For many people, Grudziądz is just another city in northern Poland but for me it’s not just a city, it is a place where I was born (a few years ago 😉 and which I often visit when I come to Poland from my daily adventures in England.
The main square is lined up with colourful old houses and the majestic statue of a victorious soldier stands stall in the middle of it to remind us that we should always fight for freedom, justice and the truth.
Look who I met here 🙂 Yes it’s my favourite local celebrity Nicolaus Copernicus and his famous book on how the Universe actually works. He was very proud of my own memoir ‘Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream’ and he said I should keep following my dreams as nobody should ever stop us from doing so. If he had given up on his research and publishing his book, the world wouldn’t know the truth for many years. A great man indeed.
One of my favourite coffee places in Grudziądz is this cute ‘Fado Cafe’ just off ‘rynek’ or main square. The colourful umbrellas hanging above only remind me that we should always reach for the stars or at least umbrellas 🙂
Every time I walk past this statue of Ułan z Dziewczyną or a Soldier with a Giril (Grudziądz used to be a the base for the famous 18 Pułk Ułanów Pomorskich) it makes me think of..love. The everlasting love between a man and a woman that we all look for but not everyone finds. It took me years to accept that we all have a difeerent path to walk and different experiences to go through and not always have or do what many others have or do. But hey, I still haven’t given up on finding a ‘great’ and ‘true’ love in a man, even though I am very happy I have finally found it in me (as described in my Polish Girl memoir 😉
Walking along some of the old streets you do feel as if going back in time. Old buildings always give an aura of mystery and unspoken wisdom.
my visit in Grudziądz couldn’t be without a walk by the glorious Vistula River. The views from the viewing terrace are spectacular.
Grudziądz was founded in the 10th century as a Polish stronghold against Prussian attack and in the 1230s it came under the rule of the Teutonic Knights, who fortified the town and granted it municipal rights (1291). If you have read my previous blogs about Toruń, you will learn how much this area was influenced by the Knights of the Black Cross and how much history can still be seen in all the towns and cities in Kujawsko-pomorskie województwo (province).
What you can see standing tall majestically on the river bank are Spichrze- or Grudziądz Granaries. The Teutonic Knights built them in this location to be in close proximity with the river port, and thus take advantage of the flourishing grain trade. Due to the different elevations of town and river, the granaries, which from the river side look like imposing multi-stories buildings. some seem to be now inhabited and others are part of the Museum.
And here is the famous Water Gate. Why it’s called this way… It was the main entrance to the city and to the castle from the harbour. And that is it 🙂
Grudziądz was also called Graudenz (from German) because after the First Partition of 1772 it became a powerful fortress under Prussia. It was returned to Poland after World War I. It was interesitng for me to see all the different signs from the times when it was still under German influence. And it was just over 100 years ago. History truly is fascinating. Even though it may be sad to think about, it’s there for us to remember and learn from it so that the bad events never happen again.
I think Grudziądz is a great place to visit and if you ever find yourself in the area (closest airport is Bydgoszcz), do pop in there to see a bit of history by the Vistula River. We should all cherish our roots and where we come from. After all, that was the beginning of our life journey, hopefully to self-discovery and learning all that needs to be learnt about our nature as humans, loving spirits in disguise, only waiting to be discovered by us.
Places we visit are places that enrich our hearts. Places we come from, gave us our hearts to love and share that love with one another. Let’s all make a good use of it. Let’s all not waste it on anything other than that. Be proud of who you are, where you come from and spread love and peace. I believe we can all make a positive difference in the world, even when you are just a Polish Girl.
Read my memoir Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream on Amazon now:
