A Food Lover's Guide to the Gorce & Pieniny Region

The Gorce and Pieniny mountains are not just a feast for the eyes — the food here is one of the best reasons to visit. The highland cuisine of southern Poland is rooted in centuries of sheep farming, forest foraging, and mountain living. It is hearty, smoky, deeply flavored, and unlike anything you will find in the cities.

Whether you eat out at a traditional mountain inn or cook at home in our fully equipped kitchen with ingredients from local markets, the food here will become a highlight of your stay.

The Essential Highland Dishes

Oscypek — Smoked Sheep's Cheese

Oscypek is the star of highland cuisine and a protected regional product. This spindle-shaped smoked cheese is made from salted sheep's milk (often mixed with cow's milk) using traditional methods that have barely changed in centuries.

What to know:

• Made by highlander shepherds (bacowie) in small mountain huts (bacówki) during the grazing season (May–October)
• The cheese is pressed into carved wooden forms that leave decorative patterns, then smoked over a fire
• The taste is salty, smoky, and rich — quite unlike any other cheese
• Best enjoyed grilled on a hot plate or grill, often served with cranberry jam
• Available at local markets, roadside stalls, and many restaurants
• Look for the authentic product — real oscypek is handmade and slightly irregular

Where to try it:

• Roadside stalls along main roads (especially around Nowy Targ and on the way to Zakopane)
• Mountain huts (bacówki) in the Gorce and surrounding mountains during summer
• Restaurants in Szczawnica and Krościenko — usually served grilled as an appetizer

Kwaśnica — Sauerkraut Soup

Kwaśnica is the soup of the highlands. It is a tangy sauerkraut soup made with smoked pork ribs, slowly simmered until the flavors meld into something deeply satisfying. Every household and restaurant has their own version.

Characteristics:

• Sour, smoky, and warming — perfect after a day on the trails
• Made with sauerkraut as the base, smoked pork (ribs or kielbasa), potatoes, and spices
• Often served with bread
• Available at virtually every regional restaurant

Placki po Zbójnicku — Highlander Potato Pancakes

These are large potato pancakes — crispy on the outside, soft inside — topped with a rich meat goulash (often beef or venison). The name means "bandit-style pancakes," a nod to the legendary highland outlaws.

Where to find them:

• Most traditional restaurants in the region
• Best when the goulash has been slow-cooked and the pancakes are freshly made
• A filling main course on its own

Moskole — Buckwheat Pancakes

Moskole are thin pancakes made from buckwheat flour, a traditional highland staple. They are earthy and nutty in flavor and can be served sweet (with honey, berry jam) or savory (with sheep's cheese or sour cream).

• A specialty of the Gorce region specifically
• Not always on every menu — when you see them, order them
• Simple but distinctive and deeply traditional

Żurek — Sour Rye Soup

While żurek is found across Poland, the mountain version often has its own character — served in a bread bowl or with kielbasa and hard-boiled egg. It is tangy, hearty, and perfect as a starter.

Trout (Pstrąg)

The clear mountain streams of the region produce excellent trout. Many restaurants serve it fresh — pan-fried, grilled, or smoked.

Best preparations:

• Grilled whole with butter and herbs
• Smoked trout as an appetizer
• Pan-fried with almonds (pstrąg w migdałach)

Seasonal Specialties

The highland kitchen changes with the seasons, and timing your visit right means you can experience ingredients at their best.

Spring & Summer

• Fresh oscypek directly from mountain huts — the flavor is noticeably different from aged or store-bought versions
• Bundz: fresh, unsalted sheep's cheese, mild and creamy
• Żętyca: a slightly sour sheep's milk whey drink, served cold — refreshing and probiotic
• Wild berries: blueberries, wild strawberries, and raspberries appear in markets from June
• Fresh herbs: locally gathered and used in teas, soups, and salads

Autumn

• Wild mushrooms: autumn brings an abundance of porcini (borowiki), chanterelles (kurki), and other forest mushrooms — a cornerstone of local cooking
• Plum jam (powidła): slow-cooked plum butter, often made in copper cauldrons at village gatherings
• Honey: local beekeepers sell varieties including lime, acacia, and wildflower
• Game meat: venison and wild boar appear on restaurant menus

Winter

• Bigos: the traditional hunter's stew, made with sauerkraut, various meats, and mushrooms — it tastes better each day it is reheated
• Pierogi: while found year-round, winter evenings are when these filled dumplings (with potato and cheese, meat, or sauerkraut and mushroom) feel most satisfying
• Mulled wine and grzaniec (hot beer): found at winter markets and some restaurants
• Christmas Eve specialties: if you visit during the holidays, look for traditional dishes like barszcz (beetroot broth) with uszka (small dumplings), mushroom soup, and poppy seed cake

Where to Eat

In Szczawnica

Szczawnica has the widest selection of restaurants in the immediate area, from casual spots to more refined dining.

What to look for:

• Restaurants along the main promenade and near the spa park
• Traditional karczma-style inns with wooden interiors and highland atmosphere
• Pizzerias and international options for variety
• Cafés and pastry shops for afternoon breaks

In Krościenko nad Dunajcem

The small town of Krościenko, just 10 minutes from our house, has a selection of restaurants and cafés.

Good for:

• Quick lunches before or after hiking
• Traditional Polish cuisine at family-run places
• Ice cream shops along the main road

Roadside Stalls & Markets

Some of the best food experiences in the region happen outside of restaurants:

• Oscypek stalls: along major roads, especially near tourist areas
• Local markets: look for seasonal fruits, vegetables, honey, and preserves
• Bakeries: fresh bread, traditional cakes (sernik, szarlotka, makowiec), and pączki
• Farm shops: some local farms sell their products directly — cheese, eggs, preserves

Mountain Huts (Bacówki)

During the summer grazing season, some active bacówki in the Gorce Mountains welcome visitors. These are the most authentic places to taste highland food.

What to expect:

• Very simple settings — often just a wooden hut on a meadow
• Fresh cheese (oscypek, bundz), żętyca, and sometimes simple grilled dishes
• An experience as much about atmosphere as food — smoke, sheep bells, mountain views
• Not always easy to find — ask locals or us for current recommendations

Cooking at Our Mountain House

Our fully equipped kitchen is perfect for preparing mountain meals at home. Here are some tips for a culinary mountain holiday:

Shop locally:

• Pick up oscypek, bread, and fresh produce at local markets or roadside stalls
• Buy mushrooms from locals selling by the road in autumn (or pick your own — but only if you know what you are doing)
• Local honey makes a perfect souvenir

Simple mountain meals to make at home:

• Grilled oscypek with cranberry sauce — needs nothing more than a pan and a few minutes
• Kwaśnica from a local butcher's sauerkraut and smoked ribs
• Trout from a local supplier, pan-fried with butter
• Buckwheat with mushrooms — a traditional Gorce combination
• Pierogi from a local producer — many sell freshly made ones ready to boil or fry

Our kitchen offers:

• Full-size stove and oven
• All essential cookware and utensils
• Refrigerator and freezer for storing ingredients
• Dishwasher for easy cleanup
• Dining area for the whole group
• Outdoor dining space on the terrace in warmer months

The food of the Gorce and Pieniny region is honest, seasonal, and connected to the landscape. Whether you discover it in a smoke-filled mountain hut, a traditional village restaurant, or your own kitchen at our house, it adds a rich and memorable layer to any mountain holiday.