FOOTLOOSE IN POLAND
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  Poland's Hidden Treasures

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David and Debra have discovered that Poland has a wealth of hidden treasures, made easily accessible by low cost airlines and value for money trains and buses. In this 82 minute DVD they walk in the Tatra Mountains and witness some interesting changes since the fall of Communism in Krakow.
Each of these two films are part of the "Footloose in Europe" television series for international distribution ...see Broadcast 
Original music by Barnaby Smith


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Part one ~ ZAKOPANE
We explore the ridges and valleys of the beautiful Tatra mountains and visit this delightful popular resort at the very south of the country. Even during our visit in September this top mountain resort is still quite busy. This area is renown for folklore and tradition, yet almost undiscovered outside Poland, 
           
            
Our host is mountain guide Maciej Krupa who tells us of Zakopane's rich history and how it became a magnet for health, culture and tourism 150 years ago. We discover a traditional Highlander wedding; visit the Tatra Museum and historic wooden villa; listen to folk music in a rustic restaurant and take three popular hiking trails in the Tatra National Park region ~

 
 The first is on the Gubalowka ridge with its chairlifts and magnificent views, the second is along the floor of the steep-sided Strazyska Valley with torrential waterfalls...  		Part two ~ KRAKOW
We take a train ride 120Km north to the picturesque university city and former Royal Seat of Poland. Debra asks our host Patrycja Przybysz how historical Krakow or Cracow should be spelt... the city can't make its mind up!

        

Our walking trail starts in the University Botanical Gardens and takes us to St Florian's Gate and the magnificent bastion which used to protect the city from the Turks. Highlights inside the former- walled Old Town include the Medieval Cloth Hall and the trumpeter inside St Mary's tower. 
We stroll across the gigantic market square then on down Kanonicza (once home of Pope John Paul II) and past Wawel Castle.

      
 
The third trail is taken when we return in mid-winter with real snow and blue skies, walking the spectacular Koscieliska Valley, returning with Debra's wish on a traditional horse-drawn sleigh.            Visit Debra's Zakopane Diary
                     


 
The highlight of our film is "travelling back" 30 years in a Trabant time-machine to the planned communist town of Nowa Huta and it's steelworks that was a "gift" from Lenin to the Polish people. Our host is Crazy Qba who gives us an extended tour of the area and a real taste of life under the former communist government. We visit Central Square, the Stylowa restaurant, the steelworks and a low-rise appartment - a time capsule filled with surprising communist memorabilia. After this hair- raising yet highly entertaining experience we visit the renowned Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, crossing the river to visit Oskar Schindler's factory. We finish at an unusual historical earthworks giving superb views of Krakow.

NB:     A certain amount of the second film, Krakow, has been shown in our Footloose in Budapest, Prague & Krakow DVD, but this has now been extended to include a full-length and definitely full-on "CrazyGuides" Trabant communist tour! 
...The 40-minute Zakopane film is all new.
  Music composed and performed by:
  http://www.barnabysmith.org
                

     watch CrazyGuides movie 

  Visit Debra's Krakow Diary
 
  http://www.crazyguides.com




                            © Grindelwald Productions 2010 / 2007