Eastern Poland flavours

CULINARY TOUR – EASTERN POLAND FLAVOURS( 8 days/7 nights)

WARSAW (1) – BIAŁOWIEZA (1) – MOSCIBRODY (1) – ZAMOSC (1)- SANDOMIERZ (1) – WARSAW (2)

Day 1 – WARSAW ( D)

• Arrival Warsaw, transfer to the hotel
• In the afternoon half day sightseeing of Warsaw including Old Town with Barbican Walls, Castle Square with Royal Castle,   entrance to St. John’s Cathedral, drive along Royal Route from Old Town to Belvedere Palace and Lazienki Palace and Park with recognizable Chopin monument.
• In the evening Chopin Piano recital at one of the palaces in Royal Lazienki Park ( Palace on the Water, Myslewicki Palace, New Orangery ) or Szustra Mansion
• Welcome dinner with folklore show at one of Warsaw’s restaurants
• Overnight in Warsaw

Day 2 – WARSAW – Kiermusy – BIALOWIEZA ( B, L, D) – 300 km

• After breakfast departure for Kiermusy ( 180 km )
• In Kiermusy manor house ‚ Dworek nad Lakami‘ whose owners preserve the old Polish hospitality traditions the restaurant chief will present the cuisine of the region and will give the lesson of making Polish dumplings
• Lunch at Karczma Rzym in Kiermusy – we recommend red borsch – beetroot soup, pierogi – dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese, potatoes and onion or pyzy – potato dumpling served with fried bacon and onion. For a desert : knedle – potato dumplings with plum filling or sekacz – pyramid cake made of 60 eggs and baked over open fire
• Continue to Bialowieza ( 120 km ) an area of preserved woods and marshes , included on the UNESCO Heritage List, favourite hunting area of Lithuanian princes and Polish kings.
• Walk along the Royal Oak Route with oaks more than 500 years old. Visit the local attraction – bison reserve
• Dinner at restaurant ‚Carska‘ in Bialowieza – located in a historic building of the train station “Bialowieza ” built in 1903 for Tsar Nicholas II. The restaurant is furnished with the original furniture of the tsarist times. We recommend : ucha – clear fish broth with vegetables and a piece of sturgeon, deer steak and Bison grass vodka
• Overnight in Białowieża

Day 3 – BIALOWIEZA – Skibniew – MOSCIBRODY ( B, L, D) – 192 km

• After breakfast departure for Skibniew ( vicinity of Sokolow Podlaski ) – 140 km
• Participating in a culinary workshop – preparing the ‘Skibniew croissants’
• Lunch feast in the style of old knights in’ Retro Skibniew’: roasted meats, pierogi (dumplings ), swiezonka ( fresh meat fried with onion and herbs ), dishes cooked in an iron pot served with homemade pickles. You can try Skibniewianka– solid homemade spirit of unique taste. Dishes are served by the Knights on a wooden plates. In autumn and winter we recommend zupa kurkowa ( chanterelle mushroom soup ).
• Optional : In Retro Skibniew you can also also relax in the traditional “Russian bath” with massages ‘touch of an angel’
• In the afternoon transfer to Moscibrody ( 52 km)
• On the route possibility to visit the local museum in Siedlce to see El Greco painting ‘Escstasy of St. Francis’
• Walk around the farm (manor house and wings, stable, fish ponds), listening to the stories of the noble traditions, fish farming, birds and their breeding habits )
• Noble food dinner (choice of traditional meats, pies, roasted meats, venison and turkeys; fresh beef tartare and smoked carp from local ponds. For a dessert delicious meringue cake or Swan Lake cake is served. For bigger groups we can recommend a convivial feast in the courtyard where you can enjoy the roasted pig, turkey, and sausages at the bonfire as well as grilled meats and vegetables.
• Overnight in Moscibrody manor house

Day 4 – MOSCIBRODY – Kazimierz Dolny – ZAMOSC ( B, L, D ) – 270 km

• After breakfast departure for Kazimierz Dolny ( 120 km )
• After arrival a cup of tea with jam rose and cake at local tea-house ‘U Dziwisza’
• A guided visit to Kazimierz Dolny, a small town Renaissance town picturesque located on Vistula River bank, with charming atmosphere and a bohemian flavour called a ‘Mecca for artists’. A walk to the ruins of the Gothic castle, visit at a local bakery to buy a characteristic ‘bread cock’.
• Lunch at restaurant ‘U Fryzjera’ ( Polish and Jewish cuisine ) or ‘Zielona Tawerna’
• Continue to Zamość ( 150 km )
• Sightseeing of ZamoSC – the pearl of Polish Renaissance, city listed on the UNESCO list from 1992. It is the only Renaissance town in Poland that has more than 100 architectural monuments of significant historical and artistic value
• Dinner at the local restaurant ‘Zagroda Guciow’ – built on the model of the nineteenth century inn with arcades. A simple country cooking dishes are inspired by the grandmothers’ recipes. It has gained a reputation as “the culinary heritage park”. Tasting of regional dishes : wafer baked on a hot plate and sour soup zurek prepared on the spot-made rye sourdough, liquers and regional beer Zwierzyniec
• Workshop : butter making demonstration, and wafer(kind of bread ) baking
• In the local museum tourists can visit the exhibition ‘Falling Stars’ show presenting the meteorites from Mars, the Moon and the last spectacular meteorite from Chelyabinsk in Russia as well as dinosaurs footprints.
• Overnight in Zamosc

Day 5 – ZAMOSC – Lancut – Baranow Sandomierski – SANDOMIERZ ( B, L, D ) – 255 km

• After breakfast departure for Lancut ( 130 km )
• Sightseeing of Lancut Castle – a magnificent aristocratic residence of Lubomirski and Czartoryski family with unique Chinese and Turkish apartments and great collection of art and paintings as well as the Carriage Museum with horse-drawn vehicles.
• Lunch at restaurant ‘Palacyk’– historical villa from 1904 hosts in its stylish interiors hotel and restaurant in which the dishes of traditional Polish cuisine are prepared. We recommend zupa pluszowa ( soup)- broth with meatballs, pork chop in Lancut style with fried egg and bacon and a pearl for the desert : duchess Lubomirska apple
• Visit at a local distillery founded by Duchess Lubomirska – including Distillery Museum with the attest of producing quality vodka from 1784. At present Lancut Distillery – Fabryka Wodek Polmos Lancut is one of the leading Polish producers of alcoholic beverages
• Continue to Baranow Sandomierski ( 90 km )
• Sighseeing of the Baranow Sandomierski Palace dated back to 12^th Completed in 17^th c. became one of the most beautiful Mannierist residences
• Dinner at the Magnacka restaurant in the palace – we recommend : Baranow onion soup, ‘poultry tear’ in white sauce with boiled vegetables, roasted apple with candid fruit sauce
• Transfer to Sandomierz ( 35 km )
• Check in at hotel Sarmata
• Optional : Wine tasting at the hotel’s wine cellar – special atmosphere is guaranteed by the walls are decorated with natural stone (Jurassic limestone). Until the 16th century, the warm climate around Sandomierz allowed to set up plantation of wines in Sandomierz and its surrounding. Nowadays a few local plantation works in the Sandomierz region producing local, boutique wines. There is a possibility to visit some of them.

Day 6 – SANDOMIERZ – WARSAW ( B, L ) – 220 km

• After breakfast sightseeing of Sandomierz – which history started in 12^th century, the town which is considered one of the best examples of Renaissance urban architecture Opatow Gate – entrance gate to the city from 14^th century, underground tourist route, City Hall, cathedral, Kazimierzowski Palace
• Lunch at restaurant ‘Sarmata’ in Sandomierz – Sarmacka restaurant serves exquisite traditional Polish cuisine and regional specialties. Sarmatian unique dishes perfectly correspond with the story of a manor house dating back to the mid-nineteenth century
  We recommend : Horseradish soup with potato pancakes and bacon, traditional pork cutlet with cabbage and roasted potatoes, beef rasher with beets and groats, beef loin with cherries on light horse-radish sauce and roasted potatoes, pears in chocolate sauce

• Visit one of the local plantation of wine : winery of Plochocki family, St. Jacob’s winery, Winnica nad Jarem and wine tasting ( best time : May – October )
• Departure for Warsaw ( 220 km)
• Evening free for own exploration of Warsaw’s restaurants

Day 7 – WARSAW – Nieborów – Łowicz – WARSAW ( B, L, D ) – 180 km

• After breakfast free time to visit at a local food market ( Polna market and Hala Mirowska ) to look for a local ingredients of Polish cuisine ( dried boletus mushrooms, honey, pickles etc )
• Transfer to Nieborow to visit 17^th century Baroque palace and landscaped gardens
• Lunch in Nieborow – restaurant Pod Prosiakiem or Biała Dama
• Continue to Lowicz known from the folk costumes , colorful religious processions and characteristic paper cutting. Visit local museum – heritage park.
• Optional – lesson of paper cutting in the museum’s cultural centre
• Return to Warsaw
• Farewell dinner at Belvedere restaurant in Lazienki Park ( in Old Orangery building )
• At the end of the tour every member of the group receives culinary souvenirs from Poland : gingerbread, honey jar and set of mini Polish vodkas

Day 8 – WARSAW ( B )

• After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight back home