When you visit Poland, you may be overwhelmed with your options for what to buy. The country, after all, produces many high-quality, unique, useful, and beautiful Polish-made products. As a result, if you’re looking to bypass the tchotchkes, you’re sure to find something special that ticks all your requirements.
And while a list of the best souvenirs from Poland could never be exhaustive, this brief guide will get you started. Consider using it as a starting point for shopping for gifts for yourself or friends and loved ones.
Meaningful Polish-made keepsakes—at least the inedible ones—have the potential to last for generations.
Table of Contents
Amber and Crystal
Amber and crystal represent two souvenirs from Poland that travelers often pick up on their visit—and for good reason. These items can be found in styles to appeal to all tastes, from classic to contemporary.
Baltic Amber
Polish metalsmiths and amber workers are masters at turning “the Gold of the North” into beautiful, wearable pieces of jewelry. Baltic amber, whether set in gold or silver, seems to collect the sunlight and glow with its own warmth. Many people find it to be one of the best souvenirs from Poland that they can invest in.
This “stone” is actually fossilized tree resin that washes up on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. It’s been treasured in Poland and other country for centuries.
When you shop for amber in Poland, you’ll be able to choose from both classic designs and more modern styles. You’ll also encounter both companies that have been in the amber business for generations as well as young designers working with amber and inspiring new trends.
Where to Buy
Find amber shops in all major cities. Warsaw’s old town has several shops selling amber jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets.
Gdansk, being near the sea, is also an excellent city in which to find amber.
Crystal
Though Czechia is often the best known of the East-Central European countries for crystal, Poland has long had crystal production factories producing glasses, vases, and other tableware in various styles.
If crystal is your thing, you may consider adding pieces of Polish crystal to your collection.
Polish crystal beer or vodka glasses may be a good accompaniment to your Polish-made alcoholic beverages. However, champagne and wine glasses may also be useful and beautiful additions to your table.
Where to Buy
Various crystal manufacturers with storied histories sell crystal, either through their own retail outlets or in shops dedicated to glassware or Polish-made products.
You can also visit the factories themselves to learn about the production of crystal. For example, Julia Crystal offers factory tours that end with the opportunity to buy its products.
Folk Art
A piece of Polish folk art is one of the best souvenirs from Poland. These handcrafted pieces evoke techniques passed down through generations. The artisans of this work lovingly keep their heritage alive by producing gifts and souvenirs that will be prized by whoever owns them.
Wooden Carvings
Wood carvings in the form of peasant figures, angels, or characters from The Bible make excellent souvenirs. Left natural or painted, they reflect the distinct hand of the artist, who imbues each piece with personality and emotion.
Where to Buy
Poland’s Christmas markets are one place you may be able to find wooden carvings.
However, souvenir shops specializing in Polish-made products will also likely carry examples of this type of souvenir. One of these shops is Polart in Old Town Warsaw
Pottery
Bolesławiec pottery is highly sought after. This functional, beautiful stoneware is, at its most basic, blue on a creamy background, but certain patterns incorporate various other colors. It’s possible to find full sets of this Polish pottery or buy individual pieces—plates, mugs, salt-and-pepper shakers, bowls, and jugs.
Where to Buy
Bolesławiec pottery is widely sold in major cities. Whether you’re in Warsaw, Krakow, or another Polish city, look for shops either catering to tourists or those dedicated to Polish pottery.
If you’re afraid of trying to get home Bolesławiec pottery in your luggage, you may consider finding a supplier in your home country. Online distributors know how to pack and ship pottery so that arrives safely.
Decorative Boxes
Polish decorative boxes come in various shapes, sizes, and designs. Some are carved with symbols and others are painted with floral elements. Buy these boxes as souvenirs in their own right or use them to hold other precious keepsakes purchased in Poland.
Where to Buy
Polish holiday markets and Polish-made souvenir shops are good sources for finding wooden boxes from Poland.
However, these boxes originate in the Zakopane region, so if you’ve incorporated the south of Poland into your visit of the country, check out local artisans producing these boxes.
Local Design
Poland has a thriving local design scene. A piece of clothing or an accessory from a local designer is one of the best souvenirs from Poland if you want a wearable fashion item to add to your wardrobe.
Balagan Studio
Balagan Studio is a handmade shoe and bag maker operating both in Warsaw and Tel Aviv. Classic, wearable designs, high-quality leather, and a variety of options characterize Balagan Studio’s products.
Where to Buy
Balagan Studio—in addition to its online shop—sells its goods at various retail outlets throughout Poland. However, its flagship store is at the Mysia 3 shopping center in Warsaw.
You can also find Balagan studio products at the Warsaw Airport.
Elementy
Elementy focuses on sustainable, wearable fashion at reasonable prices. This clothing store produces casual pieces for everyday use.
Where to Buy
Find Elementy online or at its main store at Mysia 3.
Le Petit Trou
Le Petit Trou is a lingerie and loungewear company. Its barely-there bras and panties as well as its loungewear sets are made exclusively in Poland.
Where to Buy
Le Petit Trou can be purchased online or from its Koszykowa 5, Warsaw, shop.
Miss Liberte
Miss Liberte is another sustainable, locally produced lingerie brand. Its basic line includes functional and wearable pieces that are foundation staples.
Where to Buy
Buy online or from Miss Liberte’s Flory 7/3, Warsaw, shop.
Food
When you travel to Poland, you’ll certainly have plenty of traditional foods to try. However, most of them you won’t be able to take with you. And while some of lists of the best souvenirs from Poland include dried meat or other semi-perishable items, your country of origin may not allow you to bring such items home with you.
However, some foods are travel friendly and perfect for sharing with friends and family in your home country. Processed and packaged food is typically permitted across borders, as are alcoholic beverages within a certain limit.
Torun Gingerbread
Torun is a city in Poland known as the birthplace of Copernicus, but it’s also a haven for gingerbread lovers. A generations-old recipe keeps a long-held tradition alive. Buy Torun gingerbread in the city itself or look for packaged versions throughout Poland. Gingerbread is especially popular during Christmas in Poland.
Beer
Local Polish breweries produce beer to suit any taste. Try a few while you’re out and about to discover your favorites to take home.
Vodka
Zubrowka vodka, or bison grass vodka, is one of the hallmarks of the Polish beverage scene. This Polish-made vodka often features a sprig of bison grass in the bottle. Find zubrowka vodka at beverage shops or grab a bottle in the airport on your way home.
Chocolate
You’ll find various types of chocolate in Poland, but the most famous is Wedel. In business since the mid-1800s, Wedel produces well-loved chocolate bars and candies. Wedel chocolate is widely sold in dedicated shops as well as supermarkets.
Cookbooks
If you’d rather celebrate your joy of Polish food by making it yourself, consider snagging a Polish cookbook featuring favorite—or potentially favorite—dishes. Polish cooking can range from the simple and quick to the festive and elaborate, and different cookbooks will concentrate on a certain level of complexity or type of Polish cuisine.
Find a cookbook with scrumptious-looking recipes in souvenir shops and bookstores. Alternatively, check out the wide selection of Polish cookbooks online.
Benefits of Buying Polish-made Souvenirs
When you buy souvenirs made in Poland, you:
- Support local artisans
- Support the upkeep of regional traditions
- Purchase a souvenir that represents an aspect of Polish culture
- Bring something beautiful into your life
- Expose people at home to Polish culture
- Have a keepsake to pass on to the next generation
- Beautify your home or wardrobe
- Own something to remember your travels by
Polish-made souvenirs present a way to keep travel memories alive, honor your Polish heritage, or simply enrich your life with unique, beautiful objects that will spark conversation. Furthermore, by purchasing Polish-made products, you support the companies and artisans who produce such work and keep traditions and the value of sustainability alive.