I'm on my way to Poland. To the city of Gdańsk.
These days, most people vacationing in Europe
are avoiding Eastern Europe because of the war in Ukraine. Poland borders Ukraine, Belarus,
and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, meaning it's right next door to war and crisis.
That scares tourists.
But is it justified? I want to check out a city
that is usually overrun in summer by visitors from Germany and Scandinavia.
I've booked a city tour with Sebastian, and I blurt out the harsh reality.
Sebastian, if I take a look around, there are not that many tourists. Is the tourism
in Poland affected by the war in Ukraine? Is that the reason?
Yes you have to remember that we have the war next to our borders, so it has to have
an effect on tourism. Especially like the bigger groups, from the States and other parts
of the world. The individual tourists are coming, they are here. But it's not the same
what was before. First the pandemic, now we have the war.
All of this things have an effect on our local tourism.
What do the people say when they are canceling the tours? Do they say, the war is too close,
it might come over to Poland? If they can choose, they will choose another
If they can choose, they will choose another destination where there is no risk.
That's one point. The second point is that they are
afraid of the imagination, that there are plenty of refugees in the streets.
Because of the numbers. We have almost 4 million people who came to Poland from Ukraine.
Tourism authorities reiterate that traveling in Poland is just as safe as in Western Europe.
But there are still 60 percent fewer foreign tourists and 90 percent fewer group trips.
That's hard because every tourist is needed here.
The port brought a lot of money into the city. You can see that here in this street, Ulice Długi,
or Long Lane. This is where wealthy citizens lived.
But look what it says up here: 1953.
the Second World War. All these houses are new. Reconstructed down to the last detail.
Only this house here, the Uphagen house, is original.
What to do with the ruins in the city? Some ideas said it's better to leave it as an open air museum
for the next generation, to show them how the war was cruel. Another idea was
to create the new city of Gdańsk for example in Lebniza or New Port district.
But finally, they decided to reconstruct the old main town.
St. Mary's Church also miraculously survived the bombing. It's the largest brick church in Europe.
Well, that's a cool ferry! A pirate ship.
It casts off several times a day and heads to Westerplatte, a peninsula close to Gdańsk.
My destination is in sight.
Now I'm on Westerplatte, a place with a lot of history.
Before World War I, Westerplatte was a seaside resort. This is where the people of Gdańsk
went in summer. A popular destination.
But after the First World War, this was no longer such a peaceful place.
Poland built a military depot.
And then, on September 1st, 1939, it happened. The event that changed Europe, indeed the entire world.
This is where the first shots of World War II were fired. Germany invaded Poland.
This is the former guard house. It has deliberately been preserved as a ruin. 182 Polish soldiers
resisted the German invasion for 7 days.
Here their names are immortalized.
Westerplatte isn't just a historical place. It's now also a memorial.
For the people of Poland, Westerplatte is a symbol of resistance against Nazi Germany.
And this monument here was erected in honor of the heroes of Westerplatte.
WAR NEVER AGAIN it says here. And yet, in the middle of Europe, there's been war since
Russia attacked Ukraine.
I think it's really sad. People are losing their families, their houses
and are migrating to other countries. I hope it stops soon. But I think, the neighboring countries
also feel threatened, because we never now what is going to happen.
We all hope that it's going to stop soon.
I look at these photos and I know that a few hundred kilometers away, war is a reality.
I hope we will find the strength to learn from the past.
This place makes me a bit sad. And at the same time thoughtful. Westerplatte not
only reminds us of a terrible war, but also serves as a warning to keep peace in Europe.