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The USMA Polish Language club visited three cities in Poland for a cultural immersion trip. The first cities they visited was Krakow, where they were able to tour the Old City and immerse themselves in the culture. While there, they were able to visit the Wawel Royal Castle, where they toured the Cathedral Museum and were also able to view an exhibit of Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo DaVinci. They also toured the royal tombs, which included tombs of BG Tadeusz Kosciusko and Field Marshal Pilsudzki. The group was also able to make it out to tour the remnants of Auschwitz and Kirkenau, and walked through where millions have lost their lives as a result of genocide. Lastly, they toured the Wieliczka Salt Mine which is one of the oldest mines in Europe. The next stop was Zakopane, which is Poland’s version of Aspen. This region is very different from the rest of Poland, and the dialect sounds like a completely different language.
There they hiked up a mountain on the border of Slovakia to Morski Oko where the lake was frozen and walked across to take in the views. The last city they visited was Warsaw; there they were able to walk through the Old Town and enjoy traditional foods and see some of the old fortifications of the Warsaw Royal Castle. Also, the group got to watch the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was a great start before touring the Warsaw Uprising Museum. There, they were able to see what the city was like before the war, and what the city looked like after 90% of it was leveled through bombings. Seeing all of this allowed the group to appreciate the value of why a strong military is necessary to protect the people of their nation. After the museum, the group went to the Palace of Culture and Science where they got to see how far the city has come from being rebuilt and a Communist Era to the Open Market Economy with the many flourishing businesses currently there. The cadets had a great opportunity to learn about the culture and history of Poland, as well as meet some people for the current generation and compare that history with a positive outlook of the direction of Poland’s future.
