I'm German and traveled to Poland for the first time: It's like Germany 20 years ago.

I'm a German and I have traveled to many European countries in my life, but never to Poland. In the end, I found it strange not to have visited our direct neighbors, so I booked a trip to Wroclaw, Poland. <br><br>My expectations were very low. I've heard many times that Poland was poor, dirty, ugly, etc.<br><br>I flew to Wroclaw and was surprised at how modern the airport was. It was huge and very well maintained, much nicer than the airport in Bremen, Germany, for example.<br><br>Then I took the taxi to the hotel. The taxi driver did not speak a word of English. Somehow I found my way to the hotel though.<br><br>On the way to the hotel I had my first impression of Poland. The streets were wide and clean, but you could see that Poland is poorer than Germany. You could see many small shops that were not available in Germany. I also had the feeling that it was somehow "dirtier" than Germany. You could see many cigarette butts on the streets. I also saw a lot of high-rise buildings. For some reason I did not expect them.<br><br>But all in all, I was very positively surprised. Poland was not as poor and dirty as I had imagined.<br><br>After arriving at the hotel, I walked to the market square (Rynek). On the way there, I noticed how cheap Poland was. I bought a complete big meal for 8 euros.<br><br>On the Rynek itself, there were many beautiful buildings and a very cozy atmosphere. I saw the town hall and many people walking around. I also saw many restaurants and bars. <br><br>The people there were very different from Germans. In Germany, you can quickly have the feeling that you are not welcome when you go to a bar or restaurant for the first time. The people were much more hospitable, even though you could tell that they did not like the Germans very much. <br><br>I saw many beautiful buildings, among them the university and the church. I also walked along the Grunwald Bridge and saw the Panorama of Raclawice.<br><br>After the first day, I had the feeling that Poland was like Germany 20 years ago. It was somehow more "living" and more authentic. You could tell that people was poorer, but it did not feel bad. You could tell that people were more hospitable and more genuine. <br><br>On the second day, I visited the Wroclaw Zoo. As a German, I can tell you that zoos in Germany are very controversial. Many Germans want to close all zoos because they see them as unethical. I myself was against zoos for a long time, but have since reconsidered. I think that zoos can play an important role in protecting species and educating people about animals. <br><br>The zoo in Wroclaw was very different from the zoos in Germany. It was huge and there were many animals. Many that I had never even seen in my life, like the Puma. Furthermore, many animals were not in enclosures, like the monkeys. You could just walk under the wire and see them from below. Furthermore, you had the feeling that you were in a jungle, because there was so much nature. <br><br>In Germany you can't do that, because there are too many animal rights activists. <br><br>I also visited the Wroclaw Dwarfs. You could find dwarfs all over the city. But somehow I did not like it. I think it's a bit strange and not very genuine. <br><br>I also visited the Centennial Hall. Somehow I did not find it very spectacular. I have seen many halls like that before. <br><br>The Market Hall was more interesting. There you could buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I bought some strawberries that tasted very good. I also bought some pierogi and bigos. I did not like the bigos very much, but the pierogi were very good. <br><br>I also visited the Botanical Garden. I somehow did not like it. The garden was small and not very well maintained. But you could see some interesting and rare plants. <br><br>On the last day, I visited the Hydropower Station. Somehow I did not find it very spectacular. It was a big building and somehow I could not grasp it. <br><br>After that, I flew back to Germany. I was very positively surprised by Poland. Somehow I liked it more than Germany. Everything was more genuine and authentic. I could imagine living in Poland. I had the feeling that people there were nicer and more hospitable. I will definitely come back. <br><br>Overall, I liked Poland very much. I had the feeling that I was back 20 years in the past. I saw some similarities to East Germany, but I would not say that Poland was an East Germany 2.0. I liked the people, the food and the culture. I will definitely come back. <br><br>&#x200B;