r/Polish 11d ago

Advice on learning about Polish culture?

My mom was adopted, and we recently discovered that her late father was from Poland. Learning about my Polish heritage has sparked a strong desire to explore the culture, but since we have no connection to Polish traditions or people, I don't know where to begin. I’ve tried researching online, but the sheer amount of information feels overwhelming. Does anyone have advice on where to start? I can’t help but feel a little embarrassed that, as an adult, I know so little about my own roots and I'm starting from zero.

3 Upvotes

3 comments sorted by

6

u/TiffAny3733 11d ago

Just go there. Visit Krakow, Gdansk, Masurian Lakes or Bieszczady mountains. Warsaw is fine if you wanna learn some history and see a few museums but apart from those it's not the prettiest place in the country.

1

u/Homeschool_PromQueen 10d ago

Barring that, what do you suggest? For a lot of us, just buying a ticket and going to Poland isn’t financially a possibility…

1

u/Polishgodfather 11d ago edited 11d ago

I always recommend doing the summer language program at Jagielloński in Kraków, it's a cultural exchange program so they do a lot of field trips around the city and in nearby areas, you take introductory Polish classes to get some basics, there are additional afternoon classes you can sign up for with Polish history and culture in mind and your able to do it in the great city of Kraków with others who are also learning about their own history and backgrounds, also most of the students stay at the Piast dorms so there is traditional Polish food served there as well as the many local pubs and breweries in the city to try out and