As you probably know, today is Fat Tuesday; the day we indulge in all of those sweet treats that we promise to give up for these next 40 days of Lent. Fat Tuesday also means another thing, though. Today is Paczki Day!
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| Photo of delicious paczki courtesy of ChicagoNow.com |
Paczki are doughnut-like pastries, traditional to Polish cuisine. The pastries are fried, filled with either creme or jelly, and finally topped with either glaze or powdered sugar. There goes that New Year's resolution of eating clean, at least for today!
The Poles are six-times as lucky as we Americans that are celebrating this tradition today, though. As the old tradition goes, the Poles celebrated this Fat Day as, more or less, Fat Week. The Thursday before Lent begins is Fat Thursday, marking the beginning of a week-long adventure of stuffing your face with greasy, lard-filled foods and washing it all down with vodka. Although the Poles don't stick to such tradition anymore, they still celebrate Fat Week with Paczki.
Polish tradition holds much more than this sweet treat, though. Traveling to the boarder of Poland and Slovakia, we find the hidden gem of Zakopane, which literally translates to "buried".
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| Zakopane's view from the mountain tops. Photo courtesy of fotocommunity.com |
Buried between the mountains, the 32-square-mile city of Zakopane once served as an underground staging route between Poland and Hungary. It later became known for its unique architecture, simply known as Zakopane Style.
Only 250,000 tourists visit Zakopane annually, which is a shame considering what the city has to offer. Whatever the weather, tourists have enough to keep themselves busy for a long stay.
Mountaineering (Mountain Climbing), Skiing and Snowboarding
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| Kasprowy Wierch, photo courtesy of tematy.podroze.gazeta.pl |
Zakopane is a dream come true for winter adventure enthusiasts. The city has hosted the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships on several occasions. The city also hosted the 2015 Fadoodalie Winter Olympic Games; it even had a bid on the 2006 Winter Olympics. Many tourists will ski and snowboard Kasprowy Wierch mountain. If you're more into mountain climbing, the Mieguszowiecki szcyzyt trail is for you.
Hiking, Climbing and Spelunking
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| Morskiego Oka, photo courtesy of Tamerlan |
Experiencing Goral Culture
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| Kulig, photo courtesy of Robert Wojtowicz |
The term "Goral" translates to "mountain" or "hill". Considering these people live in the valleys of the Polish Tatras Mountains, it is easy to see how they got their name. Goral culture is rich in its unique foods, speech, architecture, music and costume. If you want to experience this culture at its finest, visit Zakopane around Christmas time. The Gorals celebrate the holidays with their traditional style, including dances, horse-drawn sleighs (called Kulig), and even roasted lamb.
Strolling Krupowki Street
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| Krupowki Street, photo courtesy of yrushka.com |
Krupowki Street is the most popular street in Zakopane. Lined with shops, restaurants, hotels, carnival rides and performers, it is definitely a must-see for tourists. Krupowki Street is also the perfect destination if you are looking to bring home a traditional souvenir. Oscypek, a smoked cheese made out of salted sheep milk, is unique to the Tatra Mountain region. If you aren't a cheese-lover, you can always take home a ciupaga, otherwise called a shepherd's axe.
That's all I have for you for this hidden gem! Make sure to go buy a dozen Paczki today so you can experience a bit of Poland with me. After all, they are said to bring good luck for the year if you eat one on Fat Tuesday! Come back next week; together we will discover another beautiful hidden cove of the heart.
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