POLAND

SEE

Beautiful old town square with colorful row buildings. 

SHOP

I have self-appointed myself the Queen of Boleslawiec. It’s taken a lot of hard work (and lots of purchases) to earn this title, but what I love even more than buying pottery is sharing all the best tips with my friends! Please enjoy the following:

1. If you are planning on visiting Boleslawiec, for the love, BRING AN EXTRA SUITCASE!! I tell all of our visitors to do this and the ones that don’t deeply regret it (and sometimes they even go home with one of our extra suitcases because I totally support this cause). 

2. Polish pottery is popular all over the world and Boleslawiec is where it’s all made! This town is not picturesque like other Polish towns you may have seen photos of...it is a real, working industrial town that revolves around pottery production. 

3. Polish pottery can be quite expensive to purchase in America, but in Boleslawiec, you’ll find it for at least 1/4 of the price. So even if you’re not sure about purchasing a particular piece, just buy it and gift/sell it when you get home. 

4. Don’t expect to walk into a factory shop and purchase a full set of your favorite pattern. Half the fun of visiting Boleslawiec is digging through the stacks of mismatched pottery trying to find hidden treasures of patterns you love. 

5. If you find a pattern that you absolutely must have more pieces in, contact the factory about placing an order in advance of your visit. These special orders usually take around 3-6 months to fill, but if you’re patient and have the time to wait, it’s totally worth it. You can check out the factory’s website to see their selection of pieces and contact them via email for your order. Please note that the prices on the websites are usually what they charge people who are ordering for delivery. If you pick up the order, it will be much much less. Also, these orders are not prepaid so if you don’t love a piece in person, there’s no pressure to buy it. 

6. When packaging your pottery up to bring home, unwrap the pieces from the factory paper and wrap them super well in bubble wrap. I’ve had many friends bring several suitcases of pottery home to the States with them and the only casualties were those not wrapped with bubbles.

7. The factory stickers on the pottery can be super sticky. I’ve found that the best way to remove the stickers is by soaking them in cold water for a few minutes...they’ll peel right off!

8. Polish pottery is often marked with a quality sticker, with Quality 1 being the best and 4 being the worst. You should always inspect lower quality pieces for cracks, chips, and ill fitting lids, but don’t worry too much about it as many of these pieces can still be used in the oven and dishwasher (make sure to confirm this with the specific factory as qualities may differ). Sometimes a smudge in the paint or a missing dot can cause the artists to downgrade the quality. 

9. Most/all the factory shops carry the traditional Polish Pottery patterns of the blue and white dots. However, each factory also makes their individual patterns and pieces that can only be found at their shop. If you see a pattern you like and want more pieces in the same style, ask the shop if they have other stores in town. For example, Cer-Far and Henry’s are supplied by the same factory. 

The best guide to polish pottery shopping was created by Betsy Eves at Java Cupcake. This guide outlines all the factories, hours, costs, and shop locations:

https://javacupcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Complete-Guide-to-Pottery-Shopping-in-Poland.docx

After making this trip several times, I think I’ve perfected the route and schedule to most efficiently visit the best shops: 

1. Arrive in Boleslawiec around 9:30am.
2. Start at Ceramika Artystycana. Restrooms are in the office building adjacent to the shop. Perfect photo op location with the big pots on the grass.
3. If you aren’t short on time, walk across the street to the strip mall of outlet shops. These are always a big hit or miss for me, but usually a miss tbh.
4. Drive to Cer-Far.
5. Drive to Zaklady.
6. Lunch at Opałkowa Chata! 
7. Drive to Manufaktura outlet near Henry’s.
8. Drive to Henry’s.
9. Drive to main Manufaktura store.
10. Drive to Andy’s on the way out of town. Restroom is located in the back near the workshop. 

STAY

I’ve never stayed the night in Boleslawiec because we usually do this trip in one day or stay the night at the Dresden Hilton before heading to Seiffen. However, The Blue Beetroot seems to be the place to spend the night. 

SAVOR

My second favorite reason why I love coming to Poland is because we always eat at the same delicious place, Opałkowa Chata! While I’m guessing this may be only one of a few restaurants in Boleslawiec, it is without a doubt the BEST!! A hot bowl of goulash and a plate of pirogies filled with potatoes and cheese is the perfect way to fuel up for more pottery shopping. 

If you’re feeling adventurous, try the fresh bread and spread now located at the salad bar. The spread is very good, although I’ve never been able to figure out what it is. There’s definitely some bacon grease involved but close your eyes and take a bite...you’ll need the extra carbs to power through the second half of your shopping adventure!