Not as nice as I expected (Nowy Sacz (Poland))

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Nowy Sacz (Poland)
Date:	02/11/08 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Close to beautiful hills nearby

Disadvantages: Not much going on apart from a small town centre

The town is somewhat larger than I imagined and neither on a hill nor in a dip, you can't really get a feel for the surrounding countryside, the suburbs of the place also seem to drag out quite a long way, perhaps something to do with the lack of high-rise buildings in comparisons to other towns.

The town was founded in the late 13th century by King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and acted as an important location ont he trade route between the Baltic and Med (known as the Amber Route), it has over the years been under the rule of Polish, Austrians, Russians and lived a short life in the breakway Republic of Lemko-Rusyn after WW1. During the 2nd World War 90% of the cities Jewish population (125,0000) were killed or didn't return from camps. Currently the biggest problem is unemployment which is one of the highest in the EU.

Nowy Sacz is one of the few places with a population of Lemkos, a Ukranian related group from the nearby hills who were transported around the country during communism in what is now widely considered as crimes against an ethnic minority.

It is easy to get to with many bus and train connections from the rest of the country, the square int he city centre (rynek) is similar to that of many Polish towns, the impressive water fountains do it justice and the seating which comes out from the pubs gives it a fun factor in the summer. Apart from this though there is little of interest, a few nice narrow streets and a busy market place.

Over the last few years, I have been offered various positions here teaching English, the pay is lower than larger cities in Poland but so is the cost of living, or so I thought! In fact the prices in cafe's is quite dear and the only thing which really differs is the price of rent. The best thing about the town is its location and if you are heading further south in to the hills, it is likely you will have to change bus here - if you have a wait then it is worth popping into the centre but I don't feel the need to recommend going there as a destination in itself.

Summary: Only visit if necessaryto change transport!