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[lion72]

Hey,
Can anyone tell me what the town Gorzow is like in terms of living, social scene, and the teaching scene there.
Also, is it expensive? And how far am I from other places Prague, Amsterdam, etc. Is it expensive to take the train there and how long is the journey?
What water holes are nice for meeting people?

Thanks,

Lion72

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[AlexW]

Hi there L

If you're talking about Gorzow WLKP (that's Wielkopolski, in the west) then I can help. If it's the other one - wherever that is, never did find out - then sorry in advance for the following ramble.

I was there 4 years from 1994-8 but go back 2-3 times a year to visit the in-laws and such mates and colleagues as are still there after all this time. During those years I had a great time in G as DOS of one of the larger private schools. There was an Anglo-American community large enough to help you find your feet and chilll out of a weekend but small enough that you found yourself wanting to make friends with the locals fairly early on.

The private schools don't take on nearly as many NS as they did; that said, there are more schools so perhaps the numbers are similar. There's also the teacher-training college on Mieszka I Street (take a number 2 tram out of the centre) and Liceum 2 over the river on Przemyslowa which may continue to take peace Corps volunteers, but I'm not sure about that.

Don't quite know what to say about the social and cultural scene to be honest. I'm not trying to avoid the issue; it's just that in the current business climate entertainment places come and go just like that - I usually have to re-adjust my mental map every time we visit. But one student pub (always the best kind in Poland - it's that or pretentious wine-bar-type things for the newly ennobled jumaczy to willy-wave in) worth going to is the Pod Zielonym Abazurem off Chrobrego, opposite the derelict military parade ground (kwadrat).

Getting there is something I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing by train the whole way - it's not cheaper and is definitely longer. From the UK we fly RyanAir to Berlin Schoenfeld (2.5 hours), and you can U-Bahn to the centre and get to Lichtenberg station from where the trains to Kostrzyn (the border) run hourly. Change at Kostrzyn for Gorzow - the journey's one hour and a bit.

So, a day trip to Berlin isn't out of the question on the weekend. In fact, it's only half an hour longer than getting to Poznan - a place worth going to from time to time but unlikely to take permanent residence in your heart. Also, from P you can get the Inter-City to Warsaw (comfortable, quite quick) and from W a further Inter-City down to Krakow. (Don't be tempted to take the cheap route overnight through Silesia, especially at key Holiday weekends - you won't get a seat).

Anything I can add, just drop us a line here.

Cheers, Al