Are you wondering what are the best things to buy in Poland and what to bring back home from your trip? There are lots of fun and unique Polish souvenirs to buy or bring as gifts for friends and family.
The list of the best gifts from Poland is countless. Perhaps you might want to benefit from our local knowledge and buy the best Polish products. If you do, continue reading below. Here’s a list of the 14 top things to buy from Poland.
We are happy to confirm that you can get the majority of the below gifts from Poland online.
Decorative Easter Eggs
Looking for some traditional gift from Poland?
Our folkloric Easter eggs are real works of art. Patterns depend on the region of Poland, and they can be painted, scratched, stuck, or waxed. As a souvenir from Poland, we recommend wooden Easter eggs that will survive the journey and will please the eye for years.
In Poland, souvenirs such as handicrafts you can buy during local fairs and regional events, at souvenir shops, Polish airports or order them online on Amazon.
Amber Jewelry
Amber is the best souvenir from your stay on the Polish coast. In Polish folk medicine, amber was a very popular remedy for various illnesses. The most popular gift is silver jewelry with amber.
You will find the largest selection of amber products in Gdańsk. You can also order them online from individual vendors.
Pottery from Bolesławiec
We always buy Bolesławiec ceramics for our foreign friends, and we think it is one of the best souvenirs from Poland you can get and Poland must-buy. It’s simply beautiful, and it works well as tableware or kitchen decor.
Bolesławiec is a small town located in Lower Silesia and you get easily get there from Wrocław. Ceramics have been produced there since the beginning of the 19th century. Also today, every product is hand-decorated with characteristic patterns.
You can buy Bolesławiec ceramics at various souvenirs shops or purchase online on Amazon. Lately, we found a small Japanese Café in Berlin, fully equipped with Bolesławiec pottery!
Polish old-school gadgets
Polish design from the 60s, 70s, and 80s is still very popular. There are many, often humorous, references to the PRL era, as well as everyday design that we remember with a sentiment. We recommend buying a mug used in a milk bar, a T-shirt with a Polish word or an artistic poster.
Our favorite store with this type of gadget and other Polish souvenirs online is PTNS.
Wooden carvings
A combination of tradition and beauty. Wooden figurines have accompanied us for years and are deeply rooted in Polish culture. In Poland, you can buy beautiful wooden toys for children, give them as traditional Polish Christmas gifts, or treat as a nice gadget.
Look for the figurines carved manually. Our favorites are wooden birds and angels from Kraków.
Linen products from Poland
Natural linen is one of the noblest materials, as it is entirely natural and biodegradable, skin-friendly, and extremely durable.
Linen products have accompanied Polish people for centuries, so consider buying beautiful napkins or tablecloth with a traditional Polish pattern. They are one of the most useful things from Poland you can get for your loved ones.
Skincare products
We love Polish natural cosmetics for skincare. Over the past few years, a plenty of organic, vegan cosmetics brands have appeared on our market and the majority of their products work wonders. Our favorite brands are Resibo, Mydłostacja, Mokosh, Iossi, and Make me BIO.
You can find them in Polish drugstores (Rossmann, Hebe, Drogeria Natura, Helfy) or order online.
Inglot makeup cosmetics
The history of the Inglot brand dates back to the 1980s. The first collection was made of nail polishes. Then eye shadows and lipsticks. Currently, Polish Inglot cosmetics are available on six continents (e.g., London’s Oxford Street, Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Times Square in NY, Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas).
You can find Inglot shops in most of the shopping malls in Poland or order products online. The majority of the Inglot products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Gingerbread from Toruń
The original gingerbread from Toruń is baked based on a traditional 700-year-old recipe. The dough is made by hand from flour, water, milk, honey, and spices in the right proportions.
According to legend, the daughter of a Toruń miller, called Katarzyna, was to prepare delicious delicacies for the king’s arrival. Bees advised her to add honey to bread and cakes.
The baked goods went brilliantly, and the king began to praise Toruń gingerbread throughout Europe. If you try the gingerbread from Toruń, you will understand why they are different from popular gingerbread.
You can buy them in the big supermarkets, shops with local food and at the airports.
Kabanosy (Polish dry sausage)
Sausages and vodka are two main polish export products. Kabanosy are thin, long sausages, prepared from corned pork, carefully dried and smoked.
There are various types of them, and they are perfect for eating on the go. If you are not a vegetarian, don’t leave Poland without buying some sausages!
You can buy them at every grocery shop, gas station, on Amazon, and at the airports.
Polish sweets
Don’t leave Poland without trying our sweets. The must-try is Ptasie Mleczko (bird’s milk). It is a vanilla-flavored milk froth covered with milk chocolate. If you like toffee, you will definitely enjoy krówki (fudges), and for hard candy, we recommend kukułki (cuckoos), which are caramels with cocoa filling with a delicate hint of alcohol.
Polish Vodka
If you ask what Poland is famous for, our answer will be: vodka. We compete for the title of vodka homeland with Russia, but anyway, vodka is undoubtedly an element of Polish culture and tradition. It is often present during the most important celebrations and social gatherings, and it is considered a traditional Polish drink.
The most recognizable brand is Żubrówka with bison grass. In the past centuries, it was believed that the grass growing wild in the forest meadows was a real aphrodisiac and gives the power of the bison to those who consume it. The blade of grass in the bottle is protected as a trademark and gives additional flavor to the Żubrówka.
Oscypek cheese
It is a hard, smoked cheese, prepared from sheep’s milk, characteristic of Polish mountains, especially Podhale.
You can buy it in almost all touristic places in Poland, during Christmas Markets and regional events. If you are lucky, you can find oscypek at some polish airports. Make sure that you purchase the oscypek from the stand or shop with the certificate, as there are many cheaper imitations on the market. Finally, it tastes great warm and with a cranberry jam.
Ogórki kiszone (pickled cucumbers)
If you are wondering what to buy in Poland for just a few Polish zlotys, we can recommend you traditional Polish superfood. Ogórki kiszone are cucumbers pickled with dill, garlic, horseradish, flooded with saltwater.
The tradition of pickling cucumbers is deeply rooted in almost every Polish home. Thanks to the long-lasting fermentation process, they gain not only taste but also quality, that’s why pickled cucumbers are called a natural antibiotic. They can be a base for soups, salads, savour breakfast or a separate snack.
Buy them in the jar at every polish grocery shop or supermarket.
Polish souvenirs – summary
We hope that we helped you find the best souvenirs from Poland for you or for your loved ones. We have selected not only typical Polish souvenirs and the most famous things to buy in Poland, but also useful and beautiful ones.
All our recommendations you can find in many shops in Poland as well as order online. If you are looking for the traditional Polish gifts, don’t miss the Cepelia store. Check also one of our latest guides about the souvenirs from Georgia!
Disclosure: Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by us. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a little commission with no extra cost to you.
