17.9.
Today we arrived in Poland with our German exchange group.
First we went by train to Hamburg. At the airport we had to wait for a long time, and everyone was really excited and couldn’t wait for the week to start. The flight went pretty well. After we got our luggage, the Polish students were already waiting for us with homemade signs. The signs had our names on them and on the back there was another message. After we met the students it was already time to go to our host families.
My host family was super nice and they made a really nice dinner. After dinner my host sister and I had to bake something for the next day. The first day was really exhausting and I was happy to finally go to bed, but I can already tell that the exchange is going to be a great experience.
18.9.
Today was our first day in Gdansk. We were divided into groups of 4-5 people to go on a rallye to see the sights of Oliwa. It was a fun activity and we for example climbed an observation tower and saw the whole city. After we finished the rallye we went back to one of the places we did visit before, it was the Oliwska cathedral, to listen to an organ concert. This organ was very special, because some decoration parts were able to move. For example stars were spinning. Later there were integration games and we even learned a Polish dance. For lunch we had a buffet of self made Polish food. In the afternoon each student had free time to spend with his our her host family. It was a nice day to start the trip.
19.9.
Today was the third day of our exchange to Danzig! We Met at the school and went to a nearby trainstation! From there, we went around 1 hour to Malbrok. There we walked to the castle! The Malbrok Castle is the biggest stone castle in the world and you could not say any different! We went inside in small groups of 5 or 6 and had an audio guide and also some questions we needed to answer at the trip! We saw so many rooms for different occasions and also very interesting exibishions.
When we finished the tour we met again and drove back to Danzig! When we arrived it was time to go back in the families so some of us went to a restaurant to eat piroggi which is a typical polish food! It was delicious. When we finished, we went to a nearby city and a mole. We learned about a typical polish sweet and saw a sunset. Then we went on the mole and took stunning pictures of it! When we went back home, we were all exhausted but happy from the day! There is still so much to see at Danzig!
20.9.
Today we met up with our whole exchange group in the Gdańsk Old Town for a guided tour with our guide Magdalena Kosko. The Polish students already knew the Old Town and its history, so most of them went elsewhere.
We started our tour at the Golden Gate, where we quickly noticed that our guide had a great sense of humor. She led us past various sights such as the Town Hall, Neptune’s Fountain, and several places along the river. Our final stop was St. Mary’s Church (Mariacki), where we saw the impressive 14-meter-tall astronomical clock in action.
After the presentation, we said goodbye to our tour guide and headed to our next destination, this time joined by most of our exchange partners: the Museum of the Second World War. There, we once again used audio guides to navigate the exhibitions and learned many details about the war and its connection to Gdańsk.
After our visit, some of us were picked up, while others went shopping, and a few even attended a concert by the famous Polish singer-songwriter Dawid Kwiatkowski at the FORUM shopping mall.
In the end, it was a very long and exhausting day, and we all went home to recharge our energy for the days ahead.
21.9. – Bericht 1
This Sunday we started the day by going to an escape game. I’ve never participated in one before, so it was really interesting to experience it for the first time. After having solved fun puzzles and escaping the scientists laboratory we went to a café, where we ate some delicious cheesecake and played cards and board games to pass time.
In the evening we had some traditional Polish food called pierogi and afterwards we went to the brzeźno beach where we saw the sunset. Overall it was a great day containing fun activities.
21.9. – Bericht 2
We woke up at nearly 8am, and we`ve eaten breakfast together. After breakfast we had to meet our friends at a shopping mall, to go to a escape room together. It was a gameplay set in the victorian era in England. It was for our entire group a great experience to be in a escape room like that, especially because it was in a unique setting, while being one of the hardest rooms the local offered.
After that, we went to another mall, and while we were waiting for a cafe to open, we went for a ride in a minion styled vehicle for kids, and the staff member from the mall told us to get out and be more responsible for a couple of grown people 🙁 (but we still had our fun).
When the cafe finally opened, we met up with another friend and went in to eat some desserts and play board games. We were sitting there and chatting for nearly three hours, and then we went to the main station SKM and headed to Puck. After some miscommunication with other people from the exchange, we`ve decided to drive in the group of us, Irenka and Iulia back to Gdansk and found a cozy Pierogarnia place. When we finished our meal we went to the Brzezno beach. It was already getting dark, but it was a magnificent experience to hang out at the beach and play cards this late. All in all, we were happy about the fact, that we spend our day together and had a splendid time. 🙂
21.9. – Bericht 3
A Perfect Family Sunday in Gdańsk
Our Sunday in Gdańsk was a day full of fun and relaxation. It started a little late, around 11 a.m., with a delicious breakfast that got us ready for the day.
Afterwards, our my exchange partner and me headed straight for the aquapark close to Gdańsk. It was a special day because we met up with many other exchange students there, turning it into a big funny group. The aquapark was the perfect place for everyone to have a good time. We spent most of the day there, enjoying the different pools, slides, and water attractions.
When we were tired from all the swimming, we decided to grab some pizza together right there at the park. It was the perfect meal to refuel and relax after such an active day.
As the evening approached, we drove back home to rest for a bit. But the day wasn’t over yet! For a final bit of fun, my exchange partner and my went to McDonald’s to try the difference between the Polish and German version. It was a great to see the difference of the food and a great way to end our evening together before heading home.
By the time we got back, the sun had already set, and it was a perfect end to an unforgettable day.
22.9.
The day started at 8:15 a m when we met at the school and waited for our bus. While we were waiting, we took a nice group photo and enjoyed talking together. The bus came around 9:00 am and we left for the Stutthof concentration camp, arriving there about an hour later.
After a short break, we went to a hall for a workshop, where we talked about different parts of the Nazi time and life in the camps for about 45 minutes. After that, we took a guided walk around the site, looking at the historical area and learning more about its history.
In the end we met again for a short discussion to share our thoughts and feelings. We were all agreed that what happened there was very touching and truly awful and must never be forgotten. The visit was both emotional and informative, giving us important insight into this dark part of history.
23.9.
Today was already the sixth and last day of our exchange in Gdańsk.
In the morning, we met at school at 8:45 and left by bus at 9:00. The ride took about 1 hour and 25 minutes. There was a bit of traffic, but it was okay.
We arrived in Łeba around 10:25. The weather was not so nice at first – it was windy, rainy, and about 16°C. At 10:40, we took three electric shuttle cars to the dunes. On the way, it started to rain and even hail a little bit. Luckily, when we arrived and started to climb the dunes, the weather became better. It was sunnier and also a bit warmer.
We climbed up the dunes and had a lot of fun there. Some of us jumped or rolled down the dunes, which was very fun.
After that, we walked down to the beach. We had a small picnic, and some of us put our feet into the water, even though it was really cold. The sky was cloudy again, but the atmosphere was very nice.
Then it started to rain heavily, and we continued walking along the beach for about 40 minutes until we reached an old rocket launch site. Some students even walked barefoot through the wet sand.
After the long walk, we took the electric shuttles back to the parking lot. Before going home, we also climbed up a viewing tower. From the top, we could see the sea, the forest, and a little bit of the dunes. The weather was changing all the time – sometimes sun, sometimes clouds. We even saw a rainbow!
At around 14:00, we left Łeba and went back to Gdańsk by bus. Some students got off earlier because it was closer to their host families. The rest of us arrived at the school around 15:40.
In the evening, everyone spent time with their host families, enjoyed the last moments of this amazing week, and packed their suitcases for the journey home.
24.9.
The day of departure
At some point of the day leaving had to come, because even the best time ends one day. The plan was to meet at 9:00 at the airport, flight at 12:20 and then go by train to Bremerhaven.
At 9:05 we made it and we were all in the big airport hall of Gdańsk airport. After that, we Germans and our Polish exchange partners were invited by the teachers into a rented airport lounge. There we played Kahoot! (an online quiz game), danced and sang karaoke. After the singing we gave away our luggage and then it was time. We had to say goodbye, not yet to Gdańsk but to our exchange partners. This part was the hardest, even if we would see each other again soon, everyone was sad. After the security check everyone walked around until we met again at 12:30 at the gate.
At 12:55 we took off in Gdańsk, and after 1 hour and 5 minutes we landed in Hamburg at 14:00. When we arrived, we had to hurry to catch the S-Bahn to the main station. Luckily, our luggage came very quickly, so we did not lose time and could get into the S-Bahn. At 14:45 we were already on the way to Hamburg main station. There we still had 20 minutes to wait until our train came, so we could relax a little bit after the flight.
Just like on our journey to Poland, we first took the train to Buxtehude and then continued to Bremerhaven. The ride was calm, and many of us talked about the last week. It was hard to say goodbye, but we were also glad because our families were waiting for us at home.
P.S.: We had wonderful seven days in Poland. Once again, many thanks to our Polish friends, we do not know how we will ever be able to top this.
