Barć Apiary in Kamianna, the Beekeepers' Village

The Barć ("Bee Tree") apiary in the Lemko village of Kamianna, between Krynica-Zdrój and Nowy Sącz, is one of Poland's best-known beekeeping places, and Kamianna is often called "the beekeepers' village". The story began in 1960, when Father Dr Henryk Ostach of the Congregation of the Oratory arrived. He not only developed the village — a road, a water supply, its own power plant — but also made Kamianna a centre of beekeeping: the first Sącz Beekeepers' Day was held here in 1972, and in 1979–1983 villagers and beekeepers from all over Poland built the Beekeeper's House. Honey from the Barć apiary, the owners say, was sent every year to Pope John Paul II. Today the farm bears Father Ostach's name and is run by Emilia and Jacek Nowak.

The apiary lies at about 650 m among mostly fir forests. The climate is harsh: winter lasts almost half a year, so the main forage is fir honeydew, which the bees collect from June to October, most of all in August and September. A local saying has it that "on this land gold will grow on stone" — and that gold, the beekeepers explain, is honeydew honey. The farm breeds its own queen bees (a line named "Kamianka" after the village), produces honey, propolis, royal jelly and pollen, and its pharmacy department makes propolis ointments, creams and tinctures.

What to see and do

• Guided tour of the apiary (40–60 min): the village church — a former small wooden church — with Kamianna's legends and history; the open-air collection of hives telling the story of forest beekeeping, including figurative hives; the working apiary and the life of a bee colony; the pavilion with apiary workshops; the St Ambrose gallery — one of the largest collections of images of the beekeepers' patron saint; and a collection of beekeeping hats you can try on.
• Tasting and shop. In the farm shop you hear about bee products and can buy honey from the farm's own apiaries; the apiary café offers a honey tasting and hot meals.
• Workshop — for a small extra fee you can roll your own beeswax candle from wax foundation.
• For a longer stay there are four guest rooms, a bonfire and grill area, and opposite the apiary a floodlit ski lift.

Practical information

Address: Kamianna 17, 33-336 Łabowa (Nowy Sącz county); the apiary is in the centre of the village, by the church and the Beekeeper's House. A car is the easiest way to get there. Note: since August 2026 a bridge is being built in Kamianna, and the access road has a temporary crossing for vehicles up to 10 m long; the apiary advises coach groups to approach from the Krynica–Nowy Sącz road. The owners warn that there is no mobile phone signal in the village.

Hours: the contact phone is staffed daily 9:00–17:00 (+48 18 474 16 32); according to OpenStreetMap the shop and café are open daily 9:00–17:00, with changed hours on public holidays (as of October 2026). Tour prices per the apiary's website: 12 zł per person including a honey tasting (groups of up to five pay a flat 50 zł); candle-making 6 zł. Groups book in advance by phone. The tour suits families with children; people allergic to bee products should take care.

Nearby

About 12 km to the south is the spa town of Krynica-Zdrój with its mineral-water pump rooms. To the north, near Grybów, is another renowned beekeeping farm, Sądecki Bartnik in Stróże, and beyond Krynica stands the wooden church in Powroźnik.

Official website: kamianna.pl

Photos: Gorofil, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.