Located 30 miles south from the regional capital Poznań, on the Poznań-Wrocław road, the village of Czacz is quite a sensation in the Kościan County. And for a good reason: instead of growing potatoes, wheat or rye like most towns in the vicinity, the whole village of Czacz trades with antiques and used appliances. Funny enough the German name for this village is Schatz (which means treasure in German), since Czacz is basically one big flea market.

On any given day, hundreds of flea market enthusiasts flock to Czacz to look for a bargain, especially in summer. Words in the street say that one day someone bought a very old piano in Czacz, that turned out to be a limited series made once for the King of Spain… Urban legend or not, it is generally more common to find an old bicycle in this Wielkopolska village, than a royal instrument.

Czacz is in no way a delicate flea market experience. It is brash, full on and truly immersive – qualities which make it a brilliant stop for bargain hunters wanting to experience raw edge to an otherwise quiet place.

As you wander through the flea market, you’ll find rows upon rows of all sorts of bric-a-brac ranging from every home essential like tap handles, sofas, wardrobes, desks, kitchen appliances, carpets, vases, dinner sets, flower pots, bicycles, toys, DVDs and TVs, to beautiful vintage desks, solid oak tables, porcelain, silverware, glassware, wonderful trinkets, and plenty of crockery. The choice in Czacz is pretty eclectic.

In terms of prices, Czacz isn’t as affordable today as it used to be a few years ago. However, with a bit of bargaining there’s a bargain or two to be made. A leather sofa with two armchairs sells in average for 2000-3000 zlotys ($530-$800 USD), a restored chest of drawers from the 1930s sells for 300 zlotys ($80 USD), a 12-piece dinnerware set from the 1960s for 350 zlotys ($93 USD), and an oil landscape 120 x 80 cm for 300 zlotys ($80 USD).

15 years ago, Czacz was an insider’s tip and you could find real antique treasures for a low price. But it has been since then regularly featured in Polish media, and now attracts lots of tourists, especially from Germany and the Netherlands. Some of the 300 vendors who sell in Czacs even turned their garage into an atelier or studio, where they “restore” or upcycle furniture into shabby chic style in order to sell them at a premium price.

Nevertheless, the variety and range of Czacz’ offer as well as the size of this flea market is spectacular. For a flea market enthusiast, Czacz is a worthy trip.