Pottery Shopping in Poland :: Top 5 Polish Pottery Factory Stores in Boleslawiec

The other day a friend and I took a spontaneous trip to Bolesławiec, Poland - famous for it's pottery! It's addictive. We do confess. This beautiful kitchenware and decor all-in-one! I found this list on another blog (neveradulldayinpoland.com) and thought it was worth sharing...

Why I Love Polish Pottery

• Dishwasher, microwave, freezer & oven safe.
• Non-toxic, free of lead and cadmium – Safe to use with any food.
• Extremely durable – the glaze resists chips and scratches.
• Easy to clean – the glaze provides excellent food release properties.
• Retains heat and cold for extended periods.
• Excellent heat distribution helps food retain moisture in cooking.
• Heirloom Quality – made to be passed down from generation to generation.
• You may safely use ceramics in the microwave for up to 4 minutes and in a conventional oven at temperatures up to 350°F. 

We made the trip with my two kiddos (2 1/2 + 15mths) and sure are glad we took a leappad! We branched out a bit and found two NEW (to me) factory stores to shop at! 

:: Top 5 Polish Pottery Factory Stores in Boleslawiec ::

(from this trip!)

1. Andar - our FAVOURITE find! This lady has a small factory out of her home in Tomaszów Bolesławiecki off highway 94 (coming in from the A4). See map here. She has beautiful pieces and great prices!!! This was our first stop and we needed to get cash. [note: this was the only shop that didn't take credit card!] But it was totally worth going back - such a sweet woman and she paints the pottery herself, together with one friend. 

2. Andy - this factory is also in Tomaszów Bolesławiecki on the other side of highway 94. It is VERY geared towards Americans (everything is in English... american shaped cookie pots, baking dishes etc.) which i am not a huge fan of. They have a nice new clean store and if you go to the bathroom you can see 5-7 womens painting the pottery in a room across the hall.

3. Zakłady Ceramiczne - tent sale! We scored here. One of the biggest factories in Bolesławiec right off the main roundabout (rondo). The lady said the sale tent is there from May - November. And the prices were GREAT! This was one of our biggest purchases! Here's my friend, Shelley with her goods!

4. Wiza (and strip mall located at Tadeusza Kościuszki 24B - Vena, Manufaktura, Tyrcz, Kalich Ceramika) - There is a strip mall with about 5 stores... i didn't find any of them super special. We always check out the sales shelves! But I did get 2 small plates here with fun patterns for a great price.

5. Ceramika Artystyczna - This little store (Styl) is located across from the strip mall on Kościuszki. It has some great sale tables and in the past i've bought A LOT here but it depends what they have. If you're looking for a WC (bathroom) this is a good stop... inside the main building to the left there is a bathroom you can use (look for the WC sign). Totally a worthwhile stop!

extra:

Ceramika - From the strip mall if you head towards the main roundabout (& Kaufland superstore) there is a store located behind the big factory. It is big and has a good selection, but in my opinion it's pricey. If you're looking for something specific it's a good stop.

Here's some photos from our day...

 

the old square is pretty and quaint

one of the 2 restaurants we saw downtown

this is what a 2 year old does when he gets out of the stroller... runs around and plays with leaves!

Here is a list from another blog i found of pottery brands/manufacturer’s of Polish pottery from the biggest to smallest. The ones in bold i've highlighted and linked to above... 

1. Ceremika Artystyczna
2. Zaklady
3. Manufaktura
4. WR (strip mall)
5. Kalich (strip mall)
6. Andy
7. Millena
8. Vena (strip mall)
9. Wiza (strip mall)
10. Cer-Raf
11. Tyrcz (strip mall)
12. Ada

There is another section of town where i've shopped before with 5-10 stores that we didn't get to visit this time around... next time i do i'll be sure to post on them! (One is Henry's which you can read about here) To see a google map I put together of stores in Bolesławiec click here :: Pottery Stores in Bolesławiec

View Boleslawiec Pottery Stores in a larger map