On beautiful May 2021, we came to Roztocze with the children and it turned out that there is everything our family needs for a perfect holiday. Water, beach, fresh and delicious food in restaurants. Given these factors, only one thing was missing: the crowds. The silence and wilderness were downright surprising. And we liked this rural idyll so much that a week later we were here again. With my husband and friends, we wandered around, putting up "I'll buy an old house" notices. On the way to the Kniazie church, we stuck an advertisement on the notice board and captured it with a photo. A plaque with rape fields in the background, and only two houses in sight. The six others hid in the green. Exactly, the village of Pawliszcze has eight round houses. So we laughed it was a bizarre place to advertise. I wonder if anyone will ever read our "buy a house". And here's a surprise. Ms Renata called the same day. We went, we watched. Fields, fields, forests, woods, a cottage, a barn, a cowshed, a little bridge, and a cross. Old, Ukrainian, with history.
The renovation of the house located 400 km from our place of residence was a sports gymnastics, but the heavens sent us brilliant people. Now you can light a fire in the tiled kitchen, rest in a hammock, read a book in a rocking chair on the porch. Try to get the kids home for dinner. It is not easy, because you are competing with a sandbox, with swings, with a barn where the fun is great. In heat, life moves to the water. To the beach, to a kayak, to a waterfall. In winter, there are cross-country skiing and hot tubs. Simple unhurried life. No more is needed.
At the gate of the Roztocze Landscape Park, in a 100-year-old cottage that has regained its splendor thanks to the work of our hands. We love antiques, so we saved as many original elements of the house as possible and filled the interior with furniture with history. An oak bed, an old tiled stove, a beautiful wooden floor, wardrobes like the one leading to Narnia.
The sleep schedule is as follows:
- Living room 30 m2 (double sofa bed).
- Bedroom 17 m2 (double bed, single bed).
- Room 6 m2 (single bed plus possible extra bed, so-called extra mattress for the seventh person).
There is also a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen with a tiled stove, a hob and an oven, and a large covered veranda with a rocking chair.
There is also a barn in the garden where you can eat meals, rest in the rain, and the kids will have a lot of fun there.
The cottage is a house in the fields, so in the summer you may be visited by mosquitoes and flies, and in the fall you may hear mice scratching under the floor and it may even happen that a mouse comes to you for a piece of cheese :)
We have checked for ourselves that it is just as pleasant to be bored here as to spend time actively. You can get bored under a nut in a hammock, on a blanket on the grass, in a rocking chair on the porch, on deckchairs in the barn. You can also play board games, hit the dart with paddles, build sandcastles in the sandbox with the kids.
You can also go cycling, because the area begs for excursions. You can set off from the cottage. The Molotov Line is right next to it, with numerous bunkers, and the road leads through the forest. The neighborhood is so little busy so basically you can drive on the main roads. About 10 cars pass us daily. Importantly, the area is not flat, so the up-down route happens regularly.
To get tangled bike paths, go about 20 minutes by car to the vicinity of Susiec. A great family - flat route can be found in Borowe Młyny. A very pleasant route through the forest.
It is a sin to be in Roztocze and not to row. Especially that we have a beautiful, winding and shallow Solokiya River, which is made for rafting. You can start your trip (10 minutes by car from us) in Ruda Żurawiecka. 4 hours of paddling through beautiful forests, among fields, without the crowds.
For families with small or impatient children, we recommend a trip 40 minutes by car from us. In Hutki near Zwierzyniec, you will ride the Wieprz River for 1.5 hour canoeing. On the way, you will sail to a nice restaurant for dinner.
September is mushrooms. Solska Primeval Forest is our favorite place to fill the basket with hats. The area is flat, the forest is transparent and covered with heather. And mushrooms grow under the purple bushes. They can be collected straight from the path. It is worth having a picnic during the break. We love to go there with the kids.
When it comes to fishing, it's not to the Baltic Sea, but to Roztocze. This is where we ate the best fish in our lives. For relaxation and dinner, we recommend going to 4 Ponds.
What’s there for children?
Everything for children. We have three children ourselves and Chatka na Roztocze is a place where they can feel free and carefree. Just like on holiday in the countryside. So there is a barn with a large chest that serves as a brilliant hiding place/base. Here you can play shop, there are balls, paddles and darts, and a goal to set up on the grass in the garden. There is also a swing from which you can jump straight into the hay :)
Right in front of the house there is a large sandbox, which our children painted and personally supervised the quality of workmanship. There are hammocks hanging between the trees, which are crowded with children. There are games, cards and board games in the cupboard. And there are plenty of places for family recreation in the area. For example, our favorite beach on the Tanwia River (5 minutes by car) - Stawiska. Soft sand, knee-deep water, no people and crampons in the water. Wonder!
