Kazimierz Dolny for one day. Spring trip in the electric Škoda Enyaq Coupe RS

We left Warsaw early in the morning. The city quickly fell behind us and the traffic thinned out noticeably. Direction: Kazimierz Dolny. Our car was the Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS – electric, quiet and very smooth to drive.

We chose the route along the Vistula River – through Góra Kalwaria, Dęblin and Puławy. The road leads slowly and picturesquely, with views of the river and fields. In such conditions, you can feel the character of this car – it accelerates without jerking, reacts immediately, and at the same time allows you to drive at a steady pace without getting tired. We arrived in just over two hours.

Kazimierz Dolny, located in the Lublin Voivodeship on the right bank of the Vistula, immediately organizes the pace of the day. This town has a unique, unique atmosphere: light reflecting off bright sandstone facades, numerous galleries and artists’ studios, souvenir shops, cozy cafes and ubiquitous monuments.

The town is dominated by the ruins of a castle built in the 14th century on the initiative of Casimir the Great (the town was named after this king). Next to the ruins there is an even older tower, dating back to the 13th century. From the castle hill you can clearly see the market square (with the well with a shingled roof, famous throughout Poland) and the layout of streets leading down to the Vistula River.

The market square itself is surrounded by Renaissance tenement houses, including the Tenement House under Saint Nicholas and the Tenement House under Saint Krzysztof – richly decorated, characteristic of the early 17th century, testifying to the former splendor of the city. Before the war, Kazimierz Dolny was an important center for trade in grain floated down the Vistula to Gdańsk. Today, the role of trade has been taken over by art and tourism. In the summer, the town is teeming with life, the “Dwa Brzegi” Film and Art Festival takes place here (end of July – beginning of August), which attracts independent cinema and viewers craving something more than the repertoire of multiplexes.

While walking, we stopped at the synagogue – a Renaissance synagogue from the 17th century. This is one of the most important traces of the city’s multicultural history. Let us remember that Kazimierz Dolny was once a significant trade center and a place where the Jewish community constituted a significant part of the inhabitants. Today, there is a Judaica shop and a small hotel in the former temple.

It’s easy to get to the art gallery from the market square – there are dozens of them here. We stayed longer in one of them and eventually left with a painting by a local artist. The medium format canvas easily fit in the trunk. This is one of the practical advantages of this model – despite the sporty, sloping roofline, the cargo space remains flexible and sufficient even for such spontaneous purchases.

On the cobblestones of Kazimierz, the Enyaq Coupe RS was stable and comfortably absorbed bumps, and thanks to the light steering action and good visibility, we could easily maneuver it in the narrow streets of the town.

We left the car near the market square. It attracts the attention of passers-by, but is not ostentatious. Our Mamba Green copy fits well into the spring landscape – the intense green of the varnish contrasted with the bright facades of the tenement houses.

When in Kazimierz Dony, it is worth visiting the Vistula Museum, especially the Celejowska House, where a valuable art collection is gathered. A few minutes away there is Kuncewiczówka – the house of Maria and Jerzy Kuncewicz. The wooden villa surrounded by a garden has retained its original character. The interiors are simple, but full of traces of everyday life and work. This is where “Two Moons” was created – a literary portrait of the town from the interwar period.

Of course, we buy roosters made of dough (they taste like challah) – the symbol of Kazimierz. Baked for centuries, they were once supposed to bring good luck and success in trade. Today they reach the editorial office as a sweet gift, material proof of our expedition.

We do not forget about nature! Loess gorges, such as the famous Wąwóz Korzeniowy Dół, resemble natural corridors through which you can escape from the hustle and bustle. Not far from it is Mięćmierz – a former rafting settlement with wooden buildings and a view of the river.

A ferry departs from the marina to Janowiec, where the ruins of another castle tower on the opposite bank. The Vistula here meanders widely, calmly, as if it was in no hurry to reach the sea. Renaissance granaries still stand along its course – a testimony to the city’s former wealth.

We went to “Fryzjer” for dinner. There you can try dishes inspired by traditional Jewish cuisine, such as cholent – a long-stewed dish of meat, beans and groats, goose in various versions, or chicken liver with onion. The menu also often includes herring prepared in several ways, broth with matzo balls (kneidlach) and tzimmes.

At the end of the day we climb the Three Crosses Mountain. Three wooden crosses were placed here in the 18th century as a votive offering after the cholera epidemic. The panorama is truly magical: the Vistula River curves wide, the town’s roofs form a calm rhythm, and the light of the setting sun falls softly on the hills.

We return to Warsaw in the evening. The Enyaq Coupe RS drives as confidently as it did in the morning. The range is not worrying, and the driver support systems discreetly monitor the route. When the traffic on the route visibly calmed down, we turned on “Spring” by Antonio Vivaldi. The clear sound from the 12 speakers of the audio system filled the car’s interior evenly. Without the hum of the engine in the background, Nigel Kennedy’s violin sounded almost palpable. Full of impressions after a whole day in Kazimierz Dolny, with a supply of roosters in the backseat, we immersed ourselves in music. I feel that we will soon return to this magical town. After all, we still have “Summer”, “Autumn” and “Winter” to listen to.