If you’re not tired with this snowy winter yet and like fairytale-like landscapes, go and spend a weekend in Kazimierz Dolny. Covered in snow, it looks much more magical that during summer when it’s crowded with tourists and locals going for a walk. In winter it’s easier to calm down here, have a lazy walk and taste some of the many local specialties, while looking at trees covered in snow. Sounds cheesy? So what, Valentine’s Day is coming! 🙂 Welcome to the Kazimierz fairytale!
winter in Kazimierz
like in a fairytale…
Winter, fairytale atmosphere, hands cold from the walk by the Vistula river, nose red after taking a walk through the gorge. Time to get warm. There’s nothing better than hot chocolate to get you warm in the winter. And there’s one place in Kazimierz where you can drink the best hot chocolate in Poland, and one of the best in the world. And believe me, I have tried quite a few hot chocolates in my life! If you don’t believe me – try Cafe Faktoria on ul. Krakowska 6b.
magic chocolate manufacture in Krakowska street
Cafe Faktoria offers not only chocolate but also different kinds of coffee, tea, cakes and cookies. The owner of the cafe says on his website that it all started with the coffee and obviously with a journey (I like!). While travelling around the world, he expanded his knowledge about coffee, looked for local coffee roasters and recipes for unusual coffees. That’s why Cafe Faktoria offers all types of coffee from different parts of our globe…
coffees from around the world
cookies to go with the coffee
Despite more than 200 coffees to choose from, for us Cafe Faktoria means CHOCOLATE!
dark hot chocolate with hazelnuts
Real chocolate that is made from solid chocolate bars and not from powder, liquid or granules that have not much to do with real chocolate…
preparation process…
that’s how you make REAL chocolate 🙂
Which chocolate should you try at Cafe Faktoria? There’s a lot to choose from – cold or hot? White, milk or dark? With marmalade or with nuts? With pistachios, almonds or with coconut? With or without alcohol?
I adore dark chocolate with desiccated coconut (heavenly taste!) while in the summer I order frozen white. I assure you, that there is no other place serving such white chocolate. It’s a real miracle that saved me in times when I was breastfeeding my then three-month-old baby and was afraid to eat dark chocolate. This time I went for hazelnuts while Łukasz ordered Caribbean chocolate with coconut liquor. Looked and tasted fantastic!
Caribbean with an essential spicy cookie
they thought about everything
The chocolate is always served with a glass of water (good idea) and a spicy cookie, that is a great contrast to the sweet taste of chocolate. You can eat the long cookie or dip it on your coffee – as you wish. Maks, our expert, recommends not to eat it at all, but to use it as a comfortable spoon and lick the chocolate from it 🙂
I’m in heaven…
You can also order a piece of cake to go with the chocolate. Cheesecake, apple pie, layer cakes or wholemeal plum cake. These are all great yet nothing compared to the chocolate. Sorry apple pie, sorry cheesecake. So if you’re very hungry have a piece of cake and chocolate. If not, order the chocolate only.
What else is there to do in winter Kazimierz (apart from the chocolate)? It’s calm, amazingly quiet and absolutely relaxing. A walk at 10 pm, when the only thing you hear is your footsteps and an occasional conversation heard from a distance is a great idea to spend the Friday night. Especially if you’re living a stressful life, full of phone calls, honking cars, and things to do ASAP. If you haven’t been there, try it… In the morning have breakfast at Vincent’s (which I already wrote about) and then spend the Saturday walking around and charging batteries in local restaurants.
A breakfast at Vincent’s, potato pancakes with salmon and maple syrup for lunch in Kwadrans, amazing pork knuckle and a wholemeal apple pie with blueberry sauce (a must eat!) at Vincent’s again and hot chocolate in Cafe Faktoria for an afternoon snack. I’ve got carried away… I already tried my Valentine’s Kazimierz. Now it’s your turn! 🙂
not only for winter lovers
My Valentine’s Day Kazimierz
Try next weekend, maybe the magical winter will stay here for a few more days…
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