We would like to visit this site but we can’t find any practical tips in R/S or any other travel books. Obviously there are some websites/blogs, but we would appreciate help from anyone who has been there.
Posted by
San Francisco
14970 posts
Hi,
Don't expect to this place to be covered in an RS book. If you want to look for useful and pertinent information on getting out Ketrzyn (Rastenburg), I would suggest Rough Guide Poland, covering the logistics with a good , competent historical summary.
I have not been there but in 2005 was on the train , the terminus of which was the transfer station to Ketrzyn.
The Mrs, the MIL and I were on en route to Torun, having boarded the train in Poznan. That train route was Poznan to Olsztyn, where
one could change to Ketrzyn. The train take a northeasterly route from Poznan passing through the historical towns I want to see, well, at least the station. We got off in Torun. Your trip will take you into northeastern Poland ....super interesting, and revealing.
Posted by
Southeast US
4043 posts
A young adult and I visited Wolf's Lair last spring. I ended up just hiring a driver to get us there. We visited not only Wolf's Lair (blown up bunkers) but also the nearby Mauerwald/Mamerki bunkers, which were the not-blown-up bunkers of the army ground force. Info on Mamerki: https://www.mamerki.com/index9ed2.html?lang=en
Here is how we did it:
Day 1: Driver picked us up at our Gdansk hotel and took us to Malbork Castle then on to Schloss Finckenstein (a palace in ruins that was used by Napoleon for a few months as he passed through the area) and then to Olsztyn for an overnight (nice town with cool old town and a castle)
Day 2: Driver picked us up in Olzstyn, took us to Wolf's Lair and then to Mauerwald/Mamerki bunkers and then on to Warsaw. Long day!
Posted by
Poland
25 posts
Hi,
What kind of practical tips you're looking for?
Best,
Tomasz
Posted by
OP
6 posts
I am interested in what tour companies to use or where to find a private driver.
Posted by
Southeast US
4043 posts
Where would you be coming from and where would you be going to?
Posted by
London
1250 posts
I had to delete my quip about polishing your Waffen SS cap badges because it's probably unfair of me to suggest you collect Nazi memorabilia just because this is on your itinerary.
It did bring to mind a couple of Mitchell and Webb clips, one from their sketch show and one excerpt from Peep Show. I'll link to them below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h242eDB84zY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiLVAz-Jczg
Enjoy!
Posted by
San Francisco
14970 posts
@ cynthia....I would suggest checking with a Polish tour company if Ketrzyn (Rastenburg) is part of their agenda. If you do have extra time, check out what used to be called Schloss Rastenburg.
Years ago I knew of a retired high school (Polish-American) in Calif who was involved in taking Polish high school kids, not American kids, to the Wolf's Lair in the summer.