Tastes of Poland

Gdańsk is a principal seaport and shipbuilding center in Poland. The city maintains the memory of the Hanseatic League with every street having its own charm. Gdańsk was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which, under the leadership of Gdańsk political activist Lech Wałęsa, played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule across Central Europe.

You will discover the history and culture of Gdańsk. Your English speaking guide will show you the city’s most representative corners and you will discover its hidden treasures. Gdańsk’s Old Town is full of mysteries and has a lot to tell.It is enough to sharpen your senses and listen to the stories flowing through the historic streets.

In the evening we invite you to one of the oldest restaurants of Gdańsk where you will have the first taste of  polish cuisine in a unique atmosphere. It is also the best place to taste thegold-flecked local liquor, Goldwasser.

Today we will take you to one of the villages of the Kashubia Region or Kaszuby as it is in Polish - Lipusz.

Kashubia is a picturesque area, stretching for 100km southwest of Gdańsk. It is noted for its small, traditional villages, and a lack of cities and industry. The landscapes of Kaszuby is very varied, from the typical near the sea landscape – beaches, lighthouses and fisherman huts -to endless lakes full of colourful yachts and boats, with pine forests and moraine hills reaching the horizon.

At Lipusz you will meet with Karolina, a culinary enthusiast. Under her watchful eye you will learn how to bake bread from scratch. On her farm a dozen types of bread are baked, among others: buckwheat, light and dark spelled, white on buttermilk or rye,multigrain bread with buttermilk and many more. Some of the receipts are 150 years old! For the bread preparation you will use only organic and local products. During the workshop you will not only learn how to bake a bread, but also learn something more about Kashubian traditions and see Karolina’s culinary collection full of cookbooks from 19th and 20th century and baking tins from the same era. After the workshop you will have a delicious home-made lunch.

In the evening you will visit one of Gdansk’s breweries where you will learn (from an English speaking brewer) something more about the brewing process while tasting different types of craft beer all accompanied by some tasty food.

Rather than being centred on an old market square, modern-day Warsaw is spread across a broad area and includes an eye-catching range of architecture: restored Baroque, Gothic, Neoclassical and Renaissance in the Old and New Towns; gems of the post-WWII socialist realist period, such as the Palace of Culture & Science and the Marszałkowska Residential District (MDM); contemporary beauties like the Copernicus Science Centre and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. This jumble reflects the city’s tumultuous past and makes for a fascinating collection of neighbourhoods and landmarks.

You will get acquainted with the city on board iconic retro minivan, so called Nyska. Accompanied by your English speaking guide you will not only discover Warsaw’s must-see sights, but you will also get off the beaten path. On board Nyska, you will follow the route of modern Warsaw, full of towering skies above the city, look for relics of communist Warsaw, and discover the traces of the pre-war Warsaw.

During the tour you will stop at a typical Polish milk bar for lunch. In milk bars you can order chiefly traditional and ordinary Polish food like pierogi, tomato soup or cutlets.

After lunch we will take you to the Polish Vodka Museum - the only one of its kind in the world. The museum is created in the landmark distillery building. An extraordinary place showing Polish traditions of distillery. It is an ideal place to learn more about the history, production and at the end taste different types of Polish vodka.

As the evening is free we invite you to discover some more Polish tastes and Warsaw’s nightlife on your own.

Markets, products, food halls, daily food habits – this is what the morning market tour is all about! You will find out more about Poland’s breakfast culture, what’s the biggest Polish breakfast staple, where Poland’s top chefs shop for their ingredients and how come the wine in so great in a vodka country. You will learn and taste the best Polish products like cured meat, fruit preserves, cheese, wine, bread and a variety of street food.

The tour will start with a classic Polish breakfast where you will have the opportunity to try some sweet preserves with some freshly baked bread.

Next you will visit the most famous local farmer’s market Hala Mirowska and its most interesting stalls. You will sample different types of cured meats and cheeses. Next stop is a wine stop in one of the most popular nightlife districts in Warsaw. Your morning culinary adventure will finish in the 19th century food hall with some Polish classics and Polish craft beer. The tour definitely makes for breakfast and lunch.

In the afternoon you can relax and enjoy the city on your own.

In the evening we invite you to a unique place, a restaurant awarded a Michelin star. As they say in Poland: “niebo w gębie” which literally means “heaven in mouth”.

Today we will take you to one of the most important (if not the most important) tourist, cultural and historic places on the map of Poland – Krakow, the city of Kings. The city comes steeped in legend and myth. Krakow has always been, in many aspects, a charmed city. A city of majestic architectural monuments, cultural treasures, timeless courtyards, priceless artworks and legendary beer cellars and gardens.Its Old Town together with the former Jewish district Kazimierz has been placed on UNESCO World Heritage List.

During the tour you will visit both Old Town and the former Jewish district Kazimierz. To explore the city you will use a golf cart however, sometimes it will be necessary to make more than a few steps.

After you get acquainted with the city let the feast begin. We will take you for a food tour where you will have the chance to taste even more Polish dishes and hear the story behind them. You will learn how food organizes daily life or how it reflects historical and social changes. You will also find out why an invitation for a cup of coffee might be “dangerous”. This time prepare yourself for some more walking and plenty of food.

We don’t have the courage to propose another meal after the food tour, but if in the evening you might feel hungry we recommend going to the former Jewish district Kazimierz, which is known for the Polish street food – Zapiekanki. Essentially a French bread pizza with the toppings of your choice.

Today we will focus on the nectar of the Gods – wine! Poland has always been considered a vodka country, but only few knows that in Poland you can find some excellent wine as well.

We will take you to one of the largest vineyards of Poland, picturesquely situated in the Vistula valley just next to Krakow. The visit of the vineyards is combined with lecture and wine tasting.

Your next stop will be Sieraków manor where in the quiet of a beech park you will enjoy your lunch in a Michelin-recommended restaurant serving modern Polish cuisine.

After lunch you will have the opportunity to relax at the wine SPA of Sieraków manor. The beneficial properties of beverages and products based on grape extracts have been known since the dawn of time.They are a unique source of antioxidants and vitamins, carefully selected to ensure the best care results.The wine also has a strong care and healing effect: it moisturizes, nourishes, strengthens and smoothes the skin.

Your next and last stop of the day will be Zakopane, known as the winter capital of Poland. However the city offers many attractions all year round.

For dinner we invite you to a very typical highlander Inn. The dinner will be accompanied by some live music.

You will explore the vineyards of Srebrna Góra and get some wine SPA treatment at Sieraków manor. At the end of the day you will drive to the land of highlanders – Zakopane.

Located in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, Zakopane is Poland’s best known mountain resort. It’s an excellent base for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. Breath-taking landscapes, lakes and mountains, fascinating culture and tradition of the highlanders, magnificent wooden architecture all of these are synonyms for Zakopane.

After all the time spent eating it’s time to get back in shape. Today we will take you for a long walk through the nature. A bit of hiking in a company of a mountain guide will help you burn some calories. But don’t worry, we know there is still some space left for some more delicacies and we could not forget about oscypek. This is an absolute must taste when you visit Polish mountains. Oscypek is a spindle-shaped smoked cheese hailing from the Tatra highlands which is made exclusively with salted and unpasteurized milk from the Polish mountain sheep.This seasonal cheese is produced from May to September during sheep milking season. So if you come during this period of the year we will make sure that you don’t miss the demonstration of the process of osycpek’s  preparation in a traditional highlander hut. Worst case scenario it will be a feast only for your palate and not for your eyes.

In the evening we invite you for a farewell dinner to a special place where you will find the finest of Zakopane’s traditions and enjoy a true feast of the senses.

All good things come to an end. We hope you enjoyed every look, sound, touch, smell and taste of your five senses journey.You will be transferred to Krakow Airport for your flight back.