Tourists in Poland Often Overlook a Frequent Blunder, Even Rick Steves Was Not Immune to This Oversight
In a surprising turn of events, renowned travel writer Rick Steves has announced that Kraków, Poland is one of Europe's greatest undiscovered destinations, and should be classified as a Central European city rather than an Eastern European one.
Steves, a veteran traveler, previously categorised Poland as part of Eastern Europe in his guidebooks. However, in a 2023 Facebook post, his co-author Cameron Hewitt acknowledged the need to update the terminology used in their guidebooks. Hewitt explained that the term "Eastern Europe" was an outdated shorthand used to help people understand which places were being referred to, but it may paint an unfair picture in potential visitors' minds.
Poland, geographically located at the very centre of the European continent, is a safe country where Americans can vacation visa-free. Many Polish people prefer their country to be classified as Central Europe, rather than Eastern Europe, as the division of Europe during the Cold War still influences some tourists' perceptions. During that time, Europe was often perceived as divided into two halves: Capitalist democracies to the west and Soviet-controlled territories to the east, including Poland.
However, Poland maintains generally cooperative and integrated relations with its neighbouring European Union countries, as it is a key EU member and political ally. It has shown particular support for Ukraine amid Russian aggression. Tensions with Russia and Belarus remain high, with Poland strengthening its military and border security measures in response to regional threats.
Poland is a decades-long member of NATO and the European Union. Grouping Poland with Eastern European countries and with Russia may paint an unfair picture in potential visitors' minds, as Poland is home to one of Europe's greatest still-undiscovered destinations. Hewitt advises categorising Poland as Central Europe, a sentiment shared by many Polish people who see the binary west-east divide as outdated and affirm that, geographically and culturally, Poland belongs in Central Europe.
Exclamations of "Wow, Eastern Europe isn't at all what I expected!" may receive perplexed and frustrated glances from locals, as Poland is Rick Steves' pick of the best destination in Poland, and a must-visit for any traveller seeking authentic European experiences.
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