The Camerimage Film Festival takes place each year in Bydgoszcz, Poland. My partner was invited to attend as a guest speaker and we spent 4 fun-filled days there. This charming mill town is located in the Northern part of the country on the Brda River.
Find a local guide in Bydgoszcz, here.
We arrived after a 10-hour flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, transferred to a 1 ½ hour flight to Warsaw where we met a taxi driver who drove us four hours to Bydgoszcz. He spoke no English so we couldn’t communicate with him. In retrospect, we should have landed in Gdańsk which is only a 2-hour drive, but our itinerary was booked through the film festival.
Arriving at our hotel
We stayed at Hotel Sloneczny Mlyn, a comfortable and conveniently located hotel near the Opera House where the festival was held. As soon as we checked in, we were whisked away by our designated handler, Basia (Barbara), who escorted us to the festival and a party that included a sumptuous feast of Polish cuisine.
The city’s state-of-the-art Opera House is on the shore of the River Brda.
Buffet Polish style
The hotel served a tasty breakfast buffet in the morning. In true Polish fashion, it featured specialties like Bigos, (hunter’s stew) pierogi (dumplings with various fillings) fish, cheeses, button mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, pastries, and delicious coffee. My kind of breakfast!
A quick tour of Bydgoszcz
We had some spare time so Basia took us on a tour of the old section of Bydgoszcz. (Pronounced Bid – Ghost with a ch on the end) It took me a while to spit that out correctly. There was a war memorial in the Old Market Square to commemorate citizens killed during WWII.
The Gothic Revival Style Saint Andrew Bobola’s Church in Bydgoszcz was built in 1903. I was immediately mesmerized by the mystical insignia at the portal.
The colorful ceiling and pillars of the Bydgoszcz Gothic Cathedral Church built in 1466 sits on the site of a wooden church burned down by Teutonic Knights.
More photos of our tour of Bydgoszcz
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See more photos of our trip to Poland here.
Lunch at a centuries-old Polish restaurant
We worked up an appetite walking around so we stopped for lunch at a rustic old restaurant called Karczma Młyńska (Mill Tavern) housed in a 300-year-old building. It’s located on the Brda River on Mill Island and is decorated with antiques from Germany, Austria, and Italy.
The first item we were served was a small pot of pork fat that you spread on freshly baked bread. The idea of it sounded unappetizing and unhealthy, but it was tasty.
I also had a bowl of Zurek soup made with soured rye flour and meat (usually boiled pork sausage or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon, or ham). and a shot of cranberry vodka. It was a perfect warm-up, especially for a southern California girl not used to the cold.
My companions dined on stuffed pierogi with ham and Barszcz. (beetroot soup)
Meat is a big thing in Poland
Most of the restaurants in Poland feature Kielbasa or other types of sausages. You’ll find fresh handmade sausages in butcher shops free from all the fillers and junk in American-made sausage. Goose, duck, pheasant, and rabbit are also popular menu items in Poland.
One dish that I have no desire to try is duck’s blood soup. Sorry, even though I’m a raving foodie, I can’t go there.
A brewery by the river
While the guys were off doing their presentations, Basia took me sightseeing along the river Brda and we ate lunch at a local brewery.
The next day, the guys joined us there. Did you mention beer?
More from our time there
How to deal with the language barrier
Many older people in Poland don’t speak English. However, students in school are now required to learn English so if you need directions ask someone under 40. Barbara was able to help us pick out what we wanted to eat on “Polish only” menus and decipher train schedules. I wish we could have taken her with us when we left for Warsaw and Krakow.
Changing times, more conscious nutrition
I asked Barbara if heart disease was a big problem in Poland because of their meat-heavy diet. She didn’t think so but I later found out that heart, respiratory disease, and cirrhosis of the liver, due to drinking lots of vodka are common problems for Poles. Their diet may not be the healthiest in the world, but their food is still delicious.
Cabbage, wild mushrooms, and beets are cancer fighters after all. I love stuffed cabbage, cabbage soup, Barszcz, and anything with sauerkraut! The Poles also love to eat wild berries and other fruits when available.
Barbara said there are vegetarian and vegan restaurants popping up in Poland for those who are more health-conscious, but because the weather is harsh, and it gets dark as early as 4 pm in the winter, that probably explains why they love eating so much meat. It keeps them warm on long winter nights!
Bydgoszcz was charming and visiting a smaller town in Poland is a wonderful way to learn more about the people and their culture. I hope we get invited back again.
Find the best things to do in Bydgoszcz, here.
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