1936 On the Continent

Poniatowski, and an open-air theatre in which the stage occupies a small island on the lake, while the amphitheatre is on the shore.
    A narrow channel divides them, so that this is a particularly suitable venue for all sorts of amphibian dramas, such as “feeries” with mermaids and tritons. Now and then a swan would cruise round the stage, so this is also an excellent setting for “Lohengrin.”
University of Sports
    For those interested in sport, a visit to the Central Institute of Physical Training might be a good way of spending an afternoon. It is a sort of university of sport, devoted to the training of games masters for the schools and sports instructors for villages and clubs. The buildings of the Institute present a good example of modern Polish architecture, and it can be reached either by tram or by steamer, which gives the visitor an opportunity of seeing the principal river of Poland at close quarters.
    A favourite Warsaw “show place” is Wilanow, with the palace of King Sobieski, “the Saviour of Vienna,” about half an hour by road from Warsaw. A more amusing excursion would be one to Lowicz on a Sunday, taking a whole day. Lowicz is famous for the colourful dress of its peasants, and these can be seen at their best and in suitable numbers after Mass, when the precincts of thechurch become a social club, and, incidentally, present an orgy of colourful costumes.
    The railway journey from Warsaw to Cracow is not too interesting, so that it might be better to fly there, in barely over an hour, for the price of the second class fare. The service run by the Lot Company is excellent, their record of safety is unequalled by any other air-transport company in the world, and their charges extremely moderate. I strongly advise all visitors to Poland to do part of their journeyings by plane, as some railway journeys take several hours and might be discouraging if done both ways.
    After landing in Cracow you will be inevitably escorted to either the Francuski or the Grand, which are the two principal hotels there. A visit to Wawel Castle is certainly worth while, especially with an intelligent guide. The attractions of Cracow are described by Miss Grace Humphrey in her book
Come with me through Cracow
, and there is also a companion volume about Warsaw.
Cracow
    Cracow represents for Poland a combination of Oxford, Windsor and Westminster—with the Tower thrown in. The University was founded in 1364, and the castle was the seat of the Polish kings until the time when the capital was transferred to Warsaw in the sixteenth century. A half-day excursion from Cracow to the famous Wieliczka salt mines is an important item in any tour of Poland. The mine is extremely old, and as large caves were left where much salt had been extracted, the miners built ballrooms, churches, stables, boating lakes and many other things in the caves. It is good fun to go down the mine shaft and see them.
    A rather unusual pilgrimage spot in Cracow is the Marshal Pilsudski mound on the hills of Sowiniec. The idea is to commemorate the great national hero by a huge mound of earth which is to be erected by the citizens with their own hands as a proof of their devotion to his memory. It has already attained quite considerable proportions, and is situated in a charming wood—about an hour’s drive from the hub of Cracow, the Old Market Square. St. Mary’s Church stands in its centre and it contains what is probably the finest masterpiece of art in the whole of Poland—the altar of Wit Stwosz.
    The old monastery of Bielany, perched above the Vistula near Cracow, completes the picture of the old capital of Poland. Another pleasant half day might be spent in Ojców, where there are limestone rocks and stalactite caves—but the main attraction to my mind is the surrounding countryside, with wooded hills and streams and one or two old castles within walking distance—all very Polish.
    It is better to go to Zakopane from Cracow by rail-car than by ordinary train—it is considerably faster on the difficult gradients of that line. Zakopane is an all the year resort, but the winter season is regarded as the most important. There are many hotels and boarding-houses. They are divided into three classes.
    Class I had running hot and cold water in all rooms, some rooms with private baths and a generally high standard of accommodation and service. Five meals per day is the usual fare in these establishments, and they are meals not only in