We begin our journey through the best places to learn pottery in Poland with the picturesque Bieszczady Mountains, where you'll find the 'Biesczary' Ceramics Studio. This is a place that combines the wild beauty of the mountains with centuries-old pottery tradition. The studio, located in Jankowce, offers an extraordinary experience of communing with clay surrounded by Bieszczady nature. The studio's owners cultivate the region's pottery traditions, which date back to the 17th century, when local craftsmen used the rich clay deposits to create usable vessels.

At 'Biesczarach' you can take part in workshops where participants learn traditional techniques for forming vessels on the potter's wheel. What sets this workshop apart is the use of natural raw materials sourced from the surrounding area. The clay mined in the Bieszczady Mountains has unique properties that contribute to the characteristic appearance and durability of the products. During the workshop, you can learn about the entire process of creating pottery - from the preparation of clay, through molding, drying, to firing in a traditional wood-fired kiln, a rarity these days.

An interesting aspect of Bieszczady pottery is the influence of Lemko and Boyko cultures, which inhabited the area for centuries. Their traditions and design still inspire the makers of 'Biesczary' today. The workshops are conducted in intimate groups, allowing for individual attention to each participant. Prices for participation are at a medium level, making them accessible to a wide range of interested parties.

Moving to the north of Poland, we arrive in Gdynia, where Urszula Pietrzak runs her studio. This seaside location offers a completely different pottery experience, inspired by the seascape and Baltic tradition. Urszula Pietrzak's Pottery Studio is a place where traditional pottery techniques meet modern trends in artistic ceramics.

Urszula Pietrzak, who has gained experience with renowned pottery masters, conducts workshops for different age groups. Her specialties are vessels inspired by the Baltic coast - bowls resembling shells, plates with wave motifs or vases decorated with sand textures. During the workshops, participants can learn not only the basics of turning on the wheel, but also decorative and glazing techniques, characteristic of the Pomeranian region.

It is interesting to note that Urszula Pietrzak's workshop continues the traditions of Gdynia pottery, which developed intensively in the interwar period, when Gdynia received city rights and became an important cultural center. Workshops at this studio are a bit more expensive than in Bieszczady, but include all materials and the firing of finished works, which participants can take with them as souvenirs.

Moving to central Poland, we find ourselves in Lodz, where there is a PRACOWNIA Ceramika & Garncarstwo Lodz. This place is of special significance to the history of Polish pottery, as Lodz, although mainly associated with the textile industry, also has a rich ceramic tradition. The studio is located in a historic building on Szpitalna Street, which itself is a testimony to the industrial history of the city.

The Lodz workshop is distinguished by combining traditional pottery techniques with a modern approach to functional ceramics. Workshop leaders draw inspiration from the rich history of pottery in the Lodz region, which developed in parallel with the textile industry in the 19th century. During the class, you can learn the technique of turning on a potter's wheel, which is similar to those used by potters in the 17th and 18th centuries.

An interesting aspect of the Lodz workshop is its reference to the multicultural traditions of Lodz. In the workshop one can find Jewish, German and Russian influences, which have shaped the character of the city over the years. This cultural diversity is reflected in the proposed patterns and decorative techniques. The studio offers workshops of varying levels of sophistication, from one-time sessions for beginners to regular courses for those who want to develop their pottery skills.

Compared to previously described places, the Lodz studio offers workshops in the middle price range, making them accessible to a wide audience. An additional advantage is the possibility to purchase finished ceramic products, which can provide inspiration for workshop participants.

Continuing our journey, we reach the capital of Poland, where there is the Polska Ceramika Bolesławiec Warsaw store & ceramic workshops. This place is unique because it combines pottery traditions from different regions of Poland, with a special focus on the famous Boleslawiec pottery, whose history dates back to the 14th century.

The Warsaw workshop offers a unique experience of learning the decorative techniques characteristic of Boleslawiec pottery, which in 2017 was included on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. During the workshop, you can learn the traditional stamping technique used to create the distinctive 'peacock eyes' or 'field flowers' patterns, which are recognized around the world.

An interesting aspect of the workshop in Warsaw is the opportunity to compare different ceramic styles from all over Poland. In addition to Boleslawiec techniques, participants can learn about elements of pottery from other regions, such as Pawlowo or Baranow, where pottery traditions date back to the 17th century. In the 17th century, there were about 150 potters in Pawlowo, who used traditional ovens made of bricks to fire siwaks - distinctive gray-colored vessels.

The Warsaw studio offers workshops in a range of price ranges, from one-time sessions to extensive courses. Compared to other places, the prices are slightly higher, which is due to the location in the center of the capital and the use of original Boleslawiec materials.

To conclude our tour of the best places to learn pottery in Poland, we move to the picturesque village of Czysta, where you'll find Gliniana Zagroda - a combination of agritourism and a ceramics studio. This place offers the unique experience of communing with traditional pottery in an authentic rural setting, which is reminiscent of the atmosphere of old villages where craftsmanship was an integral part of everyday life.

Clay Homestead stands out from other studios with its holistic approach to pottery. Here, the process of creating pottery starts from the very beginning - the extraction and preparation of clay from local deposits. This is a reference to the pottery-making traditions of the Oder River riparian region, where rich clay deposits fostered the development of this craft. Similar to MANOceramics of Malczyce, which was established in 2016, the Clay Homestead is housed in pre-war farm buildings, surrounded by a garden and orchard, which adds a unique, authentic character to the place.

During workshops at the Clay Homestead, participants can learn traditional pottery techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. The instructors show how pottery work used to be shared among family members - the men were in charge of extracting the clay and rolling the pots, while the women helped with finishing touches such as decorating and glazing. This family tradition of pottery making is still alive today in many regions of Poland, such as in Pawlowo, where the secrets of the craft are passed from father to son.

An interesting aspect of the workshops at the Clay Homestead is the opportunity to learn about different types of potter's wheels. The instructors show how the tool evolved - from the primitive freewheel, through the non-spon wheel set in motion by a foot (used by the Baranov potters), to the modern spon wheel, a double-disc wheel with a foot drive. This technical evolution, which began around 3200 B.C. in Mesopotamia, revolutionized the process of making vessels and contributed to the emergence of the pottery profession.

The Clay Homestead also offers an opportunity to learn about traditional pottery firing techniques. Unlike modern electric kilns, here you can see how traditional wood-fired kilns work, which give the wares their distinctive look and characteristics. This harkens back to a tradition in Pavlov, where they used oak-fired kilns to fire siwaks.

Compared to the other places described in the article, the Clay Homestead offers the most comprehensive pottery experience combined with a farm stay. Prices vary depending on the length of stay and type of workshop, but are generally in the middle price range.

To summarize our tour of the best places to learn pottery in Poland, it's worth noting how diverse these centers are - from Bieszczady studios drawing on Lemko and Boyko traditions, to seaside inspirations in Gdynia, to Lodz's references to the city's multicultural history, to Warsaw workshops showcasing the richness of Boleslawiec pottery, to a comprehensive agritourism experience at Glinian Homestead. Each of these venues offers a unique approach to traditional craftsmanship, which has shaped Polish material culture for centuries and continues to fascinate successive generations today.