Convenient climatic conditions caused that at the turn of the 19th and 20th century there were over 2 thousand home orchards in the Lower Vistula Valley. The fruit of old varieties was grown there, especially prune plums. After the Second World War, a large number of old fruit trees were cut down and replaced with new varieties.

For over 20 years, with the establishment of the Complex of Vistula Landscape Parks as part of the protection of the natural values of the region, as an element of our cultural heritage, efforts have also been made to preserve and restore old varieties of fruit trees located in the Lower Vistula Valley. The inventory of old orchards and marking of fruit trees of the old varieties started. Since 1996, thanks to these efforts, more than 100 home orchards have been restored. Nurseries of old varieties of fruit trees in the Gruczno area were also established and their sale began.

Opowieść o regionie Doliny Dolnej Wisły i smażeniu powideł: Jan Iwanowski
Pokaz smażenia powideł: Marta Piwowarczyk
Realizacja: Bartłomiej Oleszek, Grażyna Szelągowska (MET), 2019
8:28 min

In several villages in the Lower Vistula Valley (from Fordon to Gniew), the tradition of making plum jam was also revived. Local plum jam can be purchased in agritourism farms and at various regional plum festivals, including the “Święto Śliwki” (Plum Festival) in Strzelce Dolne, organised since 2001.

On 15 March 2006 plum jam from the Lower Vistula Valley was entered on the Polish List of Traditional Products, kept by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The list of jam producers in the Lower Vistula Valley region can be found on the website of the Lower Vistula Friends Society – www.tpdw.pl. 

The song Strzelecka Wieś
Performed by „Wesołe Antki” backyard band in the following composition: Leszek Knopp i Mieczysław Lipecki
Realisation: Bartłomiej Oleszek (MET), 2019
4:02 min