Welcome to Podlasie. In Tofiłowce, where stork nests tower overhead, wooden houses have not gone out of fashion for hundreds of years, churches are located in the vicinity of the church, and during Easter, you can hear the Orthodox greeting 'Chrystos Woskresie', we have our estate. Behind the Bridge on the Orlanka River. Here roadside crosses stand at the edge of every village, storks, bison, cobblestones, wild rivers and vast stretches of fields continue for miles. Białowieża, which surrounds our village and farms that look as if they did not know that we are in the 21st century.
In such idyllic circumstances, 8 years ago we assumed that this good should be shared. We inherited an estate behind a wooden fence from our parents and we started working. Now we have 3 independent exclusive-use houses for you. Two operate seasonally, from April 1 to November 1 (they do not have good heating), and one is all year round. For couples, families, groups of friends, cyclists, anglers, ornithologists, dog lovers, seekers of peace and flavours with lots of pork rinds. You can make a fire, warm up by the fireplace in the gazebo, feed our friendly stork Ziutek, admire beautiful horses at our neighbour's place, milk a cow at another's. You can visit the straw-roofed house, admire the Land of Open Shutters, go cross-country skiing or admire the beautiful sunsets. Fight boredom with potato pancakes, sausage and an anthill cake, drink away the silence with the traditional Knyszyńska "Bukwicówka".
As a self-proclaimed local guide, I have great satisfaction when I can tell you about our flavours, monuments, customs and rituals. On the culture of national minorities. I will show you what prosfora looks like, tell you about the Podlasie ritual cloth, about folk healers, I will sing Konopielka songs, I will tell you where to buy country eggs, rennet cheese, the best kartacz, honey and local beer.
We are happy to share our garden with motorhomes and those who want to sleep in tents. However, be careful with the mushrooms. There are Penny Bun mushrooms behind the barn!
We invite you to Podlasie all year round. Fruit trees are always blooming in May. In the summer, we soak our feet in the river and mow the grass, in the autumn, leaves can be raked every day, and in winter, snow is ploughed over and over again. That's country life.
As a self-proclaimed local guide, I get great satisfaction when I can tell you about our flavors, monuments, customs and rituals. About the culture of national minorities. I will show you what the prosfora looks like, tell you about the Podlasie towel, about the whisperers, sing Konopielka, tell you where to buy farm eggs, rennet cheese, the best grapeshot, honey and local beer.
And you will sleep behind a bridge in the picturesque village of Tofiłowce, in Podlasie. In the vicinity of beautiful Orthodox churches, in silence, beautiful nature and among neighbors who still have time to sit on benches in front of the house and debate about everyday life. We are surrounded by multiculturalism, so we are open to everyone. Also against newcomers from Africa. The permanent resident of the habitat is the Ziutek stork, which lives in a nest towering above us. From spring to late summer, it sits on our cars, knocks on the neighbor's window with its beak, and takes over the yard for good. He comes almost to the doorstep for treats, and we serve him meat morsels.
In the settlement behind a wooden fence, we have 4 houses for independent living and our house where we live and take care of our belongings. Dom B and Rybaczówka operate seasonally, from April 1 to November 1. However, the Blue House and House C operate year-round.
Choose a house tailored to your needs: *
* House B, one-story - designed for 5 people. In one bedroom you will find two single beds, and in the other one double bed and one single bed. Both rooms have separate bathrooms and a shared modern kitchen.
* House C is a two-story house - it has 10 to 12 beds, it is a large family house. On the ground floor you will find a spacious living room with a fireplace, kitchenette, dining room and children's play corner. On the ground floor, make yourself comfortable in a 4-person bedroom with a large bathroom, 2 single beds and one double bed. On the first floor we have prepared two rooms for you:
- double room with two beds,
- 4-person room with two single beds and one double bed. The rooms on the first floor have a shared bathroom.
* Rybaczówka Apartment, actually an independent house, for up to 4 people. In the house you will find a living room with a kitchenette and a sofa bed, a bedroom with a double bed, and a bathroom.
* Blue House - our newest acquisition, an independent house for up to 5 people or a couple. There is a bedroom, bathroom, living room with kitchenette and a large terrace. The house is located on a separate, gated property with a fireplace and parking lot.
The garden is large, well-kept and adapted so that every guest can relax here comfortably. In the garden, we offer a gazebo for 12 people with a barbecue or fireplace for cool evenings. Everyone will find peace, quiet and something for themselves here. It has deckchairs and a swing, you can light a bonfire or a barbecue, and on cold evenings you can sit by the fireplace in the gazebo or in the guest house. We will also be happy to accept campers and tents.
We welcome pets.
It will be tasty, Podlasie, homemade, with cracklings, fresh, in the garden and locally. You can cook it yourself, because every home has a fully equipped kitchen. Additionally, you can buy excellent local products from our lovely neighbors. Cheese from Mrs. Ania, milk from a neighbor, duck eggs from a neighboring village, wild honey or "Marcinek hajnowski", which is a popular and well-liked cake, typical for the Białowieża Forest region. It is a great combination of cheesecake and Carpathian.
In Podlasie, you cannot do without the "Spirit of the Forest". We use our organic fruit and forest herbs to prepare liqueurs and vodkas.
In summer, Siedlisko smells like grain, milk and the first fruit from the orchard. Sweet pear and pulp apple are now the tastiest. And in combination, a delicious jam for my bun. Strawberries are also already in jars and bottles, cherries are ripe, then black currants, cucumbers.
For local flavors in the area, go to the U Jana bar in Dubicze Cerkiewne. Delicious kartacze and craft beer can be found at Babushka Bistro in Hajnówka.
There is no better place for boredom than Podlasie! Behind the bridge on the Orlanka River, in a typical Podlasie village with stork nests, blue crosses, wooden buildings and street benches where people spend their free time. We are 30 km away from Białowieża, 15 km from Hajnówka and 3 km from the "Bachmaty" reservoir, where local residents spend their free time.
When the heat is pouring down from the sky, we spend our time by the river. We have built a pier and a bench there, and that's where we direct our guests during hot weather. We wet our feet, laugh, listen to the screeching of frogs, the sound of waves and admire the smell of mowed grass.
When it is a little cooler, we explore the area on bikes. At the Bachmaty Lagoon in Dubicze Cerkiewne, in the place where the church once stood, you will be delighted with the beautiful chapel. Bicycles are in place with us. And from the habitat, you will head straight to the Green Velo Eastern Bicycle Trail. It is also worth going sightseeing to the Land of Open Shutters by bike or by car. It is a trail leading through the villages of Trześcianka, Soce and Puchły.
If you want to meet bison eye to eye, herds sometimes come out in the area. If you are interested in bison in more controlled conditions, go to the European Bison Show Reserve in Białowieża.
In the area you must see:
Święta Góra Grabarka - the most holy place of Polish Orthodoxy. There is a female monster St. Marta and Mary and the Church of the Transfiguration.
The modern church (cathedral) of St. Trinity in Hajnówka. It is here that the International Festival of Hajnów Orthodox Music Days takes place. Every May for a week, over a thousand singers from different countries represent Christian music of various traditions: Eastern Greek and Slavic, Western, Syrian, Coptic and others.
A narrow-gauge railway to Topił - a former settlement of forest workers.
During the summer holidays, it is worth taking part in the Bison Fair in Hajnówka. This is where you will try local delicacies, learn how to make them, buy regional handicrafts and get to know our borderland culture.
And for the Antiques and Folk Craft Fair, to Kiermusy near Tykocin. Every first Sunday of the month for 15 years, antiques enthusiasts from all over Poland will have their stands.
In the relaxation area, we allocate:
- a gazebo with a grill and a fireplace,
- a hearth for a bonfire.
We also have 2 pairs of Nordic Walking poles for you and suggestions of beautiful walking routes.
In winter, we prefer cross-country skiing. Near:
The Białowieża Commune Office has 15 cross-country skiing sets. Contact: 85 68 12 487 ext. 36.
The Białowieża Sports Center has 50 pairs of skis, 75 pairs of shoes. Contact: 733 587 583.
The course of the ski run:
The Palace Park at the seat of the Białowieża National Park along several streets, forest areas in the buffer zone of the National Park. The route is amateur, but designated by cross-country skiers.
What’s there for children?
From spring to autumn, children rave about our favorite tenant, the stork Ziutek. They feed, look after and admire. At the pier in the river, they catch crayfish to look at them and release them slowly, they look for our albino sparrow, they call snails for dumplings, and behind the barn they look for a family of hedgehogs. There are horses, cows and ducks in the neighboring farms. A real village zoo. In our yard for the youngest we have a swing, sandbox and a corner for the youngest at home: a table, a chair, coloring books, blocks, toys. We pick apples for apple pie, run to the river, walk in the surrounding fields, and when it is hot it is worth going to the Bachmaty Lagoon.
In the area:
- water park in Hajnówka (17 km),
- a bison demonstration reserve (35 km from Białowieża),
- the park of miniatures of Podlasie monuments in Hajnówka (17 km).
What’s there for employees?
We made concessions in terms of the Internet, which is why it is in two out of four houses in our Podlasie habitat. In the Blue House you can work rotating between the sofa, armchairs and the table in the living room. House B is a cozy smaller house where you can work at a table in the kitchen.
Link speed:
(House B)
download: 300mb/s
upload:30Mbps
(Blue House)
download: 120Mbps
upload: 20Mbps
