Tatar Yurt in Kruszyniany

On the edge of the Knyszyn Forest, in the village of Kruszyniany known for its historic mosque, runs a Tatar agritourism farm with the Tatar Yurt restaurant. It is run by Dżenneta Bogdanowicz, and in the yard stand a genuine furnished yurt, horses and boards describing the traditions of the Tatar inhabitants of Podlasie. This is the most concrete address in the region to taste the cuisine that Tatar hostesses have nurtured for generations.

A menu from the Tatar kitchen

The menu is ruled by dishes hard to find anywhere else in Poland: Lithuanian kolduny dumplings, pierekaczewniki — closed meat pastries — trybuszoki, kibiny, pieremiacze and cebulniki. The portions are generous and the recipes reach back to the traditions of settlers who came to these lands centuries ago. After lunch it is worth looking around the yurt exhibition and talking to the hosts about the history of the local families.

Next to the mosque and the mizar

The farm lies 200 metres from the mosque in Kruszyniany and 400 metres from the mizar, the Muslim cemetery — unique in the country. The next such complex, in Bohoniki, lies 27.8 km away. This way a visit to the yurt and lunch combine into one calm plan across Tatar Podlasie, surrounded by the fields and woods of the Knyszyn Forest.

In practice

The address is Kruszyniany 58, commune of Krynki, Sokółka county. The place receives guests daily between 11.00 and 16.00, so plan an early hour for a late lunch. Only cash payment applies — cards are not accepted — and in season it is worth calling ahead to book a table.