When you’re traveling in foreign lands, especially in Europe, it’s easy to get lost in cozy lanes amidst thousands of years of historical architecture. For some, that can be overwhelming and they search for comforting, familiar things like English-speaking pubs or comfort food like McDonald’s. One tourist attraction in Szczecin, Poland, a tiny city near the border of Germany, has become the #1 rated attraction in town for being the most wholesome and comfortingly familiar thing in the city: a chonky, lovable, stray cat.
This “tourist attraction” is a cat named Gacek, which means ‘long-eared bat’ in Polish. Gacek is a five-star rated stray cat on Google and some people have traveled from all over the globe just to see him. This kitty has an even higher rating on Google Maps than a 12th century castle around the corner in the city’s old town.
What’s the most remarkable thing is that this cat literally doesn’t belong to anyone. He’s a stray that lives in a box on the street and he’s become a staple to the neighborhood and so many individuals that live there, that if he were to ever be taken home with someone, the community would mourn. Most passersby who go near Gacek are compelled to feed him and give him pets, so he is well taken care of, even though he technically lives in the streets.
I mean, look at how chonky he is.
Gacek is a truly spoiled kitty and a shining example of one of the most wholesome tourist attractions on Earth. Although the castles and delicious cuisine of Szczecin are amazing on their own, this kitten has put them on the map. At this rate, perhaps Gacek is going to be the 8th wonder of the world.
It’s no surprise that Gacek is a star in the area. He seems to only collect 5 star reviews, since becoming a literal ‘attraction’ on Google Maps. One reviewer raves, “I am very fortunate to have come here and meet this distinguished gentle creature”. Another reviewer left 5 stars and said, “As expected, he didn’t pay any attention to me, which made the experience fully wholesome.” The only 1 star review Gacek has ever received was from one disgunted tourist who said, “He stole my sausage”.
At the end of the day, every super star has at least one well-earned hater. For Gacek, it was because he had beef for stealing a sausage.
UPDATE: Gacek has been removed from Google Maps for an unknown reason.
