Most romantic places in Poland

Many people say about Poland that it is a "heart-shaped country" and if you take a good look on a map you'll see it's true. Although in Poland we don't show our feelings in public very often, at least not like in Italy, where you can see kissing couples everywhere, we can be very romantic :) On Valentine's Day there is no other subject than LOVE so it is a perfect occasion to show you the most romantic places in Poland.

The Little Market in Kazimierz Dolny
This pearl of Polish rennesaince and very old little town is one of the most beautiful places in Poland known from exceptional atmosphere, picturesque views and great monuments. It's located in the centre of Poland and is one of the favourite 'places to runaway' for people from Warsaw. The Little Market and the panorama from the Mountain of Three Crosses will take your breath away!

Mariacka Street in Gdańsk
Mariacka Gate through which you can enter Mariacka street is one of the things that Gdansk is very pride of. The street itself is believed to be one of the most enchanting streets in Europe. It seems to be taken out from some fairy taile, with all the sculptures and decorated tenement houses. In the past, all rich habitants of Gdansk lived there. Also it's a place where you can buy high quality amber stones.

The monument of lovers in Grudziądz
The Polish soldier and his lady are hugging in front of the Grudziądz City Hall. Grudziądz itself is a city in the northern part of Poland with many places to sightsee: old city wall, St Mary's Church, St Nicholas Church and many parks where you can hide from the city crowd.

Chełmno - the city St Valentine
Chełmno is the city of love. It's a place where the relicts of St Valentine are kept in the old medieval Fara Church. You will find many old churches there and a beautiful town hall.

Fat Thursday in Poland

Polish Fat Thursday can be compared to Pancake Day celebrated in many English speaking countries or Mardi Gras because it is all about being gluttonous and losing yourselves in partying before the time of Lent comes - everything is allowed, except moderation, diet, listening to music on low volume, modesty!

Fat Thursday is celebrated on the last Thursday before Lent by eating pączki (pon-chqi) - fist-sized large doghnuts filled with rose jelly (classic version), plum preserve or eggnog (in Poland known as advocaat). The outside of these hefty treats is usually coated in a sweet glaze just to ensure you get plenty of sugary goodness in every bite. There will be no more chance to celebrate before Easter, so you have to eat as many pączki as possible!

Traditional Polish pączek

Some bakers fill a few pączki with almond paste instead of marmalade and encountering this filling is said to bring good luck. An old Polish superstition states that if you don't eat at least one doughnut on Shrove Thursday, you will no longer be successful in life.

Another traditional treat consumed on Fat Thursday is faworki - ribbon-shaped, thin strips of crispy pastry dough sprinkled with powdered sugar.

For confectioners and bakers it is one of the busiest time of the year. Statistics SHOW that for the past few years around 100 million doughnuts and many hundreds of kilogrammes of the faworki are eaten on Fat Thursday in Poland. The money spent on Fat Thursday delicacies today would buy 200 apartments of 50 square metres in Warsaw and as many as around 430 in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland.

Queue to the confectionery in Warsaw

Waiting for pączki on Chmielna street in Warsaw

Here you will find an easy recipe for traditional Polish pączki with step-by-step photos: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/polishdesserts/ss/paczki.htm
and for faworki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4kLT1ZfVes.