Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.
Before moving to Germany, I remember someone mentioning that we had to go to Poland to shop for Polish Pottery. Of course, I kind of brushed this off as we don’t tend to enjoy the things that people say you HAVE to do. We enjoy being in nature, small towns, and slower, quieter trips. Of course, the stars aligned in a way that within our first few weeks we had the opportunity to go to Poland and, yes, shop for Polish Pottery.
Fast forward to almost two years later, and I was blessed with an opportunity to go again! I felt more prepared this time as I had seen pieces, knew a couple shops, & been thinking about what I wanted to add in my house as we have been getting rid of non-stick, toxic things in our kitchen.
Before I get into our trip, let me give you a quick intro & explain what the hype is about for Polish Pottery.
What’s the fuss about?
Polish Pottery is handmade in Poland. Boleslawiec is the city we have gone to both times, which is known as the “Ceramics City”. It is also the most well known city for it’s pottery. Bolwslaweic artists even opened The Professional School of Ceramics in 1897. Unfortunately, during WWII, 80% of the pottery manufacturers were destroyed.
In some of the stores, you can schedule a tour to see them making the pottery. I have wanted to do this, but have not on either trip. Most recommend you set it up before you get there and I wasn’t 100% sure either time where I would be going as I have gone with groups both times. I definitely think it would be something to fun to do though! I’m always amazed at people’s artistic abilities and seeing them in action.
When you go to Poland, you are also going to get a better deal on your pottery. I have paid in Euro or with my card both times, but I know I have seen places that exchange USD, Euro, and Zloty (the Polish currency). The first trip I mainly got Zloty back, but this trip I got Euro back too. As of this weekend, we could calculate the exchange from Zloty to Euros by dividing by four.
Visiting Poland isn’t going to break the bank either. We stayed at the Blue Beetroot. The breakfast was 6 Euro & in a continental style. Supper the night before cost me a mere 9 Euro for a large Greek salad and 2 Polish Beers (which were really yummy if you’re a beer drinker!) Someone shared a spinach and cheese perogi with me so I didn’t miss out there either. I find pierogis really heavy and filling, so most the people we were with didn’t finish them and shared them with others. Before heading out, we stopped at a gas station to grab a coffee and large bottled water because we knew they would cost more when we drove over into Germany. I paid with my card and when I looked the next day, this totaled up to a little over $2. Seriously, not gonna break the bank.
Pottery Ratings
When you look at your pottery, there is usually a sticker that will tell you the ratings. It will say Gat#. Gat stands for gatunek meaning quality category. Most of my things are Gat1 because that’s really the only thing I have found. I have a tea pot that is Gat4 I pour boiling water in and seep my tea in for about a year and a half. The crack is up on the lip, so the water doesn’t come in contact with it. I also now have a salad bowl and baking dish that are Gat2 and my coffee mug is Gat3.
- Gat1: Perfect with no imperfections. Microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe
- Gat2: Imperfect due to looks, but pottery is perfect. Microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe
- Gat3: Cracks or bubbles in the glaze. Could crack if used in oven, microwave, or dishwasher or soaked in water.
- Gat4: The actual pottery has a defect (crack or chip). Not oven, dishwasher, or microwave safe. May also crack if soaked.
- Gat5: Considered decorative. Same precautions as Gat3 and Gat4, but may also not be safe for eating.
Shopping
We not only went to pottery shops, but also an antique shop, Stan’s, and an art glass shop, Borowski’s Art Glass Blowing Studio. Below I will give you the low down on where we went.
Andy
This store is very popular amongst Americans. They even have some pottery with American flags and American logos. You can pay with your card, but they offer discounts when you pay with cash. They are the pottery we have available in our Post Exchange (PX) and they come to our local Bazaar. Andy also will mail your pottery throughout Germany & you can look online here. The first time we came here they had a little fest going on too with yummy Polish food and alcohol. It was a good time. I found my ceramic travel mug here because I remembered that last time I didn’t find another to go mug I liked.
Borowski’s Art Glass Blowing Studio
This place had some really cute and unique lawn ornaments. They have lamps, ornaments, and other decorative pieces in their studio. If they aren’t busy & you set it up, you maybe able to make your own glass ball or observe the glass blowers. I really wanted to buy a yard ornament, but since we don’t know where we’ll end up, I didn’t want to be stuck with it and unable to use it. You can see their things online here.
Outlet Shop of Manufaktura
They were a little shop crammed with things. Many things were discounted, but I had already bought things at other places so didn’t end up buying anything. Many of the discounted items had imperfections that I didn’t even notice.
Manufaktura Pottery
The larger store and factory of the above. They are kind of off the beaten path. They have a lot of things with different designs and jewlery. They also have large collections in their different patterns. There were also silverware with polish pottery handles, but I didn’t buy them since I couldn’t find prices. If you like the peacock pattern, they had a lot to offer in this also. See them online here.
Store by Artistic Ceramic WIZA
They offer things from their WIZA factory. This is where I found my huge salad bowl. The post office is in the same building, next door if you want to ship things. The large factory site is here.
Henry’s
This has been my favorite place both times! They offer hand dyed and painted eggs to hang up for Easter too. They have some unique items, good parking, and wicker items upstairs. They have the normal items plus salt and pepper shakers, coffee grinders, stools, and other things.
Stan’s Antique Shop
If you’re looking for discounted pottery, I’d look here first. Although they are about the same price as the discounted things I found at Manufaktura, they were at Gat1 items. It’s not a pottery place though, so it’s not 100% he’ll have any They also have antiques and WWII items. I enjoyed walking around and looking at everything he had in his little shop. If you’re interested in seeing all things Polish Pottery, keep in mind there is a festival in August. When we went in September there were also more stands and things outdoors also due to the warmer weather. Going in March did not disappoint though. I liked avoiding the crowds and having more room so I didn’t feel like I was going to break an entire shelf.
Do you have plans to visit Poland? I hope you found this helpful if you’re headed that way!
Thanks for reading! I wish you a happy, healthy day!
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