Wajków is a village at the end of the world, and we are still a bit away from this end. In the bend of the Bug, from which our garden is separated only by a path, we have created an enclave for those who love nature and art. Here you can taste life with all your senses and absorb the culture of the borderland. You can discover the surrounding villages with their old wooden houses, listen to the melody of the local dialect and enjoy the locality (or potato cake). In a comfortable, thatched house, furnished by us with passion and tenderness, you will forget about the rest of the world and feel the spirit of the East.
There used to be farmland here, and then, for years, fallow land. Until Andrij, my husband, saw our habitat on it through the eyes of his imagination: with a lush garden and folk-inspired houses. Even though we have been living in Niza for years, we are constantly amazed by the history of these lands. We learn about their language, ethnographic and cultural richness. Poetry mixes here with the prose of life quite freely: we either paint and write, or we spend time in the garden. Both give us great satisfaction. We want to share the best we have. We will tell you the magical stories of our and neighboring villages. We will show the trails of expeditions along the Bug River wilderness and the Podlasie wilderness. Maybe not? Maybe it's better to get lost here? Abandon your plans, awaken your curiosity and come to the nice Bug.
We cordially invite you to our House in the Lowlands. It is a real enclave in eastern Poland. Away from people, surrounded by forests, in the bend of the Bug. It will be wonderful here not only for lovers of wild nature, but also amateurs of art and refined interiors. The host, Andrij, my husband, is an artist and painter. He writes icons, designs houses and creates spacious gardens that also provide aesthetic elation and emotion. It constantly smells, blooms, and the lush green has tons of shades.
The house is located on our land on the Bug river. Only a path separates the river and the garden. We live next door in our second house. We do not impose ourselves and give you space, but if you would like to listen to the extraordinary stories of my husband, who is a treasury of knowledge about the area, we will definitely find time to talk. We'd love to share our tips on what to see and our love for this place on earth.
The house is made of brick and wood and thatched. It can comfortably accommodate 6 people. The distribution is as follows:
Ground floor:
- a small room with a single bed,
- a fully equipped kitchen,
- bathroom with toilet, bathtub and washing machine,
- a long corridor which is also a bookcase,
- a living room with a fireplace connected to the dining room.
On the floor:
- mezzanine with a double bed,
- a bedroom with a double bed connected to a small room with a single bed and a desk,
- bathroom with toilet and shower cubicle.
Music equipment will be at your disposal. Outside, there is a spacious stone terrace with a large table under a sprawling oak and a piece of grass for lounging.
Hedonists will be able to use a sump with live fire and complete the experience with a bath in a pond.
We love to cook and even more to feast. If you are too - you are in the right place. We like a varied cuisine, using natural, local products as far as possible. If you appreciate our flavors, we can serve you a full, varied meal every day for a good start and the beginning of the evening.
However, there is a point: unfortunately, this will not always be possible. We are professionally active and sometimes we go out into the field. We inform you about such situations in advance. Of course, we encourage you to cook on your own. The kitchen is fully adapted and ready to meet the most daring culinary challenges. If you want, you can use a charcoal grill.
If you are not in the mood for self-cooking, there are several places on both sides of the Bug where you can eat something delicious. We've listed them below. Just remember that you need to call ahead and make a reservation, even if it's just potato cake with low-salt cucumber and craft beer near Grabarka. There are many willing.
We can also provide you with a box of vegetables and fruits from your friends' garden (price to be determined). Similarly with eggs, cheese, asparagus, honey, tree cakes, sweet anthills. Our vegetable garden is too small to be enough for everyone, but we are always happy to share herbs from our herbarium.
We haven't heard of anyone getting bored with us yet. Unless that's what he wanted. You can beautifully organize your time here in many ways: drawing from the nature and cultural richness of the area.
We encourage you to:
– cross-country skiing along the Bug,
– long walks along the riverbank with pastures and meadows and walks in the surrounding forests,
– bicycle rides and longer trips around the Bug River wilderness and the Podlasie outback,
– using our banya (sauna) with live fire and the scent of oils: pine, juniper and others,
– bathing in our pond, among irises and water lilies (in autumn and winter it is also a treat for walruses!),
– kayaking on the Bug River. From the perspective of the river, you can see its charm and feel its power in a different way. Let yourself be carried away by its meanders and celebrate the changeability of the shores.
In the evening we recommend a very pleasant movie called "A real bonfire by the river under the starry sky." Best in combination with dinner. We have our focal place on the Bug River, a spacious table and benches. You only hear nature. Sometimes it carries wedding melodies along the Bug River.
Those looking for biological regeneration can order a massage from Mrs. Luda, who will come to the place. For those looking for more advanced pleasures, we can recommend the SPA in Dwór Zabuże on the other side of the Bug River.
What else can you do with us?
– Swim in the lake behind the village by the Bug River. You can get there on foot or by bike.
- In the nearby Siemiatycze, you can swim in a newly built, year-round swimming pool or simply in the reservoir in Siemiatycze.
– In winter, we have our own safe ice rink on a frozen pond.
- In addition, you can pick herbs, wild strawberries, raspberries, mushrooms, make bouquets of wildflowers, chase butterflies, learn to recognize the songs of various species of birds, fish out of the Bug River and then throw them back.
- When it rains, you can take care of making preserves for the winter.
There are no spectacular tourist attractions in our area. We consider this to be its advantage. With a longer stay, it is definitely worth setting out on the road by bike or car and get to know the region.
The local villages have largely retained their original character to this day. You will see traditional farm buildings and charming wooden houses with subtle decorations. In almost every village you will come across an Orthodox church, or at least a chapel, characteristic of the region. Sometimes you can still hear a completely different language (especially in older people). Until recently, the local Ruthenian (not to be confused with Russian) community commonly used speech belonging to Ukrainian dialects. The fact that Poland borders Belarus here may be misleading. State borders, however, are not the same as ethnic borders. More than once we have witnessed newcomers from central and western Poland feeling as if they had come to a different country. Eastern Poland is still an unknown land.
In addition to such cognitive walks, during which you can enjoy the unique local climate, we also recommend:
Holy Mount Grabarka
It is the most important place of religious worship of the Polish Orthodox Church. Its history dates back to 1710, when the local community of Podlasie was decimated by a plague epidemic. According to the revelation of an old man, salvation could be found on Mount Grabarka. Today, there is a cult of her and the tradition of drinking water from a holy spring.
Białowieża Forest (the largest virgin forest in Europe) - 80 km from us
Getting to know the forest is organized. It takes place on designated trails and at a specific time. Often only with a guide. All this in order to disturb the ecosystem in the minimum and least expansive way.
Janów Podlaski, horse farm, May–September: 27 km (by ferry across the Bug River), October–April: 61 km
The history of the stud in Janów Podlaski dates back to the Napoleonic wars. The first herd appeared in Janów in 1817. Over time, the stud became an icon of Arabian horse breeding. Observation of a herd of dignified "Arabs" poaching on the paddock always provides strong impressions. We recommend a trip to Janów Podlaski especially from the beginning of May to the end of September. During this time, you can take a ferry across the Bug River in Mielnik, shortening the distance to your destination by more than half. The crossing itself is an adventure. The ferry runs between the two banks, using the strength of the river current and the muscles of the operators.
Open-air museum in Ciechanowiec
The open-air museum, located in a very picturesque landscape, perfectly presents the architecture (including infrastructure and equipment) from the border of Mazovia and Podlasie. The beautiful and harmonious buildings that our ancestors were able to build have a fairy-tale charm to them, regardless of whether they are a dwelling house, a cowshed, a forge or a mill.
Herbal Corner in Koryciny - 55 km from us
This is a herbal multi-initiative of the English, owners of the Dary Natury brand. On several hectares, they created a place drawing on the herbal tradition of Podlasie. There you can explore the herbal botanical garden, buy mixtures for various ailments, eat dishes spiced with your own herbs in the inn, visit the moonshiner's hut or the whisperer's house.
What’s there for children?
Children are welcomed with us as nice as possible, but we should warn you that we do not have special attractions for them here. The youngest ones will rather be bored with us. In addition, the bedrooms are upstairs and the stairs are steep - you'll have to keep an eye on the kids. Therefore, we invite you rather with older children: for them you can discover all the richness of the surrounding nature, there is the Bug, wild birds, meadows and forests. There is a large garden where you can romp and a playground in the village.
