SHOPPING IN THE TATRAS



There are many interesting souvenirs you may consider buying in the Tatras.

 

The most usual item is a typical Tatra-style smoked cheese. On the Polish side called oscypek, on the Slovak side osciepok, this is a typical golden colored cheese block made of sheep milk that you will find only in the Carpathian mountain regions. Another option is parenica cheese traditionally made by shepherds in the Tatras.

 

Local liquors are made of plums (slivovica), pears (hruskovica) and other fruits. A very good strong drink is the Carpathian brandy. Although not made in the Tatra region, but in the other part of Slovakia, this is one of the best things to sample while visiting in the Tatras. Please note that there in no special Tatra wine! The excellent Slovak wine is produced in the more southern regions of Slovakia, e.g. in the Small Carpathian region, Nitra region or Tokaj region in the east of the country.

 

Other classic products are made of leather and wood, traditionally used in the folkloric production. They offer all kinds of belts and leather bags, wooden cups with a small shepherd figure (crpak), pipes and spoons. These all are typical for the Tatra region. Another option is the hand-made textile production. You may consider buying Slovak glass. The flagship of the glass production in Slovakia is the factory in Lednicke Rovne in Western Slovakia. The best known pottery comes from Modra and Pozdisovce, none of them located in the Tatra region.

 

There are several traditional markets in the Tatras. The best known is in Zakopane and visiting this market is really an experience. Kezmarok hosts the annual festival of European crafts. However, this is only a few days a year in the summer. You may easily shop along the city squares in Poprad, Liptovsky Mikulas or other major Tatra towns. The best place to buy folk products in the Tatras is a specialized ULUV shop in Tatranska Lomnica, which has also a gallery presenting special exhibitions of traditional Slovak crafts.

 

If you like to shop in supermarkets and hypermarkets, you will find TESCO, HYPERNOVA and KAUFLAND branches in Liptovsky Mikulas and Poprad. There is a BILLA branch easily accessible from the Poprad train station.