Andrzej Kluś's Shepherd's Hut near 'Pod Reglami'
Droga pod Reglami, 34-500 Zakopane
'You shouldn't talk about oscypek. Just make it and then taste it', laughs the senior shepherd. Like most senior shepherds, Kluś comes from a pastoral family, so sheep are a part of his life. Kluś's oscypki are distributed throughout the Podhale region. 'They taste best at weddings, because what would a wedding be like without oscypek?' It wouldn't have happened', concludes the senior shepherd, praising his cheeses.
By the 'Pod Reglami' path connecting the Białego Valley, towards Dziura and Strążysko, you will find a traditional highlander hut. From under the rafters, smoke rises lazily from the hearth, on which milk or żentyca is heated – it depends on the time of day. Oscypki are made here by Andrzej Kluś – a shepherd's helper from the craddle, a senior shepherd since 1997. Like any self-respecting senior shepherd, Andrzej Kluś gets up every day at 4 a.m. and assist his helper with milking his flock of 250 sheep. Then the milk has to be taken to the koliba (mountain shelter) and then he gets down to preparing the oscypek. Sometimes you have two hours off in the afternoon, but by evening you have to return to the shepherd's hut for the night, only to get up again at the crack of dawn – regardless of the day of the week or the weather. You have to love this job, as it requires total dedication from May to October. Yet you also have to find time for realising your passions. The shepherd from 'Pod Reglami' chalet loves horse riding. He once even took part in traditional 'kumoterki' races in Biały Dunajec, Kościelisko, Ludźmierz and Zakopane. At Andrzej Klusia's we will eat excellent oscypek, which was awarded first place at one of the editions of the annual Oscypek Festival in Zakopane. While drinking a cool 'żętyca' and looking at the panorama of Zakopane, it is worth turning our heads to the nearby buildings. The famous bandit Wojtek Mateja used to be a regular visitor here. He used to visit his 'frajerka', i.e., his beloved, there.