Bieszczadzka Koza Goat Cheese Farm, Smolnik

Bieszczadzka Koza ("the Bieszczady Goat") is a family goat farm and artisan cheese dairy in the village of Smolnik on the San, in the eastern Polish Bieszczady, right by the border with Ukraine. It is run by Aleksandra and Miłosz Dybowski. More than a decade ago, in their own words, they gave up their previous life and moved here, to one of the wildest and cleanest places in the Bieszczady. It all started with a few goats that were meant to be just part of the rural landscape, and it grew into a dairy where cheese is made by hand from tried-and-tested recipes and the owners' own experiments.

The herd is the heart of the farm. For most of the year the goats graze on Bieszczady meadows, eating wild grasses and herbs, and that, the owners say, is what gives the milk its delicate taste. According to the In Your Pocket guide, the herd numbers more than 200 goats of Alpine and Carpathian breeds. The dairy's principles are simple: 100% goat's milk, never mixed with other milk; fresh unpasteurised milk; handwork; and only natural seasonings such as wild garlic, fenugreek and other herbs.

What to see and do

• Taste and buy cheese right on the farm. The range includes "Złoto Połonin" ("Gold of the Meadows"), a hard cheese aged at least four months; "Halny"; "Kozumi" for frying and grilling; "Słona Caryńska", a salty feta-style cheese named after Połonina Caryńska; "Miłeczka", a delicate ricotta-style whey cheese; "Miłek", a young bundz-type cheese (also smoked); "Biały Wypas" with a white mould rind; and "Kulki Mocy", marinated cheese balls in oil.
• Dairy products: fresh goat's milk, kefir and goat whey.
• See the herd. The owners invite visitors to relax, breathe the clean air and see the goats — in summer they are often grazing on the pastures around the farm.
• Combine it with a UNESCO site. The farm is at Smolnik 25, next to the historic wooden church of St Michael the Archangel.

Practical information

Address: Smolnik 25, 38-713 Lutowiska — a few kilometres south of Lutowiska. The access road is the same lane that leads to the church in Smolnik; you park by the farm and everything is close at hand. A car is the easiest way to get here; public transport in this part of the Bieszczady is sparse.

Hours and contacts (as of October 2026): opening hours are not published on the official website. The In Your Pocket guide lists the farm shop as open 8:00–18:00 (Mondays from 9:00), but this information may be out of date, so phone before you go: Ola +48 509 507 357, Miłosz +48 661 098 113. Cheese can also be ordered from the farm's online shop. Entry to the farm is free; cheese is sold at the prices given on site.

Cheeses made from unpasteurised milk are generally not recommended for pregnant women and small children. For families, meeting the goats is a treat in itself, but do not feed the animals without the owners' permission. You may meet goats on the road near the farm, so drive slowly.

Nearby

The closest sight is the church of St Michael the Archangel in Smolnik, literally next door. Further south, beyond Ustrzyki Górne, the Bieszczady meadows begin — Połonina Caryńska, which gave its name to one of the cheeses, and Połonina Wetlińska. On the way from Lesko, stop at the Ursa Maior craft brewery in Uherce Mineralne.

Official website: bieszczadzkakoza.pl

Photos: bieszczadzkakoza.pl.