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Missing German backpacker Carolina Wilga has been found alive after 12 days lost in the remote Western Australian outback.
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The Advertiser
08-08-2025
- The Advertiser
Poland's prettiest city: Krakow v Warsaw in the ultimate city smackdown
Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow. Picture: Shuttertock By Amy Cooper and Mal Chenu Updated August 8 2025 - 9:57am, first published 8:00am Both carry the scars of a brutal history, but their charm and beauty shine through. Is Krakow truly the belle of the Baltic-or does Warsaw's gritty resilience win the day? Its a tough one, but our duelling experts can help you decide. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area KRAKOW: Amy says go medieval or go home Warsaw, what is it good for? Mal's about to tell you, but even his shiniest Polish polish can't disguise the truth: when it comes to scenic superiority, these two cities are Poles apart. While Krakow escaped WWII with its beautiful historical buildings intact, the German blitzkrieg razed poor Warsaw. And then afterwards, the city's Soviet-era rebuild took its aesthetic cues from Stalin, a man who never met a bleak brutalist block he didn't like, thought walls were just for hiding microphones in and whose main contribution to architectural design was his own face. Eyesore Warsaw? That's a bit strong, but let's just say that Paris and Prague have nothing to fear. They should, however, tremble before gorgeous Krakow, effortlessly out-prettying Europe's grandest old cities with its medieval magnificence, fairytale castles, soaring spires and cobblestoned charm. Krakow's Old Town is a massed gathering of masterpieces from the past 1000 years, where Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, palaces, mansions and churches jostle for your attention around the giant Market Square, one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. Its original centrepiece, the glorious Cloth Hall, dates back some 600 years and could well be the world's oldest shopping centre. Across the square, the twin towers of St Mary's Basilica crown an interior extravaganza of arches, carvings, statues, gold for days and a star-bedazzled blue ceiling. Medieval Wawel Royal Castle stands guard up on the hill, complete with a dragon's den - once home to the fire-breathing beast defeated by 8th-century ruler King Krak. Today the city's name still celebrates the legendary hero who told the dragon to Krak off. The Old Town alone could enchant you for days, crammed as it is with historical sites and art. But there's so much more to see that even if you were up at the Krakow dawn every day, you'd still struggle to squeeze everything in. Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is a museum telling his story alongside Poland's Nazi invasion in dense and devastating detail, and the Pharmacy Under the Eagle commemorates its owner Tadeusz Pankiewicz, who risked life and limb to help residents of the Jewish ghetto. There's a subterranean museum hidden four metres below Market Square where genuine archaeological digs include medieval cemeteries complete with the funereal fashion of the time - anti-vampire burials. Even farther down and just outside town, Cracow Saltworks Museum has underground chapels and lakes along with salt sculptures and chambers in a giant, labyrinthine salt mine 1000 years old and deeper than the Eiffel Tower's height. And although it sounds like it was named by a toddler, Planty Park is most certainly planty - a four-kilometre necklace of verdant gardens encircling the Old Town and made for strolls amid fountains and flowers. Verdict: Stunning but never shallow, Krakow takes Pole position in this Slavic showdown. WARSAW: Mal says resilience is beautiful In the dictionary listing for "resilience", there's a picture of Warsaw. If you ever wanted to visit a city that literally rose from the ashes, this is your guy. Warsaw's meticulously rebuilt Old Town. Picture: Getty Images Two World War II events define the character of Warsaw. Against impossible odds, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Jewish resistance in 1943, and the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 by the general populace were heroic and ill-fated slaps at the brutal Nazi occupation. As a German report stated: "The resistance fought to the very last bullet." After the uprisings were put down, Hitler ordered the ghetto - and then the city - to be razed. By January 1945, 85 per cent of the city had been destroyed. The horrors and bravery of these seminal events are articulated at the Warsaw Rising Museum, one of the city's most popular and poignant attractions, and by the Warsaw Uprising Monument in Krasinski Square, among others. Ravaged by six years of war, the exhausted Varsovians set about rebuilding. The city's Old Town was returned to its former glory using paintings and records. The Old Town dates back to the 13th century, so this was quite a reno. Now a World Heritage Site, the Old Town's stunning squares were carefully re-created. Sprawling Castle Square features Royal Castle and Sigismund's Column, which commemorates the national hero responsible for moving the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw. Old Market Square hosts the Museum of Warsaw, a pretty wall sundial and a bronze statue of Syrenka, the "Mermaid of Warsaw". Syrenka has been the city's symbol and protector for centuries, and monuments and carvings of the feisty, sword-wielding, fish-tailed heroine can be seen throughout Warsaw. Another revered Varsovian heroine is Marie Curie. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win two and the only person to win in both physics and chemistry. Her estimable accomplishments can be studied at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Museum, housed in the tenement where she was born. Royal Baths Park occupies 76 hectares in the centre of Warsaw, and you can hear free piano concerts in front of the Fryderik Chopin Monument every Sunday. A little way down the Royal Route, Wilanow Palace and its adjoining 45-hectare park is filled with furnishings, and art retrieved and reinstalled after the war. All this is just a sampling of the myriad treasures awaiting you in the Polish capital. Krakow is a mere fraction of Warsaw, and indeed Australia - Krakow has a Kosciuszko but theirs is a 35-metre-high artificial mound. It also has a salt mine, which is symbolic of the work Amy has to do spruiking the clear runner-up in this Polish polemic. Verdict: Gritty, gutsy and gloriously reborn, Warsaw is the comeback queen of Europe.
Canberra Times
07-08-2025
- Canberra Times
Poland's prettiest city: Krakow vs Warsaw in the ultimate city smackdown
Warsaw, what is it good for? Mal's about to tell you, but even his shiniest Polish polish can't disguise the truth: when it comes to scenic superiority, these two cities are Poles apart. While Krakow escaped WWII with its beautiful historical buildings intact, the German blitzkrieg razed poor Warsaw. And then afterwards, the city's Soviet-era rebuild took its aesthetic cues from Stalin, a man who never met a bleak brutalist block he didn't like, thought walls were just for hiding microphones in and whose main contribution to architectural design was his own face.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-08-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is southern Italy still worth visiting in winter?
My husband and I have two weeks in southern Italy in early January 2026. I've read that much of Sicily shuts down over the colder season, is it still worth going? L. Nelson, Hamilton NSW Sicily does not shut down completely over winter, but it's quieter. Cafes, restaurants, shops and museums will all be operating, although hours might be shorter. Coastal towns such as Cefalu, Marzamemi and the Aeolian Islands will be lifeless but Taormina will still see plenty of visitors. Cultural highlights including the Valley of the Temples and the incredible Villa Romana del Casale stay open all the year. On the upside, you can expect lively Christmas celebrations and religious pageants, especially those celebrated on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. However, Sicily wears winter like an ill-fitting suit of clothes. Sicily and southern Italy are all about sunshine and warmth, lingering over affogatos in cafes, warm evenings that taper slowly into night, hustle and bustle on the waterfront and pyramids of figs and tomatoes in the markets. Despite the chill, Northern Italy, Switzerland and Austria are perfect in winter. My daughter and soon to be son-in-law will be in Germany on their honeymoon, and they want to spend Christmas Day in a town within a short train ride of Frankfurt, perhaps Heidelberg or Rothenburg. Do you know of any hotels or restaurants that would provide this experience for a special couple? C. Glen, Holgate NSW In Heidelberg, my number one choice is Kulturbrauerei Heidelberg, a historic brewery and inn with a full-blooded German menu including roast goose, duck, venison, pork shoulder, red cabbage and dumplings, best sampled over the house-brewed beer. If they want a very traditional Germanic experience, alongside locals and probably not too much English spoken, this is perfect. Better still if they can overnight here, and there are rooms and apartments on the premises. Hotel Hackteufel is a friendly, family-run hotel and restaurant in Heidelberg's Altstadt with rustic timber decor. The atmosphere is romantic, and the menu features a robust selection of German favourites. The location is close to the city's Christmas market. In Rothenburg, Gasthof Goldener Greifen has been an inn since the 15th century, known for its hearty Franconian menu, including marinated beef and roast pork in gravy with side serves of red kraut and potato dumplings. The front windows overlook the local Christmas market. For a more upmarket experience, Hotel Reichskuchenmeister Restaurant is a handsome, historic hotel serving a sophisticated version of local cuisine in a timber-panelled restaurant that goes all out with the Christmas decorations. Located in the middle of the well-preserved medieval town centre, the hotel's guest rooms are a cut above – modern and stylish. The hotel has an international clientele and a lack of German language skills is no problem here. They need to book early, and some restaurants will only serve a set Christmas menu. We're celebrating our golden wedding anniversary next year with a month or two in Europe, probably September/October. We'd like to visit Scandinavia, especially the Norwegian fjords, and the World War II battlegrounds in France. Main interests are history and culture. Would appreciate your input. A. Murray, Freshwater NSW Congratulations on your upcoming golden wedding anniversary, that's a significant milestone and celebrating it with a meaningful journey through Europe sounds perfect. A Hurtigruten cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes would be a great start, especially if you can spare an extra day to take a detour on the Flam railway between Oslo and Bergen.
