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Mar 6, 08, 18:21 #13
Bialystok is not an old city like Krakow, Gdansk or Wroclaw. It has no old town square. The heart of the town was built in the 18th and 19th century, the horrible sprawl of communist era blocks (much worse than in many Polish cities) in the later 20th.
The people seem somewhat more sedate than Poles in other towns, less angry, and much more polite, a little more like the Scandinavians or Balts. Unfortunately there are not as many pretty girls about, as for example in Poznan or Kraków...
Best thing about Białystok is the location. Only 2hrs 15mins from Warsaw by car or train, yet a completely different atmosphere (and I don't just mean the better air quality). The countryside in the neighbourhood is among the most unspoilt in Poland, and is a real joy to spend time in (which is more than you can say for a lot of Poland, which was wrecked by the communists and two world wars). You have the huge Bialowieza and Knyszyn forests nearby, the massive areas of swampland in the Narew and Biebrza basins (great for twitchers and canoeists), and the lake district around Augustów not too far away. And then of course Lithuania, which is just 90 mins by car. (Belarus is closer still, but the visa very expensive, and not readily issued.)
However, unless you are very outgoing and find it easy to met people, or have an obsession with shopping, you might have problems finding things to do, as there isn't much happening event-wise in the city itself.
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