ah ah welcome to this new edition of cheque in this time a reporters have set their sights on central and eastern europe. they're off to lithuania, to check republic and poland. lucas steak begins his travels. in lithuania, capital, vilnius, the largest city in the baltic states. the co froelich heads to prague in the czech republic, where she wants to see how tourism has changed. since the pandemic began, and later lucas degas goes to condense the port city in northern poland,

where the solid artist movement played a significant role in what led to the fall of the iron curtain. but 1st, to vilnius the symbol of vilios stance. 140 meters above the city, the giddiness tower, a remnant of what was once the city's most powerful defense system. the giddiness castle. hello, from vilios. in lithuania, have you ever heard of it? well, lithuania is one of the 3 baltic states in eastern europe, russia, and bella roost our direct neighbors. and, well, the war in ukraine is not that far away. and i want to know, is it still safe to travel here in these types? let's find out the russian born ukraine is viewed with concern in lithuania. no wonder because the length of the lithuanian border separating the russian ex place of coline grat from bill

a roost is only some 100 kilometers. many lithuanians fear that it could be putin's next target. of course, this also worries terrorists like neat. is it the same for other holiday makers and vilios? ah, even how safety you feel as if you me to ties the high hill complaint he sang vixon . i didn't even think that we will be traveling to some dangerous area or something like that. he's no the only his it's it's you up. so if ever sucking up her ear, i think europe kendra ricks. jamante isn't situation ukraine weekly. give it a 2nd. thought we decided it was all the more recent again. cashed. hardly any other country has condemned the warrant ukraine as vehemently as lithuania. they've taken a firm stand in a way that is as creative as it is. clear. solidarity is huge in lithuania,

both among the general population and the politicians. the street where the russian embassy is located has been renamed street of ukrainian heroes. the war in ukraine and attends atmosphere can be felt everywhere in the country. one business that is benefiting from this fear and seeing sad skyrocket is the oxalis arms dealership. according to the owner demand increased tenfold in the 1st month after the war began. this is for self defense for home defense if why you're so surprised to have switzerland they have for me in the machine guns are the homes, you know? yeah. but i don't know anything about guns, so this is all pretty new to me. you know. and, well, if i'm thinking of self defense, i'm thinking about

a small handgun. another bought a shotgun here, but it's more effective weapon actually, you know, it's more effective than they found them who needs listed here. you can like this. yeah. you can load it, you know, just like in a movie, just put the pull it back and forth even though i'm safe as a tourist here in vilnius, i still have a sinking feeling. but now the city guy creased the bus will show me the city, our 1st stop, a small memorial plaque bomb. why are we starting here and is a plus, what is so special about it was did what does it say last? the bul are still said in class. that means miracle under versus what miracle were to plot his clack. his head to remind us that the miracles happen every day. does the biggest miracle is that we got our independent shed here. 3 unarmed nations fought against the mighty u. s. a song next against the

a 2 year back then the people united in that belief that nobody should have to live under the soviet occupation anymore. but they did it hastily, i, belmont, nobody threw molotov cocktails. oh, stones of the police of ty, now people just came together and sang and that was enough and it comes up on cassandra, that's working on this is against cervical. many people have passed. my stand has closed their eyes and turn 3 full circle decimal did i am. i mean, while you have to make a wish and that wish will come true, stick to die or in the 10 years of fruit ever does, but you must not. so that's how latin blackness and yadda smith is up. this is i am not allowed. i say it it, yes. okay, of course, i can't say it out loud, but because of the war in ukraine, you can probably guess what i wish for. we continue to the most famous site of the city, the cathedral of saint stanislaus. it is the center of the catholic faith,

lithuania, the classes. this building was finished in the early 19th century. the bell tower stands alone. as is the case with many churches in the baltic states at 68 meters height. it is the tallest building in vilnius, old town. next greece to person takes me through the old town. it is huge and has been a unesco world heritage site since 1994 winding streets and alleys, magnificent town houses and palaces. i like it. vilnius is also called the city of purchase. there are more than 50 of them as so he had been visa, 2 in fulton churches, are the church of saint francis to arrive from the church of saint an to allah advocate. i. it's not one but 2. so i to add, but they are bound by plug in books and according to legend of fennel. again,

german architect of the church of saint francis was jealous of his lithuanian pupil with or who had made the church on and so beautiful that it became the most famous church vilnius. at the time, the older architect asked his people to explain the technical details to the 2nd when they were standing on the roof of them, hit him on that, i was there. the young man fell to the ground level and that's how the church got his romantic red come out to show up to father now greased the bus, takes me to the last remaining metty vill city gate lithuania. the small chapel above not only attract tourists for the crystal palace, i've already seen a few people making the sign of the cross. why is that all the events in the garage, the gates of torn up, and it is the holiest place for christians? in lithuania, it has an image of the virgin for also known as the black,

madonna vilnius. it says that it can cure any illness. so people have been coming here to pray for century sunday. vilios presents itself as a very western city, not much evokes its soviet past, but there are still a few architectural relics from the communist era. for example, the former concert and sports palace building and the brutus style. in 2006, it was placed under monument protection. however, the building remains on and is folding into disrepair. the parliament building of lithuania was built in 1976. the supreme soviet of the lithuanian soviet socialist republic met here. soviet architecture is usually a huge architecture. the

opera house, which opened in 1974 is also a reminder of the soviet passed. all pros and concerts are still performed here to day mixed up. pri, a city typically overrun with tourists. charles bridge. prox most famous landmark, only be early birds among you will ever get to see it this empty. it's 7 am and i've managed to beat the crowds. the bridge, the vall, taba river, the spires now seems to be the perfect time to take it all in. the vibe is very special progress. one of the most visited cities in all of europe, and that's not really surprising if you consider that it's been a political and cultural center in europe since the middle ages. so what's left of

all of that today, we're about to find out practice home to about 1300000 people. since it's my 1st time in town, i'm getting some help from one of them after and tour guide christian mice like 1st i want to learn some basic check skills. i mean, i would like to be able to be polite. okay. i met to wow. and hello, yes. so you know, hello, this is one of these, it, hello, if you say hello, it's like a hoity, i assume with no formula. so when you come to the shop and it's like a hoity is mother by saying you can do a unlike guten, soc, is saying, right? so wooten dog is nobody, nobody den that nobody to somebody them almost perfect. somebody that nobody there, nothing, then you okay? nobody to then you should probably know how to say goodbye. yeah. no, scott, no, i'll never think i will have to stay here forever. this is

a good idea. i love people. i do not wanna know before the pandemic, the old town was often very overcrowded. a relaxing stroll through here was basically impossible. although tourists have returned this here, it hasn't gotten out of control. there are about half as many as before the crisis christian tells me our 1st stop is the old town square and friend of the old town hall. a ticket for the tower costs $250.00 check crowns. yep, prague is part of the you, but not the euro zone. that's about 10 euro at 41 meters, you have the city at your feet. with y as prog and called the golden city. i think it's in the time that they started to use it, prague was one of the capitals of seats, place of the holy roman empire for the emperor vas. we don't use it any more.

surely we locals don't use it as much. we use. no, no, no, we use the expression mother of 100 us pyres l because if you look up from the window from the bars because he das pyres everywhere. actually i would say there's even more definitely done hundreds of them. at the top of every hour, a tourists gather in front of the astronomical clock on the town hall facade. to witness a little play. ah, but the true highlight is the clock itself built. in 1410, the figures were added later. and then there's the skeleton, the south and rings the bow tie. dongle skeleton is that it's quite remarkable that death would be depicted in such a way in that time. isn't that what ever you do?

the message is, remember that india is the death. so just like try to fill the life as a full full life is as much as we can do. it's really beautiful. the square is a must for every proc visitor. and as you can see, we're not a lump in where are you from? richard scotland for mexico. how come from austin, texas, from tank truth. what brings you to prague? why prague? betty fuson and her foot. i think wandering about at future just get the atmosphere is the kind of thing that we like to do and just sort of soak it all in. it's a museum in itself. oh, it's wonderful. and for as heard, progress such a beautiful city. and it is with telecom on which i look, it's true. what you hear about prague starts and culture and there was a piano player in the metro station and music on the bridge. no. and it went that i'm was the guy never legacy wanting to this thing for the giftings who i toasty

for with the structure of the town and the food and the food. of course, by the afternoon, the charles bridge is indeed pretty crowded despite the unfavorable weather, but apparently still no comparison to the time before the pandemic back then, prague was overflowing, with tourists. with brag was having a bit of a problem before the pandemic with over towards. definitely, definitely. so how big of a problem is it then right now we slice fully getting to the high numbers. but as i said before, we getting in 2019, we had like 8000000 people coming to brock. and now we are, they say we are getting to like 54 to person of that as a tour guide. you, of course, want people coming to your city, right? so what is problematic about too many people coming or that amount? if it is through the atmosphere, you know, you see all these posters like the proc castillo, or charles ridge like know,

people really like a room like a really romantic atmosphere. the orbit tourism really kills the atmosphere and actually even destroys that thing. because imagine there's like a 1000000 tons of people coming with really destroy the stuff because well, how can that be managed though? because this is a beautiful city and you've done like a great work showing it to me. thank you. but how can you keep people out? honestly, i think there's like, because we have the inner city, but we have a swell, so many beautiful districts all around the main city. i mean, the domain center. so we have like districts which we're really industry are like, whole issue of it's got a lean article, then we have really push areas like vantage over and over that. so there's so many things to explore just in the widest at the center. so what i think is the solution is just to, to little bit direct the people out of the city center and to explore with them. these are beautiful areas. thank you so much, summer sharing your think we it was in love landry meeting with me.

i've got to take his advice and head out of the center. sonya was also a tour guide will show me this other side to proc were off to hell lush of it. then the hip part of town. fancy wilhelmina and buildings in a district that grew during the industrialization. this is where it's sonya live. she takes me to her favorite cafe. so gretna, i've seen them with, oh, you're like hitting me. it's one of my favorite go for it. so and i know that's like some sink like a small paradise or a little paradise. exactly. so there are lots of different plans and you can be sitting here all way sun. co phase, very good or making ever seen home made and really,

really good one. coffee you don't have to tell me twice with sonya tells me that only 20 years ago the less of it. so it was a gray and dull part of town that i seen a lot of change in the past year. they chose to live here. what does that you appreciate about how let them in july i did for you durham, m d a. relax. no rush. a bursting board i need to for my living is yeah, i don't need to. as i mentioned before, i do need to go to the city center and the price is lower than the touristic center. therefore, we do not like to dine somewhere in the center center because the prizes are here for us. better and me a few dollars, a bubba bakery that day is on a doris. around that is a tea room here. you can choose what you,

i have everything you need. exactly. so if you will like to me, check people come here and enjoy living to us. because we apply a very hard to opening people and we like to speak with the foreigners ah, night has fallen, and time has come to bid prod farewell back. where it all started on charles bridge . and even at this time, i'm not entirely by myself. the mass tourism that laid the city before the pandemic has not return away many. who can blame people for being attracted to this beauty? it's a perfect blend of history and modernity, so much to offer, especially off the beaten path. ah

chickens last up the polar city of condenser, you can't tell by looking at scenic downs, that it's a city in europe marked by fate. but we'll get to that in just a minute. with its historic center, gdansk is one of the most populous city destinations in poland. pre pandemic, 1500000 tourists vacation to year annually, mostly germans, the scandinavians, but poland, borders, ukraine, and with the war right next door, people are staying wait. there are 60 percent fewer foreign tourists the old port on the mot while the river, without it, the gdansk of to date, would not exist. it's lined with good faith restaurants in the middle ages. it made gardens the richest city in europe. the city is seamlessly connected to the port which has developed around good dance. over the centuries. it's the biggest port and poland with one of the largest repair yards in the world

. for the people of guns, these cranes are a symbol of home. most of them belong to the old shipyard, which is the soul of the city will. and not only that, this is a place that fundamentally changed europe. the famous guns shipyard over 40 years ago, there was a strike here by shipyard workers. and with that began the decline of socialism and poland and the end of communism in europe. ah, the struggle for worker's rights gained momentum here. millions of poles organized themselves in that solid dotted nash movement fighting for freedom and democracy under an authoritarian regime. the european solidarity center at the former

shipyard tells the story right above the entrance, the ukrainian flag. ah, ah, how did it all start back then? what prompted to strike? oh, dear vista, good impulse, what really triggered the revolution? vaughn was when a woman named ana valentino vince got fired up, got it hot. she'd been working at the shipyard for a very long time with one another. and then 2 months before going into retirement, she lost her job. so again, villain in dc. this prompted her coworkers to go on strike him, but talk about her case and support her da houses. and it all resulted in a big explosive revolution expos, eva, hoops, yawning, stop does i? so she worked here that is this original organized. yes,

she worked here by that another and the knowledge was a crane operator and later the founding member of the soul, he thought of nauseous or solidarity trade union. you can't. how did that happened? why didn't millions of people join a local strike? does jim come fly? heights when they were striving for freedom and justice lucas a defend wanted to shape the world holistically. gosh, disco can they wanted independent union hike? of that the right to strike the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. i hated the person. they put together a list of 21 demands of the list of i. it's part of our world, cultural heritage and, and one of humanity's most precious documents, supplemented image height. sony dot of moisture. this worker activism turned into an anti communist opposition movement. it spread across the whole country. the authoritarian regime increased the pressure ah,

is come through, i'm film this kink session and they introduce marshal log of, we'll just 16 months after sally don notion emerged even a mention. but that didn't stop people from opposing the regime won't. um, won't they operated under ground illegally like a futon yelled when to and in 1989 at mill, the round table talks took place. if and i'm a wound into that was a major symbolic moment of a peaceful transition amid the tents political times in eastern and central europe . bonham in aust, intimately oil. they reached their goals with the principle of nonviolence, legible, windsor, a trained electrician and trade union leader let poland to independence. in 1990, he became president and remain so for 5 years

these activists create a change in the hopeless situation. this is what the silly data much movement still stands for to day to day ships are no longer being built, the good dance shipyard. the area still occasionally used by companies. most of the production halls are empty. it's a lost place for the time b. but there are plans to create a new chic urban district here based on the model of lum and stock lance, poor hamburg hoffman, city with apartments shops offices. the old shipyard area is like a huge at venture playground because the investor has left the empty spaces to artist. and now you can find galleries rehearsal rooms, in studios here. ah,

there are more spots of the shipyard that people and get dance could have taken over and filled with new life. the storage area is a container settlement with lots going on here you can be loud in party until the early morning. ah. and you can meet cool people on the very spot where the democracy movement and poland began more than 40 years ago. life and freedom are now being celebrated. the dance gives us hope that history can change for the better, at any time with awe.

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