Sypaniec in Koci Zakątek

Sypaniec in Koci Zakątek. For a layman it may sound like a good cake served in a cosy cafe. Literally, this means a sypaniec (a type of apple cake) in a Cat’s Corner. But as for the rest, let's start from the beginning. The Cat's Corner is Kacwin, one of the oldest villages in Polish Spisz. The name is said to come from the German Katzenwinkel, which means ‘cat's corner’. References to Kacwin which have been found date from 1320. According to preserved documents, in that year Master Kokosz sold to his brother Jan and his son Michał the lands of Frydman, Niedzica, Kacwin and Frankowa.

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It is impossible to get to Kacwin by sheer chance. There is only one road leading to the village   and farther on to the state border. Or there is one of the bicycle paths of the Route Around the Tatras. Apart from the beautiful surroundings, fabulous views and tranquility (especially for city dwellers), in Kacwin there is something that no other village, town or city in Poland has. It has a lot of authentic Spisz granaries, which are nowhere else to be found in Poland. Their name (Polish: “sypaniec”) comes from the way they were built. Clay was smeared on to their structure and, furthermore, the roof was, surprisingly, movable! In case of fire, it could be quickly shifted so that the fire did not threaten the harvest gathered inside.

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There used to be several dozen such granaries along the village road. Unused, however, they were decaying and slipping into oblivion. This material heritage, important and unique for the region, was preserved under the project "Route Around the Tatras".  A mini open-air museum was created: a Spisz homestead with granaries and objects that were once used in everyday life – looms, chests, distaffs, threshers, as well as carpets and traditional Spisz costumes. 

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Blog prepared in the project entitled: "Cooperation that enhances and develops as a key to a positive image of Poland on the international arena", co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland as part of the competition "Public Diplomacy 2020 - a new dimension".