In the previous article we promised to discover with you the less-known parts of Poland – the East! (Well, and a little bit of the South.) Adventure and Erasmus students – here we come!
Lubelskie
Lublin voivodeship may sound familiar to you because of some colored alcohol – but it should also be acknowledged for its cuisine, which was strongly influenced by Jewish and Orthodox communities that inhabited this area. For example, cebularz – a salty-sweet bun with fried/baked
onion and poppy seeds on the top – is a typically Jewish snack mentioned even in the chronicles from 19 th century. You can still buy it in every bakery though! And trust us when we say – this bun may sound weird, but it tastes really good!
Another famous dish from Lubelszczyzna (the one that used to be prepared for important holidays) is pieróg biłgorajski. It does not look like a traditional dumpling, but more like a cake (a savory one). It is baked out of cooked potatoes, cooked buckwheat groats (much cultivated here!) and quark; sometimes these are followed by eggs, sour cream, lard, and mint or other spices. More adventurous of you might wanna try flaki po zamojsku – tripe has almost as many fans, as adversaries!
When it comes to picturesque towns, make sure you see Zamość and Kazimierz Dolny! Include the capital of the county, Lublin, on your list – a few years ago it was given a title of The City of Inspirations!
Podkarpackie
Subcarpathian voivodeship is mostly known for its proximity to Carpathian Mountains (which we will cover in a separate piece,) but it also has very much to offer to those of you who are not hiking enthusiasts! If that’s your case, start your tour around this province in a small town of Baranów Sandomierski that lays on the border of Subcarpathian and Swietokrzyskie counties. Its biggest attraction is a beautiful castle that used to be a residence of a rich family of Polish magnates (Lubomirscy.) This building, of a surface of almost 600 square metres, was erected
at the turn of the 16 th and 17 th century and is one of the finest examples of renaissance in Poland!
Another castle that you will enjoy is the Castle in Łańcut – also an aristocratic residence, famous not only for its astonishing interiors (i.e. a beautiful ballroom) but also a whole collection of horse- drawn carriages!
Those who generally prefer water to mountains will fall in love with Zapora w Solinie – this artificial lake in Bieszczady mountains has the area of 22 sqm and a 150 km-long shore. The water dam in Solina is the highest one in Poland – you can see the whole tank from the height of 82m!
Check more info of Bieszczady : Unknown Poland, Bieszczady mountains
Świętokrzyskie
Swietokrzyskie voivodeship, often called the Holy Cross Province, belongs to the lands of south-central Poland. It is a very small county and many people believe it to be a boring one – but they couldn’t be more mistaken! Why? For example, nowhere else in Poland you will find such beautiful caves! Jaskinia Raj (Paradise Cave) is where you should head to if you want to see the biggest and most impressive limestone cave formations in our country – you remember stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates from your biology lessons? They are all in here!
Only 5 km from the cave you will find the ruins of a royal castle (Zamek Królewski w Chęcinach) from the late 13 th century! Obviously, it did not survive in its original form, but still – it gives you an idea of what our kingdom used to look like at the beginning of its time!
Another attraction that will give you such clue is Sandomierski Szlak Winiarski (Sandomierz Wine Trail) – in this region wine has been produced and exported since 18 th century. Around the town of
Sandomierz (very attractive!) there are about a dozen or so vineyards that form this 60-km-long trail. The good news is that you can book a two-day tour during which you will not only see all these grape plantations, but you will be offered a degustation of wine in each of them!
Next article will be the last one in this series and we will devote it to the South-West. And remember: when we say: South, we don’t mean only Cracow! Stay with us to explore the WHOLE Poland!
Check more:
