of graffiti shows we are in the right place

As far as cemeteries go, Pere Lachaise is far from the strangest we’ve had the chance to explore. What makes Pere Lachaise so unique is that it is the final resting place for The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, whose headstone has grown into something of a shrine. Forty plus years since his death, fans still leave flowers, graffiti, and the odd joint in tribute to Morrison, while a security guard watches to ensure no one jumps the guard rails surrounding his headstone.

Museum of Broken Relationships – Zagreb, Croatia

Rage and Fury Room (via)

It’s always a good sign when you first hear about a quirky museum like this while washing your laundry in an equally quirky laundromat in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and as promised, the Museum of Broken Relationships did not disappoint. The museum’s premise is quite simple – helping people emotionally overcome a failed relationship by contributing to their collection. In under an hour we browsed the personal belongings of hundreds of contributors from around the world. Some of these displays were funny, others angering, touching, or the equivalent of emotional napalm, but all were wonderfully quirky.

Abandoned Beelitz Sanitorium – Berlin, Germany

Delving deeper into Berlin and it’s tumultuous history, I signed up for a tour of the abandoned Beelitz Sanitorium just outside the city limits. A short walk from the primitive train station, in a small clearing, three buildings sit in a horseshoe shape. Constructed in 1902, these buildings first served as a tuberculosis clinic before becoming a hospital during both World Wars, even treating then soldier Adolf Hitler during the first World War. During the Cold War, this site was the largest Soviet hospital outside of Russia before being deserted in the early nineties. Many a rave have been held here since, and while the crumbling buildings are beginning to show their age, their original beauty is still evident.

Museum of Art Fakes – Vienna, Austria

Small space, big art (fakes)

Incorrectly reading the hours of operation for this tiny museum, Travis and I returned three times before we finally got our timing right, however all this back and forth was completely worth it to delve into the world of art fakes. In addition to learning about the immense level of effort that goes into creating an art fake, from the aged paper used to specific hardening processes, brush strokes, and in one case egg yolk washes, we were able to come face to face with fakes so good that they were verified as authentic and sold for millions of dollars.

Europe offers visitors so many different types of attractions, it really is a mixed bag of so many wonderful things. Have you had a chance to visit Europe? What’s the most off-beat or quirky attraction you’ve seen there?

The post Offbeat Europe – 8 Unique and Lesser Known Attractions appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Wawel Castle, Krakow

Offering stunning architecture and wonderful views of the surrounding city, and encased in a lush park-like setting, Wawel Castle is a jaw-dropper and easily the most photogenic of Krakow’s attractions.

Wroclaw, all of it

It didn’t take long for Wroclaw to claw its way into our hearts. A charming city full of ornate architecture, bridges and waterways, and adorable gnomes, Wroclaw is still relatively unknown to the international travel community, although we don’t expect it to stay that way for long!

Some of the restored buildings lining Wroclaw’s massive market square

Warsaw’s Old Town on Foot (via Michal of Orange Umbrella Tours if you’re lucky)

We are BIG fans of free walking tours and Michal of Orange Umbrella Tours led us on one of the best tours we have ever taken, paid or tip-based. Winding our way through the Old Town, we were immersed in Warsaw’s unique history and surrounded by it’s beautifully reconstructed buildings. Yes, you could explore the area on your own, but why?

Sample different styles of pierogies in Torun

Although we ate a lot of pierogies during our time in Poland, Torun offered a good range of different types and styles of the delicious dumplings including traditional boiled pierogies, ones made with a pastry shell, and enormous fried versions. Pierogarnia is a restaurant with two locations in the city offering the delicious dumplings, just get there early or you’ll have to wait for a table!

Amber shopping in Gdansk

Although amber jewelry can be found throughout Poland, Gdansk has the best prices, selection, and atmosphere. Even if bling isn’t your thing, Mariacka Street is visually stunning and worth a visit.

Honorable Mention: Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Our visit to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp can be summed up with one word: heartbreaking. However one difficult day pales in comparison to the days, months, and years the detainees spent locked away, tortured, and murdered. It’s impossible to fully grasp the horrors of the Holocaust without taking them in first hand and as you move throughout the buildings and streets the site somehow finds a way to giveback and everything that is truly important in life becomes clear before your eyes.

As I was speaking to my mom on the phone the other night she exclaimed “I never wanted to visit Poland until I saw your pictures!”. A smile spread across my face because this is the very reason Travis and I take the time to write about and share the places we visit. Poland is a truly amazing country with much to offer visitors and is most definitely worth a visit!

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Here are the fruits of my uncomfortableness. As a tip to anyone else wanting to photograph people – for purely artistic reasons – I’ve found that a subject completely engrossed in what they’re doing is less likely to awkwardly catch you in the act of snapping their picture. Or, you could best me by acting like an adult and politely ask permission to photograph them first.

Atop the Wawel Castle in Krakow we came across an excited group of Polish school children. A burst of noise and energy, one little guy just wanted to see what was going on below the wall.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Krakow’s Market Square, this little boy paused to terrorize the pigeons and show us all the importance of fun.

This week, being inspired by the beautiful city of Budapest, I’m going to take on the subject of night photography so keep an eye out for that in a few days!

The post Calli’s Photo Feature 07.10.2013 appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Poznan

The Battle of Poznan (1945) was one of the last battles in WW2, and lasted nearly a month. Approximately 90% of the city center was destroyed, and has since been almost completely restored.

The Town Hall in Poznan’s main square in 1945…(via)

…and today

Gdansk

Gdansk was the location of the official start of WW2, and the city was one of the first to be captured and destroyed, with almost 90% of the old town turned to rubble. Many local artists and architects used old photos to reconstruct a large part of the city between 1952 and 1960.

The Golden Gate at the end of the Long Market in 1945…(via)

…and today

The waterfront of Gdansk in 1945…(via)

…and today

And again from another angle…(via)

…and today from the same angle (the bridge is no longer there)

Warsaw

Warsaw was probably the most heavily bombed and affected city of Poland during the war. Fighting and bombing accounted for approximately 84% of the city and nearly 100% of the old town being destroyed. Much of this was in retaliation to the Ghetto uprisings and the Warsaw Uprising, where the Nazis destroyed buildings just to hurt the morale of Warsaw’s citizens. It was most difficult to recreate a photo here as almost every distinguishable building was completely destroyed. We could only find one photo with any buildings we recognized.

The Old Town and Square were almost completely destroyed by 1945…(via)

…but today have been beautifully restored

Wroclaw

Breslau, as it was called at that time, was the last major German city to fall before the end of WWII (just two days before). Adolf Hitler proclaimed Breslau as a fortress city that must be defended at all costs, a decision which caused the Siege of Breslau to go on for 82 days, cost nearly 60,000 lives, and destroyed over 50% of the city. The city was given back to Poland at the end of the war, and is now one of the most mixed-heritage cities in all of Europe.

Cathedral Island after the Siege of Breslau in 1945…

…and Cathedral Island today!

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Although we considered ourselves well informed prior to our visit, the gravity of the situation takes on another meaning as you wander throughout the grounds. One of the most meaningful moments of our visit was a display of articles stripped from the deportees upon their arrival and subsequently stored in vast warehouses. As we entered yet another room displaying these possessions we were completely crushed as the realization that we were staring at the shoes taken from children – thousands of shoes piled high behind a piece of glass.

To give some perspective to the immense size of the Auschwitz-Birkenau II Camp, these photos were taken at the entrance gate, mid-way point, and far end of the camp.

Sometimes, in the midst of a great adventure, we have to pause and take some time to recognize that there is darkness in the world, and although days like these are emotionally crushing, they are also extremely important and incredibly humbling. Much like our visit to the Sachsenahusen Concentration Camp outside Berlin, our visit to Auschwitz not only gave us a better understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust, but hopefully softened us a little, made us a bit more caring, more patient, and more kind, and in turn hopefully, in some miniscule way, made the world a better place.

Logistics: There is no entrance fee to visit the site, however for visitors arriving between the hours of 10:00am and 3:00pm from April to October, you are required to join a guided tour (cost 40 Zl). Information booklets are available for purchase for 5 Zl. We used public transportation to get to and from the site, buses run frequently from the main bus station in Krakow (cost 12 Zl one way) – there is a free shuttle bus between Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau II.

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Wawel Cathedral (that’s where the “dragon bones” are)

The Cloth Hall in the Main Market Square

The Market Square is a great place for people watching

With four full days in the city, we joined two free walking tours – one of the historic Old Town and a second that traces the history of Jewish people living in Krakow. We also covered many kilometers on our own, returning to the picturesque Wawel Castle complete with “dragon bones” and a beautiful cathedral, strolling through the Planty Gardens that surround the historic centre, and taking in a panoramic view of the city from atop Krakus Mound, a man made mound assumed to be a burial place from medieval times atop a small hill just outside the district of Podgórze. With so many kilometers underfoot, we always made time to refuel with servings of delicious pierogies and hearty goulash.

Travis is Awesome! (this photo also features the Krakus Mound)

The view over the old town from the Krakus Mound

The old quarry where they filmed Schindler’s List – crawl through the fence and you get this awesome view…plus we saw a Fox!

Krakow is one of Poland’s most visited cities, and it’s easy to see why. The historic Market Square is the largest in Europe, the almost completely original Old Town is encircled by a lush green park, and the city is a great hub for travelers moving throughout central Europe. Krakow is also the place Pope John Paul II called home for much of his life, a fact the people are very proud of!

The bridge connecting Kazimierz and Podgorze

…and again, lit up at night!

Wawel Hill, probably the most popular spot in Krakow

Wawel Hill and some of its beautiful flowers and gardens

As we prepare to leave Krakow and bid farewell to Poland, we look forward to the adventures ahead, but are also a bit sad to leave. Poland surprised us at every turn with it’s beauty, fascinating history, and incredible food, and we are so glad we made time to visit!

The post Krakow: Wrapping up Poland appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Some of the restored buildings lining Wroclaw’s massive market square

The 14th century town hall – it almost completely survived WW2

After hearing people that went to Poland for Euro 2013 rave about Wroclaw, we were sure to add it to our list of places to see in Poland. And, although it was a bit out of our way and took nearly 5.5 hours on a crowded bus from Warsaw, it was worth it.

The Vistula carves through the city

The Town Hall from the front – also the first place you could buy beer in the city

We spent nearly all of our three days in Wroclaw simply exploring different parts of the city. Starting from the massive main market square each morning, we set off in a different direction each time. We stumbled upon the amazing university buildings and church, we found street art galleries, we wandered around cathedral island, and so much more. In between we found 1 dollar beers, so many gnomes (but you already know about that), and the best pierogies of the trip (also the cheapest). It was a tremendously satisfying three days, and Wroclaw was probably one of the places we were the most sad to see the back of.

Some more of the beautiful architecture

The view towards Cathedral Island

As you can tell we would definitely recommend a visit if you are going to be in Poland or other parts of Central Europe. Wroclaw is not going to be a hidden treasure for long, however, as it has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2016. So get there before crowds arrive and the prices go up!

Logistics: You can get to Wroclaw very easily and conveniently from a number of other Polish cities (Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, etc.), and, because of it’s location, a number of international cities as well (Prague, Dresden, Berlin, etc.). The train and bus stations are right beside each other. Much of the city is accessible on foot, but there are a couple places (eg. Centennial Hall) that can be easily accessed via the efficient tram system. There are many budget accommodations (we stayed at Grampa’s Hostel which was fantastic!), and there is a free walking tour leaving from the main market square every day at 11:00.

Wroclaw is covered in huge, intricate street art and murals

The sunset with the University to the left

Have you ever been to Wroclaw? Do you have any places that you think will be bringing in the tourist hordes in the next few years that people haven’t discovered yet?

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Actually, as Travis vehemently pointed out, Wroclaw’s Old Town is different than those we’ve visited before, however from behind the lens everything looks very similar. Therefore, it was a refreshing change to find 250 new subjects to shoot in Wroclaw, each more unique and charismatic than the last. I am referring to Wroclaw’s gnomes, 250 of them, that appear throughout the city perches on sidewalks, teetering on ledges, and suspended from lampposts.Although they are harder to spot than you may think and it’s quite easy to walk the same route a dozen times before spotting a gnome where you’ve never seen it before. Far from a tourist gimmick, gnomes have long held a place in Polish folklore, while their current role as a symbol of Wroclaw can be traced back to the political climate of the 1980’s. Under communist control, gnomes became the calling card of the ‘Orange Alternative Movement’, an underground protest movement that staged peaceful yet affective protests. Our guide from Free Walking Tours explained that many times the protests took the form of free outdoor concerts or events and many of the attendees didn’t even know they were secretly making a stand or supporting the cause.

The movement specifically ridiculed the government’s attempts to censor public space. Any public expression or art, including graffiti, was quickly painted over by the militia, and upon seeing this fresh “cover up” the Orange Alternative would quickly paint over the area again – with gnomes. As the movement gained popularity, the gnomes began appearing in other Polish cities as well, however they are permanently linked with Wroclaw and the Orange Alternative.

In 2001, the first gnome statuette was placed in the city. Then, in 2005 things really took off when the City Council commissioned a local artist to create five more gnomes. The adorable gnomes became so popular that local businesses became envious and began contracting other artists to produce individualized versions. Now days anyone can have a gnome created for their home our business.

It’s impossible to know exactly how many of the little guys are currently in the city, although the number is estimated to be around 250. Although seeing all of them during one visit may be a challenge, counting how many you can spot while wandering through the city, and snapping photographs of the little guys, is great fun for tourists.

The Logistics: If you’re planning a visit to Wroclaw, there is a website dedicated to the gnomes – www.kransnale.pl – that has information about their history, photos, and a downloadable map of their various locations.

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For the vast majority of the last millennium, Jewish culture has been intrinsically linked with Poland, and this link was especially pronounced in Warsaw. With the second largest Jewish population in the world, the events of WWII were even more pronounced and devastating.

Warsaw in 1945…the empty space is the former Jewish Ghetto – destroyed completely after the Ghetto Uprising

We began our day with a visit to a fairly unknown museum in Warsaw, the former Gestapo Headquarters (now referred to as the Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom). Between 1939 and 1944 this was the most feared address in all of Warsaw. Home to brutal interrogations and an unknown number of deaths (almost all papers were destroyed, but over 12,000 lbs of human ashes were found in the basement of the building). Just one year after the end of the war, the Polish government decided to leave the 10 solitary and 4 group cells unchanged. Today, you can still see bullet holes, messages scratched into the walls, and the read stories of prisoners kept here.

The former Gestapo HQ building

The narrow hallway that contained the group cells

The entrance to the museum

From there we made our way to Muranów, the neighbourhood that now stands where the two former Jewish Ghettos stood seventy years ago – the entire area was bombed by German forces following the Ghetto Uprising of 1943. A number of monuments exist here, including Umschlagplatz, the platform from which 300,000 Jews were sent to their death at Treblinka; the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes and the future sight of The Museum of the History of Polish Jews set to open in 2014; and Pawiak Prison, the site of more than 37,000 deaths and the holding place for prisoners before they were interrogated at the Gestapo HQ.

An inscription at Umschlagplatz – the loading point for Treblinka

The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Muranow

Pawiak Prison as it stands today

Our final stop for the day was at the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery. Established in 1806, this is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, occupying 33 hectares of land. During the German occupation of Warsaw in World War II, German forces used the cemetery for mass executions and burials of people of Jewish and non-Jewish heritage. During the destruction of the Jewish Ghetto, the synagogue and burial house were destroyed as well as all documentation regarding Warsaw’s Jewish population. As a result, the cemetery is considered to be the last remaining archive. After the war the cemetery was abandoned and allowed to become overgrown, however restoration began in 1996 and is still in motion. Walking among the overgrown rows of twisted and broken tombstones was a poignant way to end our day.

On our walk home we thought back to history classes in high school. Sure, we learned about the history of the war, Hitler’s rise to power, and the ghettos and concentration camps, but there was and is so much more to the story. We never learned about the Interrogations of prisoners by the Gestapo in Warsaw or the Warsaw Uprising or the internment of all of the professors from the Jagellonian University – the list goes on and on.  It was overwhelming to think about the hundreds of thousands of people who fought and died for who they were or what they believed in, often times forgotten or unknown.

These moments are what make travel so rewarding. We learn and grow – and hopefully our stories inspire others to set out on their own and experience the world.

Let us know is you’ve ever traveled anywhere that has had a profound impact on your life.

Logistics: There are many fantastic memorials and monuments to the valiant Jewish and non-Jewish people of Warsaw during WW2. We highly recommend the Gestapo Headquarters, the Jewish Cemetery, and the Warsaw Uprising Museum. There are some bike tours (the Orange Umbrella Company that we did our free walking tour is apparently very good) that cover this area as it very large. Entrance fees are as follows: Gestapo HQ – 8 zl (gets you into Pawiak Prison as well; closed Mon, Tues); Jewish Cemetery – ?? (no one was there but we heard there is an entrance fee sometimes; closed Sat); Warsaw Uprising Museum – 14 zl (closed Tues).

The always useful In Your Pocket Guide for Warsaw has a succinct and well-written summary of Jewish Warsaw here.

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I think that the test of a good photograph is how it makes you feel. This is something I would like to work on in my own photos, and this desire is leading me to step out of my comfort zone and forcing me to try out new techniques and take photos of the people, not just the places, we see and interact with every day (it’s scarier than you think!). Like everything else we experience during our travel, I will share my progress as we make our way through our journey and, if everything goes according to plan, these photos will increase both in number and quality.

If you have some feedback or a photography tip/trick up your sleeve, please feel free to share! However, if this isn’t your cup of tea don’t fret, we’ll be back with more travel related content ASAP.

A painter selling his art in Warsaw’s Old Town

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