When visiting Małopolska Honeyland, you can try the finest flavours of honey and uncover secrets behind the creation of this unique gift of nature.
Its miraculous properties were already known by ancient Greeks. Natural honey is a specific that makes you look good and stay in shape. If drank in the morning with water and lemon, it purges toxins from your body, and when applied to the face as a beauty mask, it makes your skin firm and smooth.Nevertheless, honey is, first and foremost, exceptional sweetness. Buckwheat, honeydew, acacia, and lime honey… each of them has a distinctive taste and properties, and can be used to great effect in kitchen as an addition to desserts, marinades or salad cream. Moreover, when travelling through Małopolska honey route, fans of high spirit drinks can try mead, a drink that was served during medieval feasts.
Following the traditional craft trail
As environmentalists alarm about the rapid extinction of bees, it is worth visiting a place where over 80 thousand hard-working bee families live among unspoiled nature. The history of beekeeping in Małopolska is centuries-old. Today, over 5 thousand beekeepers take care of apiaries and eagerly share their secrets about this unique craft, as well as ins and outs of their passion. The tourist route through Małopolska Honeyland was initiated by Sądecka Tourism Organization. On this route you can find many open-air museums of beekeeping, among others, in Spytkowice or Kamienna, or local apiaries and the Beekeeping Museum in Stróże.
It is also worth visiting the apiary in the Orava Ethnographic Park Museum in Zubrzyca Górna. Whereas while participating in special workshops you can learn the secrets of bee life and taste the best types of liquid gold, with two of them deserving special mention – “Małopolska” and “Sądecki honeydew honey”. These types of honey are obtained in fir and spruce forests, and are characterized by dark colour and particular resin aroma. In fact, they have been included on the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development’s national list of traditional products.
Regional honey harvest
In August, Małopolska honey route hosts many events where, apart from presentations and degustation, you can take part in fairs of regional products, performances by folk bands, talks, lectures and workshops for both professionals and amateurs.
The honey harvest in Wieliczka (the last Sunday of August), Małopolska Festival of Taste (the last weekend of August), the Day of the Bear, Honey and Beekeepers in Poronin (the beginning of September) are just some of the events for honey lovers.
