On 7 January 1937, Princess Juliana, the later Queen of the Netherlands, married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. The couple spent their honeymoon touring through Europe. Poland was their first destination. They stayed in Krynica-Zdrój, a spa town in the Beskid Mountains. To avoid the press, they travelled incognito as Count and Countess Von Sternberg, but the media caught up with them within a few days. The royal couple stayed in Hotel Patria, built by singer and movie star Jan Kiepura. In a Polish newspaper from 12 January, Prince Bernhard stated: “I have many Polish friends. Very many. So we came here.” The young couple had a great time in Krynica-Zdrój, where they were joined by numerous friends in order to ski, hunt, and party. Because of their presence, the town itself became famous. The princess and prince stayed in Krynica-Zdrój for four weeks, after which they left for Budapest.
*I originally wrote this post for the social media outlets of the Dutch Embassy in Poland. This was post no. 7.