Janowiec and Mięćmierz

Crossing the Vistula from Kazimierz to Janowiec entails taking a ferry; not cheap (14 złotys, or about £2.80 per person) each way for the ten-minute journey. The vessel can take up to eight cars plus foot passengers and cyclists. The traffic tends to be east-west in the mornings and west-east in the afternoons; the ferry sails between 08:00 and 18:00 in season.

Below: reminding me of the famous scene in  Fitzcarraldo. On the Kazimierz Dolny side – a riverboat, the Tina, stands motionless on the bank (online I read that the owners need to upgrade the mooring facilities before permission is given to resume sailing up and down the Vistula).

Across the river and up the hill; Janowiec castle (just like the castle in Kazimierz Dolny, destroyed by the Swedes). The castle and museum next door are covered by one ticket. Worth making the effort to come out to see.

A view from Janowiec castle's krużganki (cloisters) on the second floor of the castle ruins.

Polish viticulture is flourishing, not least because of climate change. The wines of Andrzej Dymek are available for sampling (and purchase) in the castle grounds. Having sampled his wares, I can heartily recommend his Chardonnay. Too far south for varietals such as Riesling or Hibernal, the climate around Kazimierz Dolny allows for more mainstream grapes. The Dymek vineyard is some 10km east of Kazimierz Dolny; Andrzej is the fifth generation to be making wine from the family. I was impressed by his professional approach (samples sent to lab to measure acidity; expert-level awareness of soil and climate, and to the knowledgeable client). 

At the other end of the scale are the local vineyards that produce a generic red and a generic white, who offer no possibility of sampling; this is aimed at the less-discerning tourist who merely requires a bottle of something local to take home after visiting.

Below: Dwór z Moniak (the manor house from Moniaki), an 18th century building that had been moved plank by plank in 1974 and rebuilt in the skansen (open-air folk museum) next to the castle in Janowiec. The ground floor is open to visitors as part of the museum; the first floor houses guest rooms that serve as hotel accommodation.

Below: time travel; like going back 50 or 60 years. Authenticity served here. The village of Mięćmierz lies less than 4km from the market square in Kazimierz, but the mainstream tourist does not get this far. People who buy property here are artists, pioneers, individualists. There is one karczma serving traditional food. A steep climb to a hilltop is rewarded by marvellous views over the Vistula gorge.

Below: view of Janowiec castle across the river, from the hill overlooking Mięćmierz.

If you're up for long walks, everything in and around Kazimierz Dolny and Janowiec is walking distance; over three days my health app shows 22k, 29k and 28k paces respectively; doable. 

This time last year:
Big Walk to Zalesie Górne

This time five years ago:
My return to central Warsaw after lockdown

This time six years ago:

From Peace of Mind to State of Elation

This time seven years ago
Last summer before S7 works begin

This time eight years ago
Nostalgia, ideology, aesthetics, emotions

This time nine years ago:
Civilisation and barbarism – how the former deals with the latter

This time 11 years ago:
Ahead of the opening of Jeziorki's Biedronka

This time 12 years ago:
New views of Jeziorki

This time 13 years ago:
Motorway finally links (the outskirts of) Łódź and (the outskirts of) Warsaw

This time 16 years ago:
Kraków Air Museum

This time 17 years ago:
Quintessential Jeziorki

This time 18 years ago: 
Little boxes, Mysiadło