Do you remember the famous Polish hit of the Cleo / Donatan duo from Eurovision 2014 which was titled “We, Slavs”? The one about homemade cream and golden brown bread with girls passionately churning butter in the music video? We envied them and went to feel the “Slavic call” to Chlebowa Chata in Gorki Małe near Brenna, which is a small village in the Silesian Beskids.
There are plenty of attractions waiting for you in the Silesian Voivodeship. You must see them!
Chlebowa Chata – photos
Chlebowa Chata is like a country cottage from old movies. When we cross the threshold, we are surrounded by wood and the floor begins to creak slightly. We sit down near a large tiled stove. In the times of our grandparents, it was the undisputed heart of the home. It provided warmth and food, and even a place to sleep in the rear.
Our extraordinary show begins with the guide’s story about what the life of our ancestors was like in the countryside. It turns out that it was much more modest than now. Several – or even a dozen – people lived in one room. They didn’t even dream of electricity or running water. The meals were modest, not very varied, an hand-prepared from natural ingredients.
As you can easily guess, personal hygiene was not at the highest level. Water was drawn from a well, so its amount “per person” was very limited. The (non-)daily bath was taken in an “exclusive” imitation of a bathtub, in a semi-sitting position. Jug filled with water often served as a shower. We suppose that women with long hair needed assistants to wash their hair properly.
To make you appreciate the luxury of having running water more, we will only add that the whole family bathed in the same water. The rule was ‘from the youngest to the oldest’ or… ‘from the cleanest to the dirtiest’. Apparently it was in those times that the sayings “Frequent washing shortens your life” or “Wash yourself with cold water, you will be beautiful and young” were born.
The issue of food was much more important than hygiene. Flour could be produced at home, all you needed was grains, a quern and… a lot of strength in your hands. The grains were obtained from the four most popular Polish cereals: wheat, rye, barley or oats. At Chlebowa Chata you will learn to recognize them.
The querns, in turn, were basic household equipment. They consisted of two round-shaped stones placed on top of each other. The upper one being movable relative to the lower one. The person who ground the flour had to work very hard to obtain enough flour to bake bread for the whole family. After hearing this, we appreciate shops and bakeries even more.
Once we learned what the step-by-step path “from grain to loaf” looks like, it was time for further activities. In addition to grain, all types of dairy products played an important role in the diet of our ancestors. It was not without reason that it was said that whoever had a cow on the farm did not have to fear hunger.
After all, milk could be used to make cream, butter, buttermilk or cheese. This, of course, required appropriate skills, tools and willingness. Fortunately, in Chlebowa Chata you will find patient teachers and appropriate equipment. The rest is up to you. First mission: separate butter from cream using a centrifuge.
Fresh milk could be used to make cream, butter, buttermilk or cheese. This, of course, required appropriate skills, tools and willingness. Fortunately, in Chlebowa Chata you will find patient teachers and appropriate equipment. The rest is up to you. First mission: separate butter from cream using a centrifuge.
First, the cream went into a tall, wooden “machine” called butter churn. Then “we, Slovaks” could start whipping. Rhythmic up-and-down movements made the liquid become thicker and thicker. Finally, a hard cube could be felt under the beater. We got it!
The butter prepared in this way had to be separated from the “by-product” – buttermilk. We don’t need to add that in Chlebowa Chata, just like in the old farm, nothing is wasted. The buttermilk was, of course, poured into glasses and distributed for tasting. It tasted completely different than the one from the store shelf.
We already have butter and bread. It’s time to start making another rustic delicacy rich in nutritional value: white cheese. This time we need a large amount of soured milk and a strainer. You can use ordinary gauze or a special canvas sleeve. The cheese recipe turns out to be as simple as the previous products.
First, pour the curd into a triangular gauze. The “solid parts” stay inside and the liquid escapes through special holes. We could hang such a “cone” over another vessel for a few hours so that all the whey flows freely. However, it is much faster to press the cheese in a special machine press. And voilà – another quick, simple and nutritious dish is ready.
During the workshops in Chlebowa Chata you have to work really hard. Grandmas and grandpas lost a lot of energy before food appeared on the table. We even begin to wonder whether they burned more calories during preparation than they gained while eating. We are interrupted from our thoughts by an invitation to a well-deserved tasting.
And here another surprise awaits! Anyone who wants to eat it must first shape their own flatbread. Of course, it is child’s play, as evidenced by the little bakers’ hands visible in the photo. The dough is kneaded and portioned by the host, and we only need to stretch, decorate and season the flatbread.
Ready cakes are transported to a red-hot stove using a wide wooden shovel. A real stove, the kind that probably no one builds in their home anymore. After just a few minutes at high temperature, the hot flatbreads reach our plates.
Before we tell you about the tasting, it’s time to announce the winner of our private competition for the most beautiful baking. A one-person jury (Patryk) ruled that the title belonged to Wiolczi. She chose a heart-shaped cake with the edges decorated with poppy seeds. She also managed to make the pancake fill with air, resembling a soft pillow. Way to go!
The work tasted delicious! Just like the whole Old Polish feast. In addition to hot flatbreads, the table included rye bread, fresh butter, honey straight from the bees and homemade cheese cubes. And for non-vegetarians – home-made lard.
Believe it or not, you can eat such delicacies endlessly. Simple composition and no preservatives are a paradise for the taste buds in the era of processed food. When you add cereal coffee with milk and sugar served at school trips or summer camps, it creates a real charm of memories!
With full bellies, we go to the next part of the great workshops. Topic: bee life and honey production. In the tone of a Disney fairy, the host told us what the interior of the hive looks like, what relationships exist in it and – of course – where the honey comes from. There was also a lot of practical advice and tips.
The last point of the trip was a visit to the utility rooms where tools and agricultural machines were waiting for us. Have you seen a sickle, a plow, a harrow or a seeder in real life? At Chlebowa Chata you will have such an opportunity. And you will see with your own eyes what the Polish saying “as simple as building a flail” means.
We end the trip with attractions for fans of the automotive industry – or rather the history of the automotive industry. In the garage (or rather in the barn) you will sit in an exclusive, covered carriage, intended for wealthy villagers. And anyone who has never posed behind the wheel of a tractor before will have a moment here.
We could tell you a lot more about Chlebowa Chata and probably add a hundred more photos. However, nothing can convey the unique, idyllic atmosphere of this place. One that you simply have to feel for yourself. So… when are you going on a trip to Gorki Wielkie?
Chlebowa Chata – price list and tickets
Shows at Chlebowa Chata are held in two versions:
- standard – a regular ticket costs PLN 50, and a reduced ticket – PLN 45.
- extraordinary – a regular ticket costs PLN 68, and a reduced ticket – PLN 65.
Chlebowa Chata – opening hours
Chlebowa Chata is such an unusual place that it doesn’t even have regular opening hours. The attraction is open from Monday to Saturday (on Sundays only for large groups that cannot come at any other time). To schedule a showing, simply call and ask for a date at the following phone numbers: +48 664-345-019 or +48 33 853-96-30.
Chlebowa Chata – duration of the tour and workshops
The standard version of the show lasts about 2 hours, and the extraordinary version about 2.5 – 3 hours.
Chlebowa Chata – how to get?
Chlebowa Chata is located at Breńska 113 street in Gorki Małe.
- On foot/bike. Traditionally, we encourage ecological walking and cycling trips. The nearest larger towns in the area are: Brenna, Skoczow and Ustron. A walk from each of them will take you less than 2 hours, and a bike ride – about 30 minutes.
- Bus. To our best knowledge, Gorki Wielkie is served by a suburban bus from Bielsko-Biala and the local carrier WISPOL. We didn’t use it, so you have to check the timetable on your own. Also take into account that it may take you at least a dozen or so minutes to get from the bus stop to Chlebowa Chata.
- Train. If you go here by train, get off at the Skoczow, Skoczow Bajerki, Skoczow Bładnice or Ustron stations. Remember that Chlebowa Chata is 7-9 kilometers away.
- Car. Chlebowa Chata has its own, free, unguarded parking lot (parking spaces can be found directly in front of the entrance to the attraction).
Chlebowa Chata – interesting facts and tips
- Chlebowa Chata is a “private business” of Mrs. Jadwiga and Mr. Marian Dudys. The attraction was included on the Rural Tourism Hits list, belongs to the National Network of Educational Homesteads, and also received the Father Leopold Jan Szersznik Award in the category of cultural heritage protection.
- As we mentioned above, shows for individual guests are available in standard and extraordianary versions. But Chlebowa Chata also offers the opportunity to light a bonfire, taste the delicacies of Silesian cuisine, and organize corporate events. Just call and ask for a quote.
- During the trip, the guides will “sell” you a lot of practical advice that will be useful in everyday life. Patryk remembered that honey is the most frequently counterfeited food product, and Wiolczi remembered that you don’t have to be afraid of bee stings (if you are not allergic, of course).
- It is said that the term “WC” is an abbreviation of the English phrase “water closet”. In our opinion, the truth lies elsewhere. The actual toilet comes from the Old Polish “WyChodek”. That was outdoor toilet without sewage, which in English you may know as: ‘privy’, ‘outhouse’, ‘comfort station’, ‘vault toilet’ or ‘kybo’. You can find it on the photo below.
Chlebowa Chata – reviews
- Patrix – 10/10. For me, the opportunity to churn butter and prepare cheese on my own was a very interesting experience. I didn’t expect it to be so simple. 😉 The taste of freshly prepared products is pure heaven. The people conducting the workshops are able to interest and engage both children and adults in the fun. This visit was extremely refreshing for me.
- Wiolczix – 10/10. The workshops at Chlebowa Chata are great. The owners have arranged the entire farm perfectly. Every detail has been taken care of, creating the atmosphere of an old village. I didn’t count exactly, but they collected hundreds (if not thousands) of exhibits here. A trip to Chlebowa Chata is like traveling in a time machine to another world. And in my case, to the world of “the best grandmother Antośka”, who lived for over a hundred years and until old age made butter from cow’s milk in a butter dish (electric, but still), and produced white cheese in a fabric, sterile gauze in the pantry. I highly recommend Chlebowa Chata, especially with children. I feel fantastic in such rustic conditions! The great commitment, nice humor and positive energy of the people conducting the workshops deserve great praise. You can feel that people here want to welcome guests and work is a pleasure for them. Way to go!
Chlebowa Chata – frequently asked questions
Chlebowa Chata – what attractions?
Chlebowa Chata is a place full of attractions that you will not find in any other place. Interesting stories about the life and customs of the inhabitants of the old village, as well as about bees and honey production, await you here. You will have the opportunity to see a lot of everyday items that your grandparents or great-grandparents used. However, the most enjoyable activities are: grinding grain, churning butter, making white cheese and baking flatbreads. Of course, no visitor works here for free. The ticket price includes a great tasting. You can try: rye bread, hot flatbreads, fresh buttermilk, homemade butter, cereal coffee with milk, white cheese cubes, country lard with herbs and sweet honey.
Chlebowa Chata – attractions for children?
A visit to Chlebowa Chata will bring great joy not only to adults, but also to children. This is one of the best ideas for a school and family trip. There were a lot of very active kids at our show, who had incredible joy in jumping into the tin “bathtub”, grinding grain into flour, churning butter or baking flatbreads. Although there is no pizza, fries or chips at Chlebowa Chata, little guests eat all the delicacies on the table. Seriously! After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a hot, hand-formed flatbread with poppy seeds? And spread with freshly whipped butter, drizzled with sweet honey or decorated with cheese cubes made in front of the kids? The youngest also listened with interest to stories about the life of bees, and at the end they watched agricultural machines and jumped into vehicles from the times of their grandparents.
How much does it cost to enter Chlebowa Chata?
The entry price to Chlebowa Chata depends on the selected version of the workshop. A reduced ticket for a standard show costs PLN 45, and a regular ticket costs PLN 50. If you choose the extraordinary version, you will pay from PLN 65 (reduced) to PLN 68 (regular).
Chlebowa Chata – is it worth it?
Chlebowa Chata is a place that is definitely worth visiting. We are almost sure that the guides’ interesting stories and unusual activities will appeal to all guests, regardless of age. If you miss the smell and atmosphere of the old countryside, be sure to come here. Adults will nostalgically remember the “good old days”, and younger ones will have the opportunity to see for themselves how their ancestors lived. Oh, one more thing! The ticket price includes a full meal of healthy products, without preservatives. But first you have to prepare them yourself. ; )
Chlebowa Chata – map
Chlebowa Chata is located in the small Beskid village of Gorki Małe in the Brenna commune in the Silesian Beskids.
