Here I would like to introduce a bit to this region of Poland, which is very underestimated by tourists. As a taxi driver who also performs sightseeing tours, I drive tourists around the Old Town in Gdańsk, Granary Island or shipyard areas, the cradle of Solidarity.
I cannot count how many times I picked up tourists from the Zoo in Oliwa, how many times I took passengers to Sopot or to the beaches in Brzeźno.
At the same time, few people realize, and especially few tourists know that Gdańsk is also the informal capital of Kashubia. Literally, it is enough to go a few kilometers outside the agglomerations to see a completely different, wonderful view.
Kashubia is a very attractive and diverse region. Both lovers of mountain hiking and bathing will find something for themselves here. The landscape consists of beautiful forests and lakes as well as dunes and cliffs. Wieżyca, the highest elevation of the Central European Lowland, stretches above them.
Kashubian Switzerland
Such unique nature requires protection. These functions are performed by 2 national parks, 4 landscape parks and over 50 nature reserves. Their employees take care of the areas considered the most beautiful on earth. Already the first wanderers called it "Kashubian Switzerland".
Lake Wdzydze gained the name of "Kashubian sea", and sandy areas were referred to as "Polish Sahara". This colorful landscape has become an inspiration for the colors that can be found in Kashubian embroidery.
Alphabet, "Snuff", Devil's violin, Embroidery and the king of Kashubia
Kashubians are known for respecting tradition. They have their own language. They are known to pull snuff from the horn. They willingly give tourists the first lesson of the Kashubian language, singing "Kaszëbsczé nótë" with them, i.e. the alphabet.
This language is even more interesting because it is very difficult for Poles from other regions of the country to understand. On the other hand, the tradition of snuffing, as the Kashubians say, comes from a legend.
According to her, a long time ago a Kashubian peasant obtained his first snuff from the devil. Fun in this area is made more pleasant by the devil's violin, an instrument consisting of a stick and a board and a tin box in which small items are placed. Such violins do not have strings. More than for gaming, they are for making noise.
Kashubians also have their king. It was Antoni Abraham, who lived in the 19th century. He became famous as an activist for the Polishness of Pomerania, a social activist and a folk writer. He fought the Prussian culture in this area. He contributed to the construction of the seaport in Gdynia.
Hiking and biking and an "upside down house"
Hiking enthusiasts will also feel good in Kashubia, due to numerous tourist trails. The most extensive one is 124 km long and runs from the Royal House, through Kartuzy, Ostrzyce, Gołubie and Wdzydze. Bike paths are also frequented.
Many tourist attractions are also waiting for us on the Kashubian Road.
It is a beautiful route with hills, lakes, meadows and forests. The road starts in the village of Chmielono, which is surrounded by 5 lakes. Other tourist attractions on this route are the old mill in Chmielonek, the Brodno Małek lake, the viewpoint on Złota Góra, the Brodnica Dolna summer resort and the observation tower on Wieżyca.
The whole area was called Kashubian Switzerland. In Chmielno, we can visit the pottery museum run by the Necel family. They have over 100 years of tradition in creating pottery. There, we can create our own works on the potter's wheel and see extremely decorative Kashubian ceramics.
A well-known tourist attraction of Kashubia is an upside-down house in Szymbark, located in the Center for Education and Promotion of the Region. It was built of wood by an entrepreneur living in this town. Inside, everything is the other way around. However, let's be careful, because not everyone can easily endure such conditions.
From Szymbark there is a trail to Wieżyca. From the vantage point there is a beautiful panorama of Kashubia. However, after entering the viewpoint in Złota Góra, we can go towards Brodnica Dolna, and further to the village of Ostrzyce, to try a slice of bread with lard, in Kashubian, with szmulta. Kashubs claim that it is the best bread in the region.
The small town of Gołubie is also very attractive for tourists, where artists from this region often rest. The biggest tourist attraction of this town is the botanical garden designed by Zbigniew Butowski, who collected specimens from the entire northern hemisphere.
Water attractions
We can also actively spend time enjoying tourist attractions related to water. Let's go kayaking on sixteen lakes forming the so-called "Kółko Raduńskie" or along Słupia and Wda, or for fishing.
A very interesting point of "Kółko Raduński" is the gorge of Radunia. In this section, the river runs faster and the nature resembles that of the mountains. Remember, however, that this route is only for more advanced kayakers.
In the village of Wdzydze Kiszewskie there is an open-air museum where we can admire old cottages, windmills and a wooden church. The first cottage was made available by Teodora Gulgowska, the creator of Kashubian embroidery, and her husband.
In the summer, in the open-air museum, we will meet people dressed in traditional costumes, folk bands and see how the mill works.
Bory Tucholskie is also a very interesting natural tourist attraction. In autumn, we will actively spend time picking mushrooms, and in winter - skiing or sleigh rides.
Wake Park in Żuków and Wake Park Gdańsk in Kielno are also interesting attractions. In the summer season, you can raise your adrenaline level there using the wakeboard lift.
Sea Pilgrimage of Fishermen. Beaches and grottoes
Kashubia, and more precisely Łeba, are associated with wandering dunes that have already covered three villages: Stara Łeba, Chusta and Łączki. Every year they cover about 10 m. To stop them, they are covered with grass. We will also find dunes covered with forest, such as those on Lake Łebsko. It should be remembered that the dunes near Łeba are protected and it is forbidden to walk on them under the threat of a fine.
However, nothing prevents us from taking a walk around the Słowiński National Park. It is also worth visiting Łeba. A group of lovers of this city created a very interesting virtual project, i.e. the Duchy of Łeba. By visiting them, you will obtain a Duchy passport and a swimming card allowing you to swim in a tub with rubber ducks. This slightly funny project contributed to the promotion of Łeba.
We will also find there fish bars and high-standard hotels. Around Łebsko Lake there are villages with preserved cottages from centuries ago. The best-preserved old Kashubian cottages can be found in Kluki.
White wooden houses with a black lattice resemble those of Prussia. Not far from this village there is the Słowińców Mountain. Pagan ceremonies used to take place here.
Dunes, the Duchy of Łeba and miniatures
Kashubia, and more precisely Łeba, are associated with wandering dunes that have already covered three villages: Stara Łeba, Chusta and Łączki. Every year they cover about 10 m. To stop them, they are covered with grass. We will also find dunes covered with forest, such as those on Lake Łebsko. It should be remembered that the dunes near Łeba are protected and it is forbidden to walk on them under the threat of a fine.
However, nothing prevents us from taking a walk around the Słowiński National Park. It is also worth visiting Łeba. A group of lovers of this city created a very interesting virtual project, i.e. the Duchy of Łeba. By visiting them, you will obtain a Duchy passport and a swimming card allowing you to swim in a tub with rubber ducks. This slightly funny project contributed to the promotion of Łeba.
We will also find there fish bars and high-standard hotels. Around Łebsko Lake there are villages with preserved cottages from centuries ago. The best-preserved old Kashubian cottages can be found in Kluki.
White wooden houses with a black lattice resemble those of Prussia. Not far from this village there is the Słowińców Mountain. Pagan ceremonies used to take place here.
Another Kashubian attraction awaits us in the village of Strysza Buda, where we will visit the Kashubian Park of Miniatures and Giants. This tourist attraction houses dozens of miniatures of buildings from all over the planet. We will find there such specimens as the White House, Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower. We will also see there miniatures of monuments from Kashubia, e.g. the
Wybicki manor house in Będomin, the collegiate church in Kartuzy and the castle in Bytów. There are also miniatures of buildings from other regions of Poland, e.g. St. Mary's Church in Krakow and the palace in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki.
Collegiate church, castles, palaces. Józef Wybicki Museum
A characteristic tourist attraction of Kashubia are castles, e.g. Bytów, palaces, e.g. in Krokowa, and manor houses, e.g. in Będomin.
A very valued building in Kashubia is the collegiate church in Kartuzy, located about 30 km from Gdańsk. The temple and monastery were built at the end of the 14th century. The most characteristic is the roof of the church in the shape of a coffin lid. The collegiate church has Gothic and Baroque elements, including 8 altars.
A very interesting tourist attraction are leather upholstery, called cordybans. It is unique in the whole country. The clock with a pendulum decorated with a figurine of the angel of death with a moving scythe is also unique. It was placed in the center of the choir balustrade.
In Bytów there is a Gothic castle built of brick. It is a work of the Teutonic Order built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. It was a place of rest for the knights heading to the castle in Malbork. Nowadays, there is the West-Kashubian Museum there. There is also a knight brotherhood at the castle, which organizes many attractions. Numerous legends are associated with the castle, e.g. about the ghost of the commander who wanders through the cloisters. The former Kashubs believed in numerous devils and bogeymen, which were not always supposed to scare people, but often to help them.
Approx. 5 km from Kartuzy, in the village of Łapalice, we will visit an unfinished castle built in the early 1980s. Next to the building, there is a pond, summer houses and farms. The castle was supposed to be built in the Gothic style, but it looks more like Disneyland. The owner does not allow visitors to visit this curiosity, but it is worth seeing even just from the outside.
In Będomin, we will visit the Museum of the National Anthem. It is located in the manor where Józef Wybicki was born. An interesting tourist attraction is also the Sikorski and Wybicki manor house in Sikorzyno.
This town is located between Gołubie and Szymbark. The Sikorskis, and then the Wybickis, were the owners of this village. The siblings of Józef, the creator of the Polish anthem, were born in the Wybicki estate in Sikorzyno. After 1989, it was bought by the conservator of monuments and created a museum, tea rooms and a plant labyrinth.
Another monastery complex can be visited in Żukowo. It is the former seat of Norbertine nuns who came to this town on the order of Prince Mściwoj I to help in the Christianization of Prussia. Part of the monastery complex was demolished in the 19th century. The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a fragment of residential buildings, the rectory, the coach house and the figure of St. John of Nepomuk.
A parish museum was located in the coach house. The exhibition presents e.g. the culture of the Żukowo area. Nearby is the church of St. John the Baptist with a baroque main altar.
Traces of prehistory
In Kashubia, we will also meet tourist attractions dating back to prehistoric times, i.e. burial mounds and stone circles.
Well-preserved circles can be seen near the village of Węsiory in the Sulęczyno commune. This is a remnant of the Goths settling in this area in the second half of the first century. They created the Wielbark culture. It was characterized by an interesting rite of burying the dead. The bodies were placed on a plank, the head was directed to the north. Cemeteries were located far from settlements, in the form of stone circles and burial mounds. One of them is located in Węsiory. You can visit it for free.
You will find out here what are the most interesting places and tourist attractions in Kashubia.
To sum up
If we dream of an unforgettable holiday or vacation, Kashubia is the perfect place for us. The wealth of tourist attractions, beautiful landscapes and interesting regional culture will allow us to spend a holiday that will remain in our memories.”
Of course, to all the wonderful places mentioned above, I'd love to take you with my taxi. If you are interested, see our offer in the online order tab - Rabbit-Trans Travel
See you soon !
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