Holidays are, above all, a time of blissful laziness. For ecotourists, however, it is above all the best time for active recreation, careful observation, and experiencing what surrounds us. It is also a great time to learn through play and participation in various forms of workshops and themed classes. Thanks to them, you can get to know the local arts, crafts and traditions with all your senses. It is therefore worth looking for places that will be in line with our interests, and at the same time will allow us to spend time in an interesting and creative way. You can find them by accident on the route of a holiday adventure or plan your stay in such a way as to take part in specific activities. One thing is for sure: it is worth taking advantage of what they offer.

Krakow and its surroundings ...

Residents of large cities, tired of the constant rush, street bustle and excessive duties, are eager to flee to the countryside in search of respite in the bosom of nature. Cracovians do not have to travel far, because in the heart of the Miechowska Upland in Zarogów, in the Cottage at Małgorzatka and Radek, they can relax and calm down thanks to handicraft workshops in tissue paper craft and crocheting, as well as agrotherapy classes, including: hortitherapy (healing with gardens, walks and gardening from weeding, planting, watering plants for harvesting), silvotherapy (therapy using trees and forests), climatotherapy (climate therapy, using the natural environment, terrain and landscape for therapeutic purposes, including sun, air and air-movement baths) and landscape therapy (admiring beautiful landscapes). On site, you can spend the night in a guest house located in a rural garden, and rent bikes and Nordic walking equipment to spend time actively with your loved ones.

Another place with an unusual offer is Pauza, located near Kozłów. Pauza was created to serve relaxation and creation. It is a meeting place for people who just want to be with themselves and others in an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance, in peace - away from the hustle and bustle, fast lifestyle, and big city rush. The hosts organize creative classes, music workshops and relaxation sessions, concerts, massages with the sound of Himalayan bowls and concert pitches, musical meetings for children, as well as workshops on cooking and clay moulding. In Pauza, local, healthy food is promoted. Practical training promoting permaculture and a healthy lifestyle in harmony with nature takes place here. It is worth following the current offer on the website so that we don't miss anything interesting.

Tarnów and its surroundings...

A great treat for all nature lovers, including the youngest ones, will certainly be multimedia workshops, animation programmes and guided tours organized by the Krystyna and Włodzimierz Tomków Nature Museum in Ciężkowice. Thanks to them, you can learn almost everything about the natural treasures of the Carpathian Foothills. Multimedia lessons called "Our bats" and "Animals of the Red Book of the Carpathian Foothills", or the workshops "Underwater trip by bathyscaphe" in dummy boats discovering the underwater treasures of the Biała River and the Natura 2000 network, are just some of the proposals that will satisfy every wildlife enthusiast. Field trips called "Trail of legends" and "Hunters of the Rock Treasury of the City" will present the history and legends of the Petrified City in an inspiring and varied way.  

Wielbiciele smaku wina i miodu, podróżując w okolicach Tarnowa nie powinni ominąć na szlaku wędrówki Pasieki i Piwnic Antoniego w Woli Lubeckiej. Miejsce to prowadzone jest przez ludzi dzielących swoją pasję od trzech pokoleń. Na południowych zboczach winnicy dojrzewają wyborne winogrona, z których gospodarze produkują doskonałe trunki, a w ulach pracowite pszczoły wytwarzają słodki i aromatyczny miód. Pasieka oferuje ciekawe warsztaty prezentujące proces produkcji miodu i tajniki apiterapii. Z kolei w winnicy prowadzone są degustacje z komentarzem oraz warsztaty  z zakresu enoterapii. Zdecydowanie warto odwiedzić to miejsce, by dowiedzieć się więcej o pszczelarstwie i produkcji wina.

Lovers of the taste of wine and honey, travelling around Tarnów, should not miss the Pasieka and Piwnice Antoniego in Wola Lubecka on the hiking trail. This place is run by people who have shared their passion for three generations. Fine grapes ripen on the southern slopes of the vineyard, from which the hosts produce excellent wines, and in the hives the hard-working bees produce sweet and aromatic honey. Pasieka offers interesting workshops presenting the process of honey production and the secrets of apitherapy. In turn, the vineyard conducts tastings with commentary and workshops in the field of enotherapy. It is definitely worth visiting this place to learn more about beekeeping and wine production.

Podhale ...

While traveling through Orawa, it is worth visiting the Museum - Orawa Ethnographic Park in Zubrzyca Górna - a fascinating museum, opened in 1955. It tells about the rich culture of the region, its history, architecture, and the life of the inhabitants of Orawa. In the former Orawa’s cottages and farms, workshops are also held that allow you to fully explore the traditions of this part of Małopolska, and also experience first-hand how life went on here many years ago. Threshing cereals, grinding in querns, kneading dough and baking Orawa "moskol" potato flatbread, the process of processing flax and combing your own linen, sewing cuddly rags, making decorative flowers from tissue paper, painting on glass - these are just some of the activities in which you can participate during classes in the open-air museum. The offer for the blind and visually impaired, for whom a special programme has been prepared, is also interesting - I touch, therefore I am ...

In turn, in the Museum of Władysław Orkan in Rabka-Zdrój, as part of the programme of museum lessons and workshops, creative classes in painting on glass are held. This painting technique, characteristic of Podhale, requires great precision and patience, but making a painting by yourself brings great satisfaction. In the museum you can also explore the secrets of ritual arts, and even old country fashion.

If anyone wants to watch chamois and marmots in their natural environment - of course, safely and at a distance - Wild Tatras nature tours with a Tatra mountain guide is a great opportunity to face wild nature in small groups. The offer is complemented by botanical trips through the Tatra forests and glades, in the land of mountain pastures and crags, multimedia presentations and Leave No Trace training.

Western Małopolska...

The Ecomuseum is a curiosity in itself! The network of attractions in the field presents the "living" natural, historical and cultural heritage - it allows you to see, learn and experience the various values of the region in a unique way. The Carp Valley Ecomuseum invites you to visit interesting places to admire the charms of the area, learn about pond management and taste the local cuisine, especially dishes made of unique fish grown on the spot. The Ecomuseum is also an opportunity to meet enthusiasts who not only talk about their activities and present unusual products, but also teach how to make them yourself. It is a real treasury of various activities that bring closer the disappearing professions of local craftsmen, such as wicker workers at the "Wiklinex" wicker farm, where you can see a wicker plantation, follow its processing, and see what the difficult art of wickerwork is. And during workshops you can make real wonders yourself.

In turn, at the Farfurka Ceramics Studio in Witanowice, we will learn about the techniques of working with clay and the individual stages of creating functional and artistic ceramics. In the "Bałysówka" Art Gallery in Tomice, arranged in a historic wooden house, during ceramic workshops we will learn an interesting Japanese method of firing RAKU ceramics. The host of the place is the artist Mira Sabatowicz. We will have a fantastic and creative time at the Bę202 Creative Workshop in Bęczyn. It was created with the artistic education of children and adults in mind. Under the supervision of a visual artist, you can easily develop your skills by training your workshop and stimulating your imagination. The artists of Pracownia deal with 2D graphics and design. Their works are characterized by originality in the approach to form, and the motto is minimalism and simplicity. On site you can buy original artistic products inspired by folk art, signed by the renowned artist Borys Fiodorowicz.

Enthusiasts of geology and history will surely be interested in the offer of educational workshops in Bolęcin - Village under the Rock. There you can discover the most ancient history and geological history of the area. The participants of field games can play explorers of prehistoric creatures, walk along the bottom of the Triassic sea, and jump on the highest glacial dune in the area.  The time spent in Bolęcin will be additionally made more pleasant by a tasty regional meal and the possibility of lighting a bonfire.

Sącz land ...

Kasina Wielka, Kasinka Mała, Lubomierz, Olszówka, Mszana Dolna and Niedźwiedź - you can look for treasures in these six towns in Zagórz by following the directions of the quest! Zagórzan quests are a real feast for the body and spirit - great fun for young and old ecotourists. The guide to the quest expeditions is Jasiek, a Zagórzański Highlander, who shows each explorer the way to the treasure in verse texts. Anyone who decides to find the carefully hidden treasure can get an additional reward. Quest leaflets can be obtained from all the municipalities of Zagórz, along with a leaflet in which - together with Jasiek - it will be possible to collect the beads of Zagórz. It is worth knowing that there are additional prizes for collecting the entire rope.

Being in the area, after the emotions associated with solving quest puzzles, it is worth taking advantage of the wide range of workshops available in Zagórzańskie Dziedziny. In the Lubogoszcz Base, on the educational path, you can get acquainted with the main forest-forming species, become aware of the complexity of interrelationships between organisms in the forest ecosystem, learn to recognize tree and shrub species, and how to build a forest. Together with Zagórzańskie Dziedziny and the Orkana Museum in Rabka, handicraft, art, music, dance, culinary, handicraft and educational workshops are organized here.

You can find a wider offer of artistic and educational workshops in each subregion of Małopolska in the guides "Travel around Małopolska in the eco rhythm”. Go on a journey through the region and experience the surrounding nature, culture and tradition with all your senses. There is still so much to discover in Małopolska!