Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. Time wasn’t gentle with the folk costume of Kujawy region of Poland. Not all of the pieces of the traditional dress survived. Many of them are not used today even by folk dancers and folklore experts. Some garments can be found only in the old paintings. The male folk costume consists of a white embroidered shirt, a blue waistcoat (kaftan, or vest) decorated with embroidery and tassels, striped or blue embroidered trousers, a hat called “krakuska”, a belt, and boots. Male and female national costumes of Kashubian ethnic group (Pomerania region). Photo from Wikipedia.org Very colorful and bright folk costumes are typical for this region. The main feature of the outfits from the central part of Poland is colorful stripes. For example, almost every piece of a Łowicz costume (Łowicz region of the country) is decorated with stripes of all colors and sizes. The Masovian area is considered to have the most festive traditional dresses in Poland. Even today, many Poles from other regions wear Masovian outfits for holidays and special occasions.

Folk dancers in the traditional Masovian clothing. Photo from Wikipedia.org, photographer – Jan MehlichFolk singers in traditional outfits from Silesia region of Poland. Photo from Wikipedia.org, photographer – Jan Mehlich Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together. The male folk costume consists of a linen shirt with no or little embellishments (mostly embroidery), plain linen trousers, a woven belt, a woolen overcoat, a straw hat for summer and woolen hat for winter, linen footcloths, and bast shoes. The outfit is very simple and peasant. The basts were made from the birch bark or linden bark. The bags were also woven of bark.

Most jewelry pieces could be found on a corset: gold and silver chains and fastenings. Festive belts also were decorated with valuables. The men’s hat is pretty interesting. It is called “kapuza”. It is a very big hat made from lamb’s leather. In summer, Pomeranian males used a straw hat. The 19th century brought the biggest boom of the Polish folk dress. The traditional costume of Poland is called in Polish “stroje ludowe”. Different regions of the country have their own unique features. We can name 8 biggest historic regions of Poland (therefore there are roughly 8 basic variations of a folk dress): Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Pomerania, Prussia (including Warmia), Masovia, Kujawy, Podlasie, and Silesia. As any other region of the country, Greater Poland has its history. But in this case, historical events influenced the traditional costume of the area pretty much. During the 17th-18th century, the majority of the population of Greater Poland died of wars, diseases, and natural disasters. Then immigrants from Germany and the Netherlands started populating this part of Poland. They brought their traditions and customs that gradually mixed with the local ones. The national costume of Greater Poland is the result of such a mix. It was formed in the second half of the 19th century. And it is very bright, rich in embellishments, and festive.

Site Customisation

Polish postcard picturing young girls in the traditional costumes of Greater Poland region. Photo from Worldcometomyhome.blogspot.com