Swierzawa is a small village in the Lower Silesia (and West Central)  region of Poland.  It's a few hours from the German border and a little (albeit unknown) slice of heaven.  The Lower Silesia region is full of lush forests with many castle ruins dotting the landscape, children playing in the streets where you'll also find roaming chickens and stray dogs, scarecrows stand tall in farm fields and the place just feels like home. 

While researching the area, I came across a charming little bed and breakfast, Villa Greta, which is what led us to stay in Swierzawa.  Villa Great (www.villagreat.pl/en) is as quaint and comfortable as one could hope.  The owner has painstakingly restored the old farmhouse, which was originally his great-grandparents home, to reveal its original beauty with modern day comforts.  And that is just the guesthouse. Then there is the food.  Ooooh, the food.  For the price of a meal at McDonald's, you can request an authentic, homemade Polish meal at the guesthouse and myyyy goodness, it was heavenly.  Some of the best food I've ever eaten...and I eat pretty well. All the ingredients were fresh from the garden or market and one bite of the food revealed just this. Dinner was served with a tall glass of tea with the slightest hint of cloves. Yum.  A refreshing surprise. 

So why Swierzawa, you ask?  Well, the main reason for the trip began with a desire to visit Boleslawiec, home to the ever-growing-in-popularity Polish pottery.  While researching Boleslawiec and things to do (you can only do so much pottery shopping, right?), I came across Swierzawa, just 45 minutes from Boleslawiec. Further research led me to discover that Swierzawa offers something unique that I've not experienced elsewhere. An ecomuseum of the village.  Now, most ecomuseums (European and elsewhere) tend to be re-creations of a time past (i.e. Williamsburg Virginia comes to mind), where homes, shops and such have been built to allow folks today an opportunity to experience how things 'used to be' long ago.  Well, Swierzawa differs in the fact that nothing is a re-creation, but rather, many residents within the village open their homes to strangers and passers-by who long to understand the Polish culture, see how various people live and potentially buy an art or craft that the residents are selling.  We visited about 8 homes while here.  Some had lots of beehives, where you could see how they raised and kept the bees, produced the honey and even made honey wine!  Others were true artisans with pottery, ceramics and clay - not in the traditional sense of Polish pottery, but in artistic pieces (think vases, bowls, figures, etc.).  There was even a home that sold embroidery created by various family members.  They showed us their lovely handcrafted wares proudly and we relished every second.  Each family invited inside their home, full of smiles, happy to show a curious tourist their creations.  We saw homes that had no walls, no roofing, but yet held a kiln that cost thousands of dollars and a family that grinned ear to ear in pride to have obtained such a splurge.  We saw homes that looked warm and inviting, again with families that grinned ear to ear, just to show off their crafts.  Just an example of some of the art available: www.art-el.prv.pl For  more information on the village of Swierzawa and its ecomuseum, visit www.ekomuzeum.info/

The area of Lower Silesia also offers plenty of castles, churches and nature-oriented sites (extinct volcano).  Just 10 minutes from Villa Greta is Grodziec Castle, built in the 10th century. It sits high up on a hill, overlooking farmfields and surrounded by forests.  The drive up is worth it alone, if a visit to the castle (just walking around checking out the gothic architecture) isn't enough. And then there is the ever-so-impressive Church of Peace in Jawor.  WOW!  The church was finished in 1655, features timber-frames and one of the most beautiful interiors I've seen in a church (and I loooove my churches).  The interior is brightly painted in baroque style and is simply magnificent.  And the drive out to Jawor, again, stunning.  Trees lined the carless roads and everything was green, green, green.  I just love Poland! 

All in all, the trip which began with a focus on Polish pottery took an unexpected turn and wound up being one of cultural understanding and a deep appreciation for folks who don't seem to have much in the monetary sense, but hold a wealth of treasure within their hearts.  For those of you venturing off to Boleslawiec, do yourselves (and your soul) an immense favor and make the 45 minute drive to stay at least a few days in Swierzawa.  You'll be glad you did and richer for it!