In the continued spirit of Euro Week, patkas takes us on a tour of Poland. On-board the Shop Local train, we stop off to visit a handful of her fellow Polish artists who graciously share their favourite spots and local knowledge.
patkas: I lived in Warsaw for many years, but I always dreamt about living on the coast. My dreams came true when our family moved to a little village near Gdansk. Now we can often go to the beach — my girls love to swim and play in the sand. In the centre of our village we have a beautiful lake with a lovely little family restaurant. We love to go there for a walk and eat something delicious like an apple pie or a Polish pierogi. The lake is still covered with ice, but spring is coming very quickly and I hope that by next Sunday the swan family will have returned.
MadameVu: Here I am on my boyfriend’s balcony in Sekocin Las, which is situated in a forest just outside the boundary of Warsaw. It’s March now, the snow has just disappeared and the forest is becoming greener every day. I come here to rest from the busy city and to hunt for new inspiration.
celapiu: I live in Cracow. I like it here — the town is very beautiful, very old and has a very long history. Lots of tourists come to visit, but when you know where to go you can find quiet, deserted passages at the very heart of it. I seek these still roads and cycle through them every day.
malarys: I come from the South of Poland, but the place I love best is a city on the north coast called Gdynia. I dream about living there and I will one day! This picture was taken in front of the art school in Gdynia, which specialises in wood carving. Gdynia is part of “Three Cities”: GdaÅ„sk, Gdynia and Sopot, all of which are located at the beautiful Baltic coast. I’m inviting you all to come and visit!
madebyagah: I live in the southwest of Poland in a city that used to be the country’s coal mining centre. Once the mines were closed, the city started losing its splendour, and I cannot call the city anything but ordinary. However, located in a picturesque landscape of mountains and hills, Walbrzych is still worth visiting. Even though I am thrilled by the foreign cities I visit now and then, I cannot imagine living anywhere else but here. This photo was taken in my mom’s magical garden which makes a great escape for me, my husband and our two little ones.
sisicata: This photo was taken on the roof of my workroom. In the distance is the most famous building in my country — the Palace of Culture and Science. It was a controversial gift from the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to the people of Warsaw in Poland, which at the time (the 1950s) was a satellite state of the USSR. The love-hate relationship of the native Varsovians with this building reflects the ambivalence of their relationship with their own recent history. Nowadays the building divides Varsovians into two groups — those who demand its demolition and those who admire it. Either way, the palace is an irreplaceable part of Warsaw and the only landmark for the lost tourist, showing him or her the way to the city centre.
Have you visited Poland or do you live there? Tell us about it in the comments!
121 comments
Sign in to add your ownmasaoms says:
Amazing selection, some of my favs are here!! ;-)
2 years ago
polkadotmagpie says:
Beautiful piece on Poland. My good friend just made pierogis for us. Mmmm. Welcome!
2 years ago
heatbria says:
Poland looks so beautiful! I love that street in Cracow. Sisicata I adore your necklace do you sell that? The felted flowers are gorgeous too!
2 years ago
louloudo says:
looks amazing, I've always wanted to visit Cracow
2 years ago
lazygiraffe says:
Very interesting article!
2 years ago
CarryTheWord says:
Great place and things!
2 years ago
lovelygifts says:
Grea article! Very interesting.
2 years ago
SchneiderGallery says:
fantastic, greetings from Poland to all :) and thanks for incuding my Lord of the Rings, I'm so proud to be among these wonderful items!!! Pozdrowionka i serdeczne podziekowania!!
2 years ago
Ayca says:
Looks beautiful! Great article
2 years ago
HAREandDRUM says:
Pozdrowienia z Montany dla wszystkich krajanek! Super artykuł!
2 years ago
RenataandJonathan says:
Awww......I miss Poland. I love your blog. Thank you for the little piece of my homeland! Renata
2 years ago
craftylittlecritters says:
It's so beautiful and so many areas to explore!
2 years ago
HAREandDRUM says:
By the way, my mom who embroiders for our shop lives IN Poland, in a village near Åódź.
2 years ago
adrienneaudrey says:
Very cool,lots of places I would love to visit. Great article!
2 years ago
katherynmd says:
Wonderful article! Thank you for sharing sure great items/pictures too.
2 years ago
sweettidings says:
great picks! can't wait to visit all the shops featured!
2 years ago
njurdesign says:
gorgeous and such a nice story about poland! hope everyone takes a visit to the shops as well as the country! dziękuję! n.
2 years ago
martice says:
lovely article :) and I love poland (I've only seen Warsaw and Gdansk)
2 years ago
candacejean says:
I LOVE reading seller's descriptions of their homes that (to me) are in faraway places. "Picturesque mountains and hills, near the forest, the frozen lake, an old town full of history, the family of swans..." SIGH. Poland sounds magical. Thank you for sharing!
2 years ago
VelveteenHabbit says:
I would LOVE to visit Poland and all the Eastern Euro countries! While visiting Paris, we met a Polish couple-her name was Moniqua and she showed us around-so friendly, warm and fun!! Cheryl
2 years ago
annawoz says:
Super, widzę że jest nas trochę na Etsy :))) A tak swoją drogą to może założymy polski team ?
2 years ago
SeaFindDesigns says:
Such amazing talent! LOVE those bags!!
2 years ago
NinaMarieDesigns says:
I and my family are from Nowe Miasto, Northern Poland and was excited to see my fellow Poles exhibited so nicely. Wonderful creations! Great job!
2 years ago
danielabesso says:
beautiful article thanks !!
2 years ago
sweetcarolinadesign says:
This was awesome. You never really hear anything about Poland. My family is from Poland, so it's nice to learn a little bit about the art that is from there.
2 years ago
cukierki says:
:)
2 years ago
nomadcraftsetc says:
WOW! What a fun bunch of sellers! I always think it is amazing that we can converse and interact with people as far away as Poland! Thanks etsy for showing me these amazing sellers! Everyone of them is beautiful!
2 years ago
SchneiderGallery says:
Ja tez jestem za zalozeniem teamu, tylko kto bedzie prezesem, jakis ochotnik ? :)
2 years ago
girltuesdayjewelry says:
Beautiful article, photos and snippets from these artists from Poland. This was a welcome escape. Thank you!
2 years ago
patkas says:
to może Anna skoro zaczęła wątek:) Great to hear all this nice words from you about polish team:) Greetings from Poland POZDRAWIAM:)
2 years ago
galit says:
Great article! I love Patka's work!
2 years ago
ElfedUp says:
Pozdrowienia dla Wszystkich wspanialych Polek na Etsy :) Maja Elfedup Worldbymaja.com
2 years ago
BeautifulPhotoProps says:
beautiful picks!!
2 years ago
MaaPstudio says:
Cudowne kreacje!Pozdrawiam z UK :)
2 years ago
BeautifulPhotoProps says:
great finds!
2 years ago
beautifulbridget says:
lovely article!!
2 years ago
maggiemaevintage says:
Thank you for bringing a little piece of poland into my life...looks like a beautiful country!
2 years ago
PunkyShop says:
Well done Patka. Many thanks for promoting polish artists and including my piglet among all those great items. Annawoz ma świetny pomysł, powinniśmy (-nyśmy?) trzymać się razem. Jestem cały sercem za i wstępuję do klubu o ile tylko się zawiąże. Pozdrawiam!
2 years ago
CraftyMaria says:
Fantastic to see my beloved Poland and Polish artists featured! Keep up the good work ladies.
2 years ago
BlackStar says:
Love seeing the photos and hearing about Poland. My mom was Polish. Her parents moved to the US in the '30's.
2 years ago
sarahg16 says:
Thank you so much for introducing these lovely sellers to us. I never new Poland would be such an interesting place to visit and live:)
2 years ago
TessaKim says:
Beautiful photographs and article!
2 years ago
SouthernBelleOOAK says:
Beautiful work and thank you for sharing a little bit of Poland with us. It reminds me of the handiwork my Babcia (Grandmother) did when she was alive. She came to the USA from Poland in the early 1900's.
2 years ago
AREjewellery says:
gorgeous shops! i already have two of these in my faves! Talented lot the Poles.
2 years ago
peppermintpeaches says:
I'm happy to see something about Poland. I hope I can visit someday, I know I've family somewhere there. Nice piece!
2 years ago
camillem says:
I was born in Poland and love to visit! I really liked seeing it highlighted here - it is so beautiful but so often overlooked!
2 years ago
ohbabydotcom says:
great photo's - nice items : )
2 years ago
35mm says:
Great article and so true! I'm a native to Warsaw, but I studied at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow so I have a soft spot for the city. It really is breathtaking! It is so photogenic! Look into my shop for some really great night photos of Cracow! Living in Warsaw, you can really see the city getting lovelier and more metropolitan year after year. It's a must see for anyone travelling to Poland! Love the pink carnation tote! Pozdrawiam!
2 years ago
sassyphotocreations says:
Great article and gorgeous finds!Nice to see Poland stand out! Pozdrowienia dla wszystkich Polek na Etsy!
2 years ago
ClydeKellerPhoto says:
A future destination for sure... Poland offers immense beauty and creativity!
2 years ago
patkas says:
Dziewczyny zgłosilam już nasz akces Polish Etsy Team. Wzystkie chętne proszę się zgłaszać do mnie lub annawoz.etsy.com lub SchneiderGallery.etsy.com. Mam nadzieję ze będzie nas duuuzo i zrobimy coś fajnego.
2 years ago
patkas says:
Thank you all for nice words about Poland and our work as well. Poland is really nice place to visit. We have a lot of beautiful places to visit like, lakes, mountains, wild forests, and some lovely cities.
2 years ago
Simonka says:
Great article and great talents :) I'm half Polish and spend most of my vacations in Poland. It's a wonderful country and definitely worth visiting ;) My favourite places: Three Cities (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot), Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Cracow. Pozdrowienia z Niemiec! Simonka
2 years ago
good4you says:
Yay Poland! My whole family is Polish. Awesome post.
2 years ago
ThePixels says:
oh how pretty!!! my beloved country Poland!!!
2 years ago
galafilc says:
Hello! I am glad to meet my polish friend hear I am from Poland
2 years ago
artofjane says:
Poland looks like a fascinating place.
2 years ago
ArtisticIntentions says:
Wonderful items!
2 years ago
DagnyKnit says:
Pozdrawiam polskie artystki. Pomysł na "Polish Team"przedni;z przyjemnością się przyłączę. Daga
2 years ago
DagnyKnit says:
Pozdrawiam polskie artystki. Pomysł na "Polish Team"przedni;z przyjemnością się przyłączę Daga
2 years ago
PunkyShop says:
Not only does it look like - it is fascinating!
2 years ago
morion says:
Godna braw inicjatywa. Piekny wpis. Pozdrowienia z Poznania! Karolina
2 years ago
SkyBox says:
I love Poland!
2 years ago
magnesina says:
I ja przyłączam się do braw! :) Czekam na oficjalny start polskiego Teamu!
2 years ago
sisicata says:
:) To ja też się zgłaszam. Jak już formalnie zaczniemy istnieć jako polish team, dajcie mi znać. Ja wczoraj zrobiłam listę na weście z polskimi sklepami:) http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=92835 Thank You for lovely comments abt our country! Special thanks for Patkas, great article!
2 years ago
TwinDreamCreations says:
Wonderful! Makes me proud to be Polish! Bardzo ladny!
2 years ago
madebyagah says:
Polish Team on Etsy - to brzmi dumnie :D
2 years ago
ViVictoria says:
Zglaszam sie z przyjemnoscia, pozdrawiam goraco!!!
2 years ago
ClementinesJewelry says:
Great article and beautiful finds!
2 years ago
nitelily3 says:
I lived in Krakow and Poznan, but am now back in the US... Pozdrawiam z USA!
2 years ago
kissadesign says:
Ooooh, Poland!!! Hope to journey there some day (sooner rather than later), as I have roots there! What wonderful finds!
2 years ago
redsofa says:
Wspaniale zechy! Dzieki za zdjecia i info! Do uslyszenia na Etsy-landzie kolezanki :P Pozdrowienia Aska z Canady
2 years ago
birchbeerboutique says:
gorgeous! gorgeous...
2 years ago
HandmadeHandsome says:
Great article. This is becoming a great European tour.
2 years ago
molMolly says:
Pozdrowienia z Gdańska!
2 years ago
lilycobweb says:
Brilliant article and amazing sellers! I have Polish friends here in Ireland and would love to visit your lovely country someday:)
2 years ago
recycledwares says:
gorgeous, just gorgeous!
2 years ago
annawoz says:
Wow, będzie team, bardzo się cieszę !!! W kupie zawsze lepiej :)))))))) Wstępujcie w szeregi !!!!!!!! Serdecznie pozdrawiam Ania Ps. Jak ktoś ma ochotę zapraszam, jeszcze przez chwilę, do oglądania polskich treasury'ów http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=92878 Ania
2 years ago
UnderReconstruction says:
Serdeczne pozdrowienia z Londynu dla naszych kreatywnych dziewczyn ! :)
2 years ago
pasin says:
Beautiful picks.....
2 years ago
pasin says:
Wonderful items...
2 years ago
ikabags says:
Very interesting article! We lived two years in Warsow :) really very interesting place and i visited very nice place also :)) Będzie team, bardzo się cieszę :) Feyza
2 years ago
AtelierRetro says:
Świetny pomysł, pozdrawiam Koleżanki Artystki. Aga
2 years ago
annawoz says:
Założyłam wątek na forum http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6477112 Ania
2 years ago
classicdesigns48 says:
I visited Poland many years ago to visit relatives. During that time we toured the Country. It is very, very beautiful. The last time I was there was before Solidarity. The Country was still communist. I would love to visit now and see all the changes since that time. We had planned to visit this year but unfortunately the trip did not happen.
2 years ago
ValerieTyler says:
My ancestors are form Poland so I ADORED seeing all these photos! Thanks so much for sharing. (You are all so BEAUTIFUL!)
2 years ago
kadlubik says:
congrats to Patkas and cheers to all fellow Polish creative souls! I am going to Poland next month...
2 years ago
MayaS says:
Great article! I live in Canada for more than 20 years, but it's always a pleasure to see Polish talent; congratulations on fantastic products and beautiful pictures! By the way, you can see that the beauty of Polish women is not just a myth! :-)
2 years ago
kmbutterfly says:
I love it! I spent two weeks in Poland in high school and cannot forget the beauty of the Warsaw or Krakow--so unlike anything I had ever seen. I love the photos in this story; thanks so much!
2 years ago
kmbutterfly says:
*and Krakow, not or :) It's a splendid article, really.
2 years ago
fiufiu says:
Bardzo chętnie dołącze.... Kacha
2 years ago
jewelrybymichal says:
Wonderful items.I like it.
2 years ago
plumcreek22 says:
Thank you for this article. My good friend Renata is from Poland. There are many Polish immigrants in my state of Michigan. Dziekuje!
2 years ago
Lysulka says:
Deszczowe pozdrowienia z Irlandii. Najwyzsza pora na polską grupę, nie miałam pojęcia, że jest nas tu tyle ;)
2 years ago
Lysulka says:
My favourite place in Poland has to be the fantastic city of WROCÅAW, or WROCLOVE as people tend to call it.
2 years ago
Fanaberia says:
Świetny wpis! Ogromnie się cieszę. Jestem w Pradze,ale do grupy dołączam od zaraz:)
2 years ago
Fanaberia says:
Thanks for this article! I'm from Poland, Wrocław, now in Pague:) Dołączam do grupy natychmiast,choć wpisy z komentarzami wpadają mi w czarną dziurę :)
2 years ago
accentonvintage says:
I visited Poland the first time and it was like going home. Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the US around 1905. I can't get enough of the Polish culture and hope to return in the future.Polska ja ci kocham!
2 years ago
zwzzy says:
A big part of my mothers side of the family comes from Poland, yay!
2 years ago
hankietankie says:
Very intriguing landscape and artists! Thanks for the enlightening article!
2 years ago
mazedasastoat says:
A lot of Polish people come here to work in the tourist industry during the summer & they're all so nice! I don't suffer much from wanderlust, but Poland is one place I'd really love to visit... just as long as I don't have to speak any Polish! :-)
2 years ago
MillieKat says:
My Grandmother was Polish from a place called Glembokic, would love to visit and see the place she called home! Lovely crafts from there, great way to help me remember my loved one!!
2 years ago
boutiqueseragun says:
Beatiful finds
2 years ago
kocurek says:
Pozdrawiam wszystkich polskich artystów na etsy z Edynburga. Cieszę się ,że mogę być częścią Tej grupy. My familly city is Gorzów Wielkopolski but grew up in the Polish countryside, among the forests and fields:)). Joanna
2 years ago
Gazynia says:
z największą przyjemnością dołączę do grupy:)
2 years ago
ameliamelia says:
This is exactly the kind of article that reminds me again what a treasure Etsy is! I love learning about a creative community in a far off place, and where else would you get to learn this great stuff!?
2 years ago
AccoutrementNouveau says:
Greetings from suburban Warsaw, Poland :-) It's very encouraging to see so much interest.
2 years ago
fishprincessdesigns says:
All my grandparents were from Poland. I spent 6 weeks there-and would love to go back. Thanks for highlighting the work of the talented folks from Poland!
2 years ago
1AEON says:
Poland is beautiful! Go Europe!
2 years ago
rainpeople says:
LOVE the knit animal theme scarves by 'celapiu', how creative & original...like Poland.
2 years ago
bhangtiez says:
lovely...
2 years ago
FrancescaStella says:
Great to see a piece on Poland and it's designers! Can't wait to take a trip there and see my roots.
2 years ago
jayceeoriginals says:
Poland looks a fantastic place to visit, it's definitely on my list.
2 years ago
Jansjems says:
My heritage is Polish. My husband & I visited in 1979 when it was still under communist rule. Visited relatives in Southern Poland and spent time in Krakow, Wieliczka, & Zakopane. The country is beautiful and despite the govenment, I felt very much at home. Would love to go back again. Thanks for the pictures and little bits of information about the different cities.
2 years ago
ZenAndCoffee says:
This is wonderful. My father's family comes from Poland (Im Irish-Polish) Fantastic collection! Thank you for this amazing feature!
2 years ago
modesign says:
Swietna robota dziewczyny!!!wreszcie coś polskiego i o Polsce! Pozdrawiam!!! i chętnie się przyłączę....:)
2 years ago
bungaloe says:
this is awesome i am half polish and it's so nice to hear such personal stories about living there. maybe someday i can go visit.
2 years ago
BlossomsnBows says:
Lovely article! and my dream destination! ALL of my grandparents came from Poland and as soon a my twins are old enough to appreciate it I will take them there to visit were our family is proud to be from! Looks Magical!
2 years ago
lelethi says:
Great Article... I was born there and will be visiting next month :)
2 years ago
brightcolour says:
Great article & brilliant to see so many beautiful things coming from Poland. And what a stunning country! I have been twice and loved it!
2 years ago
ikona says:
Witajcie! I am a Polish living in US. Swietnie, dolacze sie.
1 year ago