Poland - Eastern Europe - page 415

Karczma Jana POLISH Outstanding Polish food is served in a lovely cot-
tage-style atmosphere in the Old Town just at the foot of the river. Don't expect light-
ning service, especially on the terrace in summer, but you wouldn't want to rush
anyway. For something a little different, try the beef rolls, served with sides of spiced
beets and buckwheat groats. The kind of place where the waiter might bring a plate
of pâtés as an amuse-bouche .
Kollºtaja 11. & 089/522-29-46 . Lunch and dinner items 18 zl-27 zl ($6-$9/£3.30-£5). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
11am-10pm.
Via Napoli ITALIAN Very unlike your typical Polish pizza joint—meaning it's
much more upscale (but not more expensive), with a clean, modern decor and a nicer
range of salads, pizzas, and pastas. At the same time, the attitude is casual and reser-
vations don't seem to be a problem. In summer, sit on the terrace in the back over-
looking the river.
Okopowa 21. & 089/522-99-99 . Lunch and dinner items 15 zl-21 zl ($5-$7/£2.70-£3.70). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
11am-10pm.
EXPLORING
Much of the Old Town, Stare Miasto, was destroyed during World War II. Though it
was rebuilt in a traditional style, it retains a modern, 1960s-to-1970s feel. That's not
to say it's not a pleasant place to linger for a few hours. The streets toward the L yna
river are particularly nice and atmospheric. Most of the sites in town center on the
14th-century Castle (Zamkowa 2; & 089/527-95-96; www.muzeum.olsztyn.pl),
originally built by the Teutonic Knights but thoroughly rebuilt since, tucked in
behind the Old Town. You can climb to the top of the tower for a commanding view
of the town and surroundings. A small museum (June-Sept Tues-Sun 9am-5pm;
Oct-May Tues-Sun 10am-4pm) can fill you in on the region's Polish history, and
there's a small room in the castle where the astronomer and jack-of-all-trades Coper-
nicus once lived. He once apparently commanded a Polish garrison here while under
siege by the Teutonic Knights.
AFTER DARK
For a relatively small city Olsztyn has a lively nightlife. Most of the better clubs and
cafes are in the Old Town, on the streets just along the riverbank and near the castle.
The area is pretty small, so just take a walk and see if any places appeal. For music and
occasionally live acts, try the Bohema Jazz Club (Targ Rybny 15; & 0604/483-789 ).
For coffee or a quiet drink, head for the Awangarda (Stare Miasto 23; & 089/527-
28-27 ) coffee bar, next to the cinema of the same name. The cozy “retro-rialto” inte-
rior, done up to look like an old cinema, is fun. One wall is given over to photos of
Marilyn Monroe.
The center of the action is the village of Bia l owie 9 a, about 80km (50 miles) south-
east of the industrial city of Bia l ystok. Here you'll find the main park office as well as
several decent hotels and restaurants for an overnight stay.
While much of the park is open to the public, some of the more valuable areas of
primeval forest are restricted and can only be visited with a registered guide. You can
hire guides (165 z l /$55/£30 per group of up to 20 people) at the main park office.
The tour, on foot, takes about 3 hours and covers 3km to 4km (about 2 miles) of
ground (liberally interspersed with lively stories about the park's origins and animal