8 Kolobrzeska, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Agrotourism covers various types of services, ranging from accommodation, through partial or full-day meals, fishing and horse riding, to participation in farm works. It uses the advantages of the rural landscape to make the stay more attractive for guests by participating in daily activities on the farm, traditional arts and crafts (e.g. embroidery, crocheting), folk rituals and the preparation of regional dishes, combined with baking bread, making cheese or cold meats.
In Poland in total there are over 57 thousand accommodation places offered by 5 to 8 thousand agritourism facilities. The largest numbers of agritourist accommodation beds are located in the following voivodships: Małopolskie (9,845), Podkarpackie (8,482) and Pomorskie (4,861). In terms of the number of agritourism facilities, the following voivodeships clearly stand out: Podkarpackie (995), Małopolskie (819) and Podlaskie (478). The quality of services provided by agritourism farms is confirmed by the Polish Federation of Rural Tourism "Guest Farms" (Polish: Gospodarstwa Gościnne) which is the author of the appropriate categorization system of the facilities within the Rural Accommodation Base.
A holiday in the countryside is a unique opportunity to understand what a countryside is. Tourists thirsty for knowledge and impressions can participate in the everyday life of a village and a farm, experiencing colours, shapes, sounds, smells and tastes with all their senses. The surprising world of the Polish countryside delights with its diversity. Here you can discover how in the old days fragrant bread was baked, how delicious, healthy juices were pressed and traditional meat and sausages were prepared. Ecologically pure honey, jams, preserves and tinctures made from forest fruit or herbs from gardens, smoked hams, sausages and fish are just a small part of the unique culinary offer of the Polish rural areas. In the countryside, slow food is not a marketing slogan, but a way in which dishes have been prepared for generations.
During travelling around Poland and relaxing in the countryside, you can discover the richness of tastes and sensations offered by local farms or traditional gastronomic facilities. As many regions in Poland, there are as many ways for preparing delicious and healthy food. Throughout the country, there are over a thousand dishes, officially registered and protected as traditional products. Discovering them is a fascinating journey not only through the richness of flavours, but also through the local culinary tradition. It is food which quality is guaranteed by a unique, traditional method of production. In the richness of Polish cuisine, you can find the culinary traditions of various nations inhabiting Polish lands.
While resting in an active farm, you can comfortably live – as an additional attraction you can sometimes even try sleeping in the hay; observe the farmer's work on a daily basis, and even participate in it. You can taste healthy, fresh food and local products, gain unusual skills, such as baking bread, making cheese, preserves, tinctures, collecting herbs and mushrooms. For those who want to spend time actively, there are sometimes bicycles, sailing and Nordic walking equipment.
The agricultural projects, often run by whole families, offer a rich program of shows and workshops that attract the attention of both children and adults. A large crowd of fans is gained by shows during which you can see how cheese is made from fresh milk, or how the harvested grain changes before it becomes flour or a loaf of bread. In some places you can watch a blacksmith's work, make a clay pot yourself or weave a basket. The hosts' commitment to preserving the cultural heritage cannot be overestimated.
A stay on an "educational" farm, especially for children, can be a good opportunity to meet farm animals for the first time in their lives, milk a cow or stroke a goat. Even adults can also experience something unusual and take part, for example, in the construction of unusual hotels for insects. The countryside is also a true paradise for horse riding enthusiasts. There are numerous stables and studs that offer a wide range of services.
In the Polish countryside, great importance is attached to the preservation of old traditions and monuments of material culture. There are also numerous open air ethnographic museums. To learn more check our article about it: Open Air Museums & Folk Culture in Poland.
Holidays in the world of Polish countryside traditions is an idea for an original and unique vacations. Various stays in the rural areas are proposals tailored to different needs, making stays here available and interesting for everyone. A stay in the countryside teaches respect for and caring for nature, it shows how important biodiversity and preserving the natural landscape are. Find out the best agrotourism locations for yourself with ITS Poland travel agent. Contact our group coordinators still today to start your Polish adventure!
Author: Agnieszka Szwedzińska
Date 31.01.2021
