What should I get for a gift for somebody who's never visited Poland?

Hello everyone.
I want to get a nice gift for a friend who's from the UK and never been to Poland. I will be travelling by coach bus, so I will be limited to the boarder-crossing duty free selections.

I more so integrate into Polish culture and I cannot tell what would make a great gift... please suggest!
Thank you.

There's no duty-fee between Poland and the UK and if you go by coach, the only border you will see is at Dover. Get some chocolates (not, repeat not, Ptasie Mleko) or a nice bottle of flavoured vodka.

I saw a webpage from the Swiss government and I also had a friend from Poland who bussed into Switzerland, and there were some times random border checks. According to the website, there is a limit. 300CHF worth of goods, and for things like food and alcohol, by weight and volume. For ex, you are allowed up to 1kg of meat from Poland.

My British friend currently lives in Switzerland, a chocolate capital, and not a big fan of vodka. Any other suggestions?

They don't usher you into the duty-free shop during a random border check. In my experience they just look at passports and maybe sniff at the baggage in the hold.

It would be useful if you'd mentioned that you're travelling to Switzerland rather than the UK, the only country other than Poland that you mentioned in your original post. Unless you're planning on luxury (doubtful since you're using buses) the 300CHF limit will not be an issue for you.

Right sorry about that. I posted this quite late into the night and I wasn't all too lucid.

Sękacz. A slice, not a whole one. Unusual and delicious.

No worries, I replied early morning before I found my glasses or drank a coffee ;-)

Roger's suggestion of Sękacz is a good one. Most food shops in town should have it (and definitely not a whole one!). Cherries in chocolate and alcohol are good too, as is nalewka, Wiśniówka is a nice one. Tins of goose pate are good (get from Krakowskie Kredens or whatever it's called, at Nowy Swiat 23 rather than the supermarket; they have lots of traditional stuff in fancy boxes which make nice gifts).

A good bottle of vodka always goes down well. Contrary to what people say, there isn't that much difference between them, if you exclude the bottom and top 10% of the price range, so just choose the one with a label that looks good.

How about getting a red t-shirt made up that says:
Visit Poland @ polishforms.com
Easy to carry and it won't spoil or get broken.

Small linens such as doilies are nice for a female.

For a man, get him a nice jar of smalec! The greasier the better!

That's a good idea. Any Cepelia shop should have plenty of stuff like that (in Warsaw, the easiest to find is on Marszalkowska, opposite Metro Centrum, in the 70s modernist pavilion building by the side of the Metropol Hotel. There's also a good linen shop further up Marszalkowska, past MacDonalds, sort of opposite Metro Swietokrzyszka.

I wouldn't take chocolates to Switserland....it is a bit like taking chocolates to Belgium or ice to Greenland :)


I know Jon, they are cheap and most likely inflammable...but I am taking them to Belgium - somehow my parents like them(They could be excused because of their age :) )

On Podwale there used to be a nice linen shop, not exactly cheap but they had nice stuff.
Bołesłąwiec earthenware springs to mind as well as gift.

Feck it. Get him a cuckoo clock and a Toblerone.

hehehe

I like the idea of Sękacz! I just had some of the smalec today and it was great! But yes, keep the ideas coming! Thank you!

Lol, I was being sarcastic when I suggested greasy smalec, as a gift for a man. Better make it some nice Polish piwo instead 😃

Years have passed and your attitude evolved to I'm afraid I would get bored rather quickly in Poland. :):):)

Why not Ptasie Mleczko?

Yeah, I like Ptasie Mleczko... But only by Wedel... Others are usually crap ;P

You can get that in US and I am sure one can get that in UK as well.I would look for something that is kind of rare or not so easy to get,but the OP was in a bus limited to duty free shops.Again to think of in 2014 duty free shops will not be duty free shops as it was EU then.

LOL I wish they sold bimber at those shops :)

Coz some people consider it awful stuff. I feel like throwing up whenever sb offers it to me. :):):)
A small figurine of PIS Chairman will be much better: it has a shaking head!!!

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Try to eat the chocolate and the center separately.

@Alien, that's how I eat it ;D

Hate Ptasie Mleczko.

@Paulina
Me too
@Lenka
Love it

:D *żółwik" 🤜🤛


Even the one made by Wedel? :/

Any Paulina :)

Because it reminds us of that stuff that a mother bird regurgitates from their throat into its baby bird`s beak. :):):)

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OK... :( 😢

What about Kasztanki??

Nah, I'm generally not fond of that type of sweets. I make exception for Michalki.

Błeee. Strange flavour. If there are no other sweets, I can eat one or two but they are the last position on the preference list. :):):)

Coming back on topic:

How about a mug with Prime Minister Morawiecki showing a precious chunk of coal???:

In winter time I will keep you in my warm memory

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I would choose a box of Solidarność Śliwka Nałęczowska ( plums in chocolate ) or Wawel truffles.
Ptasie Mleczko tastes completely artificial. There's something about them that reminds me of polystyrene....