- [Colleen] Poland is located in Central Europe and is rich in history, culture, and pride.

With 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, breathtaking mountains, national parks, rugged coastlines, castles, and one of the world's oldest salt mines, it's easy to see why so many people love Poland.

Whether it's the history, the local shops and restaurants, family activities, or getting lost in nature, Poland has something for everyone.

Hi, I'm Colleen Kelly and this is Family Travel.

Welcome to Poland.

In this episode, join me as I explore the historical city of Kraków with my family and best friend.

We will learn about local foods and wine, go over a thousand feet below ground, explore beautiful castles and mountains, and even go off-road.

Get ready to see Poland like you've never seen it before.

My name is Colleen Kelly and when I was single, I lived abroad and traveled the world.

Then I became a parent and wondered how would I ever travel again?

So I set out to find a new way to travel and get back to exploring the world family style.

I'm here to guide you on how to get the most out of your family vacation.

Pack your bags and join me, Colleen Kelly.

We're going on vacation!

"Family Travel with Colleen Kelly" is sponsored by (eclectic orchestral music) - [Narrator] "Family Travel" brought to you in part by Tetzlaff Law: attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- [Colleen] With so much to offer, Kraków is a fun destination to visit with kids.

Not only does it deliver beauty, history, culture, and charm, but public transportation is reliable and easy to use.

There are parks and areas for children to play in spread out all over the city and lots of places to sit and relax while taking in the beautiful views.

Nestled in the heart of Kraków Old Town is The Cloth Hall.

It is one of the most iconic buildings in this UNESCO district.

Dating back to the 14th century, The Cloth Hall is one of Europe's oldest shopping centers and it is still in operation today.

You can find local treasures here for everyone in your family.

Kazimierz is a bustling bohemian neighborhood packed with historical sites, unique cafes, and art galleries.

Kazimierz is all about Jewish culture and history.

And I'm about to meet up with an educator to learn all about the Jewish quarter.

- Sue!

Hi!

- [Sue] Hi.

- Thanks so much for meeting up with me.

- Very nice to meet you.

- Oh, I'm so excited to have a teacher to talk to.

How did Kazimierz get its name?

- So Kazimierz comes from the name of the King, King Kazimierz the Great, who established this area as its own independent city in 1335.

And the anglicized name of Kazimierz would be Casimir.

So it's King Casimir who set this up.

- [Colleen] It's so beautiful.

I love it here.

But it's different from Old Town.

How is it different?

- [Sue] So you'll notice that especially the synagogues here have their own distinctive architectural styles and it's far different than what you would see back in the old town in the churches and the places of worship.

And besides that, we've got a lot of houses of prayer here.

Thanks to that, it's been developing its own style in many ways, but it also reflects the artisans and the craftsmen and the scholars that used to live here along with the religious people from long ago.

- Well, this is great.

I just love the fact you're a teacher, and I can't wait to go back and get my husband and daughter and tell them all about it.

So thank you for joining me.

- You're very welcome.

Enjoy your trip here.

- Oh, I will.

I already am.

I've learned so much about the history and culture of Poland, but now I'm gonna learn a little bit about the food.

I'm gonna meet Shea and Greg to make a local Polish snack at the obwarzanki museum.

Hey, you're here!

Are you ready to make a Polish treat?

- Yeah, are you ready?

- Yeah, ready.

- Is this for me?

Alright, I'm ready.

Alright.

- Let's go.

- Let's do it.

So what are we gonna do?

- Each of you will have a piece of dough.

- Okay.

Ooh, that's cold.

- Use both hands and try to press it to the table.

So your sulka is longer and longer.

- This is great 'cause this is a really good family activity.

- Connect the ends on one side - Okay.

- ...and we have to twist it like this.

(Colleen laughs) Like this.

- Ooh, uh-oh.

(overlapping dialogue) - Looks good.

And then we have to connect it.

- Oh, Greg, that looks good.

- Mm-hmm.

- Shea, yours is really good.

(Shea giggles) - So if I want a job here, it's probably not gonna happen.

- We have to put them into hot water for a few seconds before we bake it.

- Obwarzanki are traditional dough rings that visitors can find in many parts of Kraków's Old Town.

They have been part of the city's history for over 600 years.

They are loved by natives and visitors alike.

- And I put them just for 10 seconds, maybe.

Now, I can sprinkle them because they are wet.

The sprinkle will stick to it.

We've got poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt.

I will have sesame seeds.

This is my favorite.

We don't know exactly when the first obwarzanek was made, but we know for sure that in 14th century, they were present in Kraków.

- [Colleen] Wow, 14th century.

- So they are more than 600 years old.

- [Colleen] That's incredible.

- Okay guys, I think they are ready.

- [Colleen] Ooh, smells great.

(oven door opens) - Oh yes, they are ready.

- [Colleen] They look beautiful.

- [Greg] Mine looks beautiful.

- [Colleen] You might have a job here one day.

This is a great activity to do with your family if you're looking for an interactive way to learn about Poland.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in Wieliczka, Poland, is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines.

The mine is more than 1000 feet deep, and the underground tunnels stretch over a span of 152 miles.

(ambient synth music) - Colleen, hello.

- Hi!

- Hi!

- Welcome to the Salt Mines.

- Thank you.

- My name is Kasia.

I'm your tour guide.

Are you ready for the tour?

- [Greg] Let's go.

- Yeah, right.

Let's go.

- Let's take the tour.

- [Colleen] Today we are going underground on a guided tour to explore one of Poland's greatest treasures.

One of the largest and most beautiful rooms in the mine is the St. Kinga Chapel.

It is dedicated to the patron saint of salt miners in Poland.

The chandeliers hanging above might look like they're made of glass, but they're actually made from salt crystals found at the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

In fact, all the art in the mine is made from salt.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is over 700 years old and it's as deep as the Eiffel Tower is tall.

So I've read that this is a UNESCO Heritage site.

Can you tell me more about that?

- Yes, the mines is the UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978.

At that time, only 12 sites from different countries were put onto the first UNESCO World Heritage List.

There were two sites from Poland.

The Old Town of Kraków but also Wieliczka Mines.

We are very proud of it.

At present, there's over a thousand different sites.

- [Colleen] Wow, that's impressive.

- [Greg] Being the biggest room here, what else is it used for?

- Well, it's actually a working church.

- A working church?

- Working church.

Every Sunday morning, there's a service.

There's a Mass celebrated down here.

A few wedding ceremonies a year are held.

- Maybe we can get married again.

(all laugh) Thank you so much.

This was an amazing tour, and I can't believe that we saw what?

- [Greg] Only one percent.

- One percent.

- One percent of mines.

- So how do you say goodbye in Polish?

- Do widzenia.

- Do widzenia.

- Do widzenia.

- Do widzenia.

- Until next time.

- Until next time.

- Goodbye!

- Do widzenia!

- Thank you!

- My best friend, Chris, flew to Poland and I'm meeting her at a local winery to celebrate her arrival.

Poland truly has something to offer for everyone, and I can't wait to explore with my best friend.

- Hello, I'm here.

- Oh my gosh!

- Oh, I'm so glad you made it.

How was your flight?

- It was amazing.

- Oh!

- It's so good to see you.

- Oh my gosh.

- I've been counting the days.

- It's so good you're here- Well, I've got somebody for you to meet.

This is my friend, Szymon.

And he is gonna help us - Nice to meet you.

...drink some wine.

Are you okay with that?

- Yeah, great!

- Would you like to taste some Polish wine?

- Oh, that'd be- - We'd love to, thank you.

- Yes.

- Let's go.

We are at the Srebrna Góra Vineyard in Kraków, Poland.

One of the largest vineyards in Poland.

The winemaking in Poland is, although it has long tradition, is a pretty new thing.

Reborn after many, many centuries of not having Polish wine.

So it's more a question of the last 20 years, I would say.

- So that's pretty new.

- It's pretty new, but you know, developing, expanding very well.

And we already produce some very interesting wines.

I hope you're gonna enjoy one of them, which I open- opening right now.

- Oh, wait, listen.

I hear bells.

Is this perfect?

- Wow.

- Yeah, we are at the- at the foot of the monastery, actually.

There on the hill, you can see the Monastery of Srebrna Góra.

And the monks are still there.

And sometimes, like, as far as I know, they drink these same wines.

This is a Cabernet.

- [Colleen] Perfect!

- [Szymon] Made here.

We basically, in Poland, have the same kind of wines as you probably know from America.

So we've got Pinot Noir, we've got Chardonnay, we've got Riesling, and also the Cabernet.

And many more.

- Yes, but we don't have a monastery ringing a bell while we're pouring wine.

Oh, this is wonderful.

- Wow.

- Thank you.

- Just a sip.

As you can see, a nice red color.

- Yep.

- Pretty deep.

- Oh, it's beautiful.

- And... yeah.

- How do you say cheers In Polish?

- In Polish?

It's na zdrowie.

- Na zdrowie!

- Na zdrowie!

(women laugh) (glasses tink) - Alright.

- Alright.

So good.

- So ladies, I would like for you to actually see the vineyard.

(Colleen gasps) - We'd love that, but can we take this with us?

- Of course.

- Oh, okay.

- Let's go.

- Let's go.

- Alright.

(light acoustic guitar) - [Colleen] Cooking is one of Greg's favorite things to do with our daughter, Shea.

So, while Chris and I finish our day at the vineyard, they'll be meeting with an award-winning chef to learn how to make a local favorite dish.

- You know, we heard we're coming to Kraków and I was really excited to come to Hotel Stary and I was so excited to be able to come in your kitchen.

So could you explain to me, chef, what we're making today?

- We're gonna make a traditional Polish dish.

It's called Maczanka Krakowska, a 300 years old recipe.

It's a grand grandmother of pulled pork burger.

So first thing is to braise pork.

The shoulder of pork.

It was cooked for 10 hours.

So if you wanna stir it for me.

- Okay.

- We have the caraway seeds.

They are toasted in the pan.

So basically a dry pan, we toast it so we got more flavor out of it.

- Yeah, right, Chef.

- Here we go.

Don't wanna spill 'em.

- Perfect.

- Now the other thing, you can see, is the sauce.

The people who drive the horses on the main square, they were eating their bread with the meat and it was served like a sandwich on their break.

It's served in a lot of sauce.

So it's nice and wet dish.

And then to give a little bit of sweetness in the dish, so you balance the flavors, I have compressed apples.

- [Greg] Okay.

- [Tracz] So next- next step.

The puff pastry.

Who wants to cut it up?

- [Greg] Shea, you go ahead.

- Sure.

- [Tracz] Cut me up eight pieces.

We're gonna sear the pork.

- Okay.

- So I'm just gonna put them in a pan.

And after that we're gonna drop the butter in it.

- Okay.

- And we go for the basting.

- Okay.

Butter and salt, my two favorite things.

Think I'm a salt hound too.

- Right.

And guess what's the black stuff?

- Can I smell it?

- Yes.

- It might help.

You know, not blindfold, but... - It's something fishy.

- What do you think?

- Squid ink?

- Squid ink.

- Black.

- Oh.

- So the last thing, we're just gonna paint it in black.

So who's gonna do it for me?

- [Greg] Shea.

- [Tracz] Squid ink... - [Greg] Okay.

- [Tracz] It's very... - [Greg] I wouldn't have guessed that.

- [Tracz] ...natural.

Y'know?

There's no flavor of the fish in it.

It's just giving it color.

So I made the paste of squid ink and fermented garlic.

- Okay.

- And so after we gonna and bake it in oven for three minutes and then we're just gonna carve it and put it on the plate.

- [Greg] Wow.

(upbeat acoustic guitar) - Alright, guys.

Are you ready to eat what we've made?

- Let's go.

- Alright.

- Okay, let's go.

(upbeat acoustic guitar) - [Colleen] One of my favorite things about Europe are the castles.

We rounded everyone up and made our way down south to explore the Niedzica Castle.

Today we're here at the Niedzica Castle.

It's one of the most beautiful castles in all of Europe and it overlooks a national park.

Wow.

- Wow!

- Wow.

Look at this.

This looks... - [Shea] This is so cool.

(Colleen laughs) - [Greg] I'm on top of the castle.

- This is beautiful.

I love exploring on my own with my family, but one of the best ways to really learn about a place is to take a guided tour.

The Niedzica Castle offers tours year-round and is definitely worth the drive from Kraków.

- The castle was built by the Hungarian noble families in the very beginning of the 14th centuries.

They lived in here until second World War, until 1943.

The oldest part of the castle was built in the very beginning of the 14th century.

In the 1308.

The half of the rooms, about 20 chambers, you may rent.

You may sleep in the castle in the old chambers with the old furnishings from 18th and 19th centuries.

People think that the castle is haunted because of the ghost.

This is the ghost of Princess Brunhilda, who lost her life when she was arguing with her husband, Bogus█aw, who pushed her off from the tower.

She lost her life.

And people think that the Brunhilda is a so-called "white lady" who is haunting this place.

- [Colleen] After you visit the Niedzica Castle, I highly recommend you make your way to the Dunajec River nearby and take your family on a guided raft tour.

Rafting on the Dunajec River is a 200 year old tradition and is one of the most exciting ways you can see the Pieniny National Park.

♪ Hi!

- [Marcin] Hello!

- [Greg] Hello!

- We're excited.

- Hi, I'm Marcin.

- Hi, Marcin.

- Hi, Marcin.

- Nice to meet you.

We're excited - Nice to meet you.

- ...to go on the boat.

- Yes.

- Alright.

Should we just- - We are going to spend some time together.

About one hour now.

- Nice.

Alright.

- We take you down the river for 12 kilometers.

So... - Okay.

That sounds alright.

- Please take a seat.

- Okay.

Let's go.

- The Dunajec River flows through the Pieniny Mountains of Southern Poland and forms part of the border between Poland and the northern part of Slovakia.

So how long is this river?

- It's whole river.

It's 249 kilometers long.

- [Colleen] Oh, wow.

- It start's in Tatras Mountains.

It starts out as two streams, White Dunajec and Black Dunajec, near the town called Nowy Targ.

- [Colleen] Okay.

- They join together and that's how we get Dunajec River.

- Oh.

- Actually, Dunajec.

- Okay.

Makes sense.

- [Marcin] And it goes all the way to Vistula River and then all the way to the- to the- - So very long.

- To the seaside.

To the Baltic Sea, yeah.

- Yeah, wow.

It all goes to the Baltic Sea?

- [Marcin] Yeah.

- Wow.

- [Marcin] That's where it ends.

- Wow.

- So, and for 17 kilometers, it's a border line between two countries, Poland and Slovakia.

And we just in this- on this border line now.

- So Slovakia's over there?

- [Marcin] Yeah.

- And Poland's over- - [Marcin] On the right-hand side, yes, is Slovakia.

- I thought Slovakia was over there.

- On the left.

- Yeah, so this is Slovakia.

This is Poland.

- [Colleen] Wow.

- And now we are in the most beautiful part of Dunajec, to be honest.

It's the Pieniny Gorge.

Pieniny Gorge, which is like a Pieniny National Forest, National Park.

- And it's- - It's a preservation.

- It's a UNESCO site?

- [Marcin] It is, yes.

- [Colleen] We've got so much we wanna do here.

We don't wanna leave.

We wanted to see the mountains on my last day with Chris.

So we took a cable car ride up to the Tatra Mountains.

The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch is one of the oldest still-working cable cars in Europe.

It was built in 1935 to 1936.

The ride up has a stop in the middle and is a series of two cable cars to take you to the top of the mountain.

It is helpful to book your tickets in advance, as this is a popular destination for visitors.

The elevation from Mount Kasprowy Wierch is 6,519 feet.

The cable car ride is definitely one of the most beautiful and easiest ways to see the Tatra Mountains.

Ticket holders are taken to the top of Mount Kasprowy Wierch where they can relax, take in views, and do some hiking.

Once at the top of the mountain, you can also enjoy a restaurant, ski shop, and you can even post mail from the top of the mountain.

You know, there's a lot of ways to see the Tatra Mountains, but this is one of my favorites.

After spending all morning on the mountain, it was time to go back to Zakopane to have lunch at a local highlander restaurant.

- I'm starving.

- Me too.

Look at this cute, adorable restaurant.

- [Shea] Oh, it's so cute.

I love it.

- [Colleen] You know what I want?

Pierogis.

I haven't had one yet.

- [Shea] Ooh, that would be good.

- [Colleen] Doesn't that sound good?

- Well, I can't get enough of this cuisine.

It is absolutely phenomenal.

- [Colleen] Pierogi are an important part of Polish culture and cuisine today.

They're served in a variety of forms and tastes, ranging from sweet to salty to spicy and are considered to be the national dish.

Traditionally considered peasant food, pierogi eventually gained popularity and spread throughout all social classes, including nobles.

The music of Górale, also known as Highlanders, are from the southern region of Poland.

There is usually a lead singer accompanied by several stringed instruments.

In the Podhale region, there are two kinds of dances: Highlander dance and Zbójnicki dance.

After enjoying an amazing lunch, Chris and I were asked if we wanted to dance with the Highlanders.

Of course, we couldn't say no.

This was such an amazing way to spend our last day with Chris before she heads home.

But I think it's safe to say we won't be pursuing a career in Highlander dance.

(upbeat fiddle music) (women laughing) (upbeat fiddle music) - We have some gift for you.

- I feel official now.

- Oh!

- Oh, beautiful!

- Thank you so much!

On this trip, we are able to see some of the Tatra National Park by river and by cable car.

But our last day, we wanted to do a little hiking and really experience the park as a family.

The Dolina Str██yska Valley is located in the Tatra Mountains.

The Tatra Mountains is the most visited national park in all of Poland.

I know we love the city, but it's so great to be out in the country, isn't it?

- Oh, yeah.

- This is wonderful.

(upbeat music) - [Colleen] And with views like this, you can see why you'd want to travel here with your family.

Part of traveling is trying new, challenging things, and sometimes pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

So an extreme sport like off-roading is a perfect activity if you're traveling with teens or young adults.

The company, Szko█a Quadów offers off-road expeditions through the Polish countryside.

(girls laugh) Hey Mr.

Cool.

You ready to go?

- This is an adventure.

- Let's go on this adventure.

- Let's go.

- They are based in the village of Witów, which has gorgeous views of the Tatra Mountains.

Along with one to three hour or full day quad bike tours, you can also go snowmobiling, which is now on our winter travel bucket list.

Our instructor took us over hills and through rocky rivers.

And it was a bumpy but exciting ride.

- The river was...

It was cool.

It was rocky.

It was really rocky and my shoes got wet.

The castles and Kraków were awesome.

But I loved being in the nature.

It's definitely my thing.

My favorite part was probably the dogs and the views were really pretty, really cool.

- And you thought you wouldn't make it with me?

- You know, you took me on more of an adventure than I thought.

(Colleen laughs) - Here's to my driving, Greg.

- Ah, I'm not sure about that.

Here's to your driving.

(Colleen laughs) - My mom was a terrible driver, but that's okay.

- [Colleen] This quad adventure was such a great way to end our family trip to Poland.

- I think I should wear this outfit more often.

Yeah, I would definitely do it again.

- That looks really good.

- So we didn't know what to expect when we came to Poland, but we had such an adventure and so much fun.

The people were warm and friendly.

Cuisine was amazing.

- [Greg] It was.

- [Colleen] And we had tons of adventure.

- [Greg] I think this is gonna be one of our new favorite cities in Europe.

- [Colleen] Oh, without a doubt.

- [Greg] I really do.

- What's that?

- Oh, what is that?

- Let's go look.

- [Colleen] Thanks for watching "Family Travel."

I'm Colleen Kelly.

Enjoy making memories on your next family vacation.

And I'll see you next time.

Family Travel with Colleen Kelly is sponsored by: (intense orchestral music) - [Narrator] Tetzlaff, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- [Colleen] For more information on upcoming destinations and projects, visit familytravelck.com.

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