Classic Car Road Trip

In a Mini Authi on a road trip to Leszno in Poland

In our Mini Authi, we set off on an adventurous road trip to attend the IMM in Leszno, a historic town in Poland. Our journey took us through Germany, where we visited several UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the way. 

Our first major stop was Kassel, where we stayed for a few days. The city is known for its large population of raccoons; it is even widely recognised as the 'raccoon capital of Europe'. Signs at every campsite warn that they make the area unsafe. It is therefore recommended to lock your camping equipment properly and to avoid leaving any food lying around.  We visited the Karlsaue landscape garden in the city centre and Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a huge hillside landscape park outside the city.

On the road from Kassel to Wörlitz, we visited the world-renowned Bauhaus School and museum. In Coswig, we stayed for a few days at a beautiful campsite in the forest: Waldcamping Olympiasee. From here, we drove to Wörlitz to visit one of the landscape parks of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom, a World Heritage Site.

On our way to Leszno in Poland, we crossed the border from Germany into Poland at Görlitz. After a long drive, we arrived at the IMM in Leszno, Poland. The IMM was held at the Leszno Airfield, which consists of a vast grass field, making it truly unique. This airfield is Europe's the largest and most famous centre for gliding. The city of Leszno was well worth a visit and the perfect base for several day trips. The organisers of the IMM offered the opportunity for various excursions to surrounding cities. We went on road trips to Wrocław and to Rydzyna Castle.

After the IMM, we drove back into Germany via the border crossing at Radomierzyce. This allowed us to avoid the busy border crossing at Görlitz and also to visit Herrnhut. This picturesque town is located approximately 30 km north of the tri-border point between Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic near Zittau. After our stay here, we drove to Erfurt in a single day. During this drive, we encountered severe storms; due to centimetres of rainwater on the road, we had to take shelter at a petrol station. After spending the night in Erfurt, we drove the rest of the way home the following day, making only a short stop in Germany. After a journey of more than 3,000 km, we arrived home safely. The travel party during this road trip consisted of Huib, Albertine and their dog Jussi.

➔

➔

1. 

   Our first stop somewhere in Germany during our road trip from the Netherlands to Poland to attend the IMM (the International Mini Meeting) in Leszno. We made this wonderful journey in a 1974 Mini Authi. Our dog, Jussi, kept watch from the back seat of our charming Classic Mini. In Germany, we visited several UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the way. 

2. 

   Our first major stop on our road trip was Kassel. After a long drive, we took an evening walk with our dog Jussi in the Karlsaue park and enjoyed a cup of tea with some cake at the Orangery Palace. Built by Landgrave Charles of Hessen-Kassel as his winter palace, the building is situated in the northern corner of the park. Its terrace offers an amazing view over a spacious lawn, the Karlswiese.

3. 

   On our way to Poland, we visited the Karlsaue, a huge landscape park in the centre of Kassel in Germany. The park has existed since 1680 and was redesigned as a landscape park in 1785. It was a fantastic place to stretch our legs after the drive from the Netherlands. The park is an attractive mix of groves, flowers, and water features. Located within the park is the small flower island of Siebenbergen, where peacocks roam.

4. 

   During our road trip to the IMM in Poland, we visited Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. We left the Mini in the car park and made the climb to the park entrance. We felt too young for the shuttle bus. This enormous English landscape park is situated on a hill just outside Kassel. This monumental garden is world-famous for its unique water features, with the impressive cascades as the highlight. These flow from early May to October only a few days a week, as do the fountains in the ponds. At the top of the cascades stands a statue of the Greek god Hercules, overlooking the park and forming a sightline with Wilhelmshöhe Palace. This palace now houses a museum.

5. 

   The Roman aqueduct in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe was built at the end of the 18th century. The construction of this romantic landscape park, with its reconstructed ruins, follies, palaces, and water features, began in 1696 and took approximately 150 years. Although a shuttle bus runs up the mountain from the car park, enabling visitors to walk back down past all the sights, we chose to make the climb on foot to the highest point before descending. It was a beautiful but challenging walk. When I got back into our Classic Mini, my pedometer read just over 9 kilometres.

6. 

   Our 1974 Mini Authi in front of the Bauhaus Building in Dessau. During our road trip through Germany to the IMM in Poland, we visited the Bauhaus sites in Dessau. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Bauhaus was a renowned art school; its style became one of the most important and influential movements in modern art and architecture. In 1933, the school was closed under pressure from the Nazi regime. Its art was considered 'Entartete Kunst', but is now world-famous.

7. 

   On our road trip through Germany to Poland, we visited the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It consists of several parks; we visited Wörlitz Park, where our dog, Jussi, was also welcome. This vast, quiet and peaceful park was laid out in the 18th century as an English landscape park and has a truly unique atmosphere. Enormous water features are surrounded by beautiful palaces, follies, small temples, and reconstructed ruins. It was a perfect place to reach my daily goal of 10,000 steps. For those who prefer not to walk, gondolas also cruise past a number of sights.

8. 

   After visiting the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz, we decided to have lunch in the former kitchen building of Wörlitz Palace. This Neoclassical building was constructed between 1770 and 1772 and stands about fifty metres from the palace to prevent cooking smells and noise from the kitchen staff disturbing the peace inside the palace and, moreover, to reduce the risk of fire. The building now houses a restaurant and a visitor centre. Our lunch tasted excellent, especially after a long walk through the park.

9. 

   Mini Authi at the Wörlitz Garden Kingdom. Here, we had to buy an all-day parking ticket. It was incredibly cheap by Dutch standards – just five euros for 24 hours. Since we had set off early that morning, we felt we had seen it all by 2.00 pm. We decided to pass our ticket on to a German couple who had just arrived in their car, and they were delighted. However, a moment later they walked up to us offering €2.50, maybe thinking those 'thrifty Dutchies' were looking to split the costs! We refused the money and told them it was a genuine gift.

10. 

    During our road trip in our Mini Authi, we camped at Waldcamping Olympiasee in Coswig. A beautiful spot nestled within the forests of Saxony-Anhalt. Central and southern Germany are known for their huge raccoon populations. They are particularly common in the city of Kassel in Hesse, where we had previously spent a few days. At many campsites and in the surrounding area, these creatures can be a real problem. Although our dog heard something rustling around the tent at night, fortunately we didn't spot any raccoons.

11. 

    Our Mini Authi with the IMM Leszno banner in the background. Because the journey from Coswig – near the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom – to Leszno took longer than expected, we arrived quite late at the IMM campsite. The Dutch camping area was already packed, but we were warmly welcomed onto the field by Polish and Lithuanian Mini enthusiasts. Animated conversations immediately ensued. Naturally, they revolved around just one subject: the Mini.

12. 

    Our Mini Authi, a rare 1974 Classic Mini, at the control tower of the airfield in Leszno, where the IMM was held. This airfield is the largest and most famous gliding center in Europe. The airfield consists of a large grassy area on which the runways are marked with white dots. The control tower has been the symbol of the airport for 60 years.

13. 

    A 1979 Classic Mini 1000 Van at the IMM Leszno in Poland. In the background stands the iconic control tower of Leszno Airfield, where the event took place. Mini enthusiasts from all over of Europe came to this airfield with their Minis. The lawn was large enough to accommodate the more than three thousand predominantly Classic Minis and their owners with their tents.

14. 

    A number of Classic Minis in the car park of Rydzyna Castle, located just 10 kilometres from Leszno. Many Mini enthusiasts participating in the IMM in Leszno took the opportunity to visit the surrounding area, often going out in groups. Furthermore, the IMM organisers offered various excursions to surrounding towns. It was a beautiful sight to see these legendary Classic Minis driving around everywhere.

15. 

    At the IMM in Leszno, there was also a beautiful 1968 Mini Cooper that its Swedish owner had given the look of an English police car. The Mini Cooper S MK II was actually used by British and even Australian police forces from 1966 until the early 1970s. Thanks to its superb handling and spirited engine, it was perfectly suited for chases. For instance, the Liverpool police had as many as 27 Minis in service. A beautiful photo of this historic fleet can be found on the internet.

16. 

    At the IMM in Leszno, we spotted a 1973 Mini Cooper 1300. This Italian-built Innocenti Mini was considered the most refined Mini model at the time. The Italian car manufacturer Innocenti built this model under licence from British Leyland. Because Italians appreciate luxury and design, all sorts of special features were added. The ultimate eye-catcher was the dashboard with no fewer than six gauges, including a tachometer – a unique feature for Minis of that era.

17. 

    At the IMM in Leszno, we spotted this 1981 Classic Mini 1000. The Mini belonged to one of the most legendary members of the Mini Seven Club Netherlands: our friend Uwe. He was still with us at the IMM in Westport, Ireland, driving his other classic, a Mini Metro. Every morning, he would bring us a freshly brewed cup of coffee at breakfast, as he never travelled without his trusted coffee pot. Sadly, Uwe passed away completely unexpectedly and far too young, not long after that trip to Ireland. At his farewell, dozens of Minis formed a deeply moving guard of honour along the path to the crematorium. Today, Uwe's Minis are lovingly maintained by his friends.

18. 

    This beautifully restored Mini HL Estate was spotted at the IMM campsite in Leszno. Built by British Leyland in 1981, this iconic Classic Mini is instantly recognizable by its rear split-doors and external hinges. The letters HL stand for High Line, a luxury version that distinguished itself with a more stylish interior and a dashboard with three gauges.

19. 

    During our stay at the IMM, we also took the opportunity to visit the historic town of Leszno. Here, we parked our Classic Mini by the town hall on the Old Market Square. The 17th-century Baroque building is said to be one of the most beautiful town halls in Poland; its slender tower houses a carillon – a gift from the Dutch twin town of Deurne. The square is surrounded by various restaurants and cafes, which offer authentic Polish meals, among them a huge selection of pierogi.

20. 

    From Leszno, we set off in our Mini towards Wrocław to visit the Hala Stulecia. This monumental hall was built between 1911 and 1913 to commemorate the Battle of Leipzig and the victory over Napoleon. At the time, its central reinforced concrete dome was the largest in the world. In front of the building lies a large pond featuring the Wrocław Multimedia Fountain. During the winter months, this pond is transformed into a popular ice rink.

21. 

    During our road trip to Wrocław, we also briefly visited its historic old town (the Rynek), but it was far too hot for our dog, Jussi. Therefore, we decided to spend our time walking around the grounds of the Hala Stulecia – traditionally known as the Hala Ludowa – which was our actual goal for that day. The pond in front of the Hala Stulecia is surrounded by a pergola that borders Szczytnicki Park, renowned for its Japanese garden, water features, bridges, and a historic wooden church. Thanks to the shaded pergola and paths, it was a very pleasant place to walk.

22. 

    From the IMM, we drove back to Germany via a southern route. We crossed the border at Radomierzyce to visit nearby Herrnhut. This village was founded by religious refugees from Bohemia and Moravia, the founders of the Moravian Brethren. The historic centre is renowned for the strict urban planning principles of the Moravian Brethren, with straight, symmetrical streets lined with a church and community buildings. The village is now part of a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site. Compared to Christiansfeld in Denmark, we found Herrnhut much more functional and less picturesque.

23. 

    Here, our Classic Mini Authi is parked in front of the bell monument in Herrnhut. This historic monument stands on the remaining wall of the former church hall and commemorates the destruction of the town during the final days of the Second World War. The tower stands in the garden of the current church hall and houses a historic bell from 1745. The bell survived both world wars. During the Second World War, it was confiscated by the Nazis to be melted down for weapons, but was miraculously recovered from the bell cemetery of Hamburg. This historic bell is rung every year on June 17, the founding day of Herrnhut.

24. 

    During our adventures road trip, we drove back to the Netherlands from Herrnhut and passed through the Jagdberg Tunnel in our Mini Authi. On the way, we were caught in heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. This caused long traffic jams on the motorways, partly due to a burnt-out car. As the weather worsened, we decided to take shelter at a petrol station. We later heard that people had tragically been killed during this severe weather. It was late in the evening when we finally reached the campsite in Erfurt to spend the night.

25. 

    Our final campsite on this road trip was in Erfurt. It seemed to be in a very peaceful location, until a plane flew over incredibly low with a thunderous roar around 11.00 PM. Thanks to AI, we soon discovered that the campsite was situated directly under the flight path of Erfurt-Weimar Airport. The AI also informed us that a maximum of five flights per night were permitted to land or depart, and that another flight was scheduled for 00.10. In the end, it turned out to be delayed and departed much later than expected. Fortunately, we were able to get a peaceful night's sleep after that. The next day we drove home, making a few stops along the way.