No one wanted to buy a shack in a dilapidated state, opposite the former market square in Wiżajny. Until it hit me, and I'm not afraid of restoring shanty towns to life. Demolished of the façade and the asbestos-covered roof, the building showed its true face. It used to be a wooden hut, enjoying the warmth of tiled stoves. Before demolition, only the skeleton was preserved. It became a support for a new home - with modern interiors smelling of wood, decorated in a loft style. Only the old door reminds us that there was a detention center in these thresholds in the People's Republic of Poland. For years, the building was a Civic Militia station, and during the war it was the seat of one of the Nazi formations. Today, the large, open space of the ground floor is a haven for relaxation and integration, and 4 bedrooms and a separate apartment in the sauna building will welcome up to 18 people who want to spend time together, get to know each other better or celebrate intimately.

In the “Turowo” inn of Wiżajny, King Władysław Jagiełło ate crayfish. From the Lithuanian name of these crustaceans comes the name of a slightly sleepy village, which has long forgotten about the times when trade and smuggling flourished here. Today, the town located in the Wschodnio Suwałki Lake District, occupying the isthmus between Wistuć and Wiżajny lakes, allows you to enjoy the charms of the landscape waves left here by the glacier. The land is surrounded by a network of streams and rivers, covered with forests, inhabited by herds of ubiquitous cows and decorated with blue eyes of lakes. There are over 30 of them in the area, and a large part of them could take part in a competition for the most interesting name. The lists would certainly be: Ślepak, Prudek. Kuprelek and Staneluszki. A whole list of local attractions will compete for your attention here, with three borders, railway bridges like the Pont du Gard and Suwałki's Fujiyama on the podium, but you can just as well stop at the warmth of the fireplace and relax in the sauna or tub. Don't forget to try the best rennet cheeses and sękacz baked over an open fire.

Wiżajny probably came from the Lithuanian word vežys, meaning cancer. Władysław Jagiełło was treated here in the local inn. Wiżajny used to be a town (from 1620). They were degraded to the rank of a village in 1870, after the best years, which were supported by the support of another king, Jan III Sobieski.

This is the very north-eastern tip of our country, one kilometer from the border with Lithuania. The location of Wiżajny is charming, it is located on the isthmus between the lakes Wistuć and Wiżajny. At the junction of Sejneńska Street (because Wiżajny has always been located on the trade route leading to Sejny) and the Market Square, there is a former Civic Militia post (during the war it was the seat of one of the Nazi formations). The interiors mix history with modernity - a loft style interspersed with wood and a reminder of the old days in the form of a door to the jail.

The house is 140 m² in size on the ground floor and 90 m² in the mezzanine. The space in the living room under the mezzanine is 4 meters high, and 50 m² is an open space of 8 meters. The whole consists of:
- four bedrooms, two of them are downstairs, two on the mezzanine,
- three bathrooms - one is exclusive to the downstairs bedroom, one is downstairs and one upstairs,
- an open space downstairs, 90 m² and divided into zones: a kitchenette, a large table, a fireplace with an armchair and a footrest, two sofas and a coffee table.
At the back of the house there is a terrace with lounge furniture and a tub in front of it.

Downstairs there are 4-person bedrooms (two single beds that can be put together and fold-out, 2-person sofas). The mezzanine bedrooms are for 3 people (three single beds), in one of them you can prepare an additional sleeping mattress. There is a second building 10 meters from the house. There is a sauna, as well as a bedroom, a small kitchenette and a bathroom. The whole area is 50 square meters. There are 4 additional beds (two single beds that can be joined together and a bunk bed). There are 18 beds in total.

You can work freely from the police station, because the internet works flawlessly.

From the front, there is a view of the park, where there used to be a market square. The whole plot is approx. 800 meters long and fenced. Dogs are welcome here. There are paving stones between the buildings and a small lawn is at the front of the house. The access road is internal, with little traffic.

Come with families, friendly groups or on integration trips. We have neighbors next to the house, out of respect for them, we do not organize grand events in the form of hen or stag parties.

A well-thought-out, large and functional kitchenette is located in the common area downstairs. There is everything you need to prepare a meal, even for a large group. A second, small cooking space is located in the sauna building. You will have 200 meters to the nearest store, so you don't have to worry about supplies. Store them in a large refrigerator with an icemaker. The availability of restaurants in the area may be problematic - many of them operate only seasonally, with the local inn at the forefront.

You can eat your meals together at a huge table for 18 people, which takes up a large part of the ground floor. The second serving space is in the sauna building - there is a table with benches. Coffee from the pressure espresso machine can be enjoyed on the sofa and armchairs on the mezzanine or in the corner with sofas and a coffee table downstairs.

Wiżajny is famous for its ripening rennet cheeses that can be bought in the area. You will be 500 m to Mrs. Basia's shop. And to the bakery, where you can come late in the evening for warm pastries, including buns - 1 km. In the area, you can also look for other specialties that the Suwałki Region is famous for: traditional cold cuts, lamb and sękacz.

In a comfortable, modern interior with an industrial character, you can relax with a family, friend or corporate group. The space is large and organized so that you can feel comfortable in it. You can here:
- take advantage of the relaxing space on the mezzanine, where the atmosphere is created by: an impressive glass floor and huge roof windows through which you can admire the stars,
- read a book by the fireplace using the charms of an armchair with a footrest,
- jump into the tub at the back of the house,
- bask in the sauna,
- integrate in a large living room with a swing and darts, to the sounds of your favorite music (there is a sound system on site),
- organize film screenings.

The plot with the house and the smaller building is small, the green lawn surrounds it only from the front. To experience contact with nature, you will have to set out to conquer the area. I myself come from the Suwałki region and I can tell you that it is worth getting to know the area at the border of Poland, Lithuania and Russia. A long time ago, there were swamps here, which were part of the forest that covered these areas. Today, the undulating landscape left by the glacier is crossed by numerous rivers and streams, forests and lakes. Cows, which can be found everywhere, are also a permanent element of the landscape. Here is the Suwałki hit list.

# 1. There are over 30 lakes in the vicinity. The nearest lake is Wiżajny Lake, within a few minutes' walk. There is a beach and a bathing area on the lake. The deepest lake in Poland, Hańcza, is located just over 10 km from the house (the most common is 108.5 m, but there are reports that even say 113 m deep). Picturesque bays, 6 m transparency and 1st class cleanliness are its characteristic features. Hańcza is a great place for diving.

# 2. Like rivers and lakes, it's also rafting. You can go down the Szeszupa River, and then through the lakes: Gulbin, Okrągłe, Krejwelek, Przechodnie, Postawelek, and finish the route on Lake Pobondzie. If you want more, you can sail from Pobondzia to Rutka Tartak, then to Wiżajny, Potopy, Poszeszupie and so on to the border.

# 3. The Polish Cold Pole is a real treat for winter sports enthusiasts. Due to the microclimate that this part of Poland owes to the glacier, winters are cold, full of snow and sometimes lasting over 100 days. You can go cross-country skiing, play sledding and go skiing here. The Jesionowa Mountain at Lake Szelment Wielki offers 10 ski routes of various difficulty levels. There is also a skiing and snowboarding school on a separate part of the slope.

# 4. Bicycles and the Green Velo East Trail. Lovers of two wheels will appreciate the variety of routes - gravel roads, asphalt roads (mostly rarely used) and forest paths. All of them offer captivating views and attractions in the form of elevations. Electric bikes also perform well on numerous climbs.

# 5. A dozen or so minutes by car from the house rises Rowelska Góra - the highest peak in Podlasie (298.1 m above sea level). In the area of the hill there are turbines of the Wiżajny Wind Power Plant, and near the top there is an observation tower, from the top of which you can see, among others the church tower in the village of Liubavas (Lubawa).

# 6. In Smolniki (11 minutes by car) there is a viewpoint to admire the panorama, which was captured in Pan Tadeusz Wajda and the Issa Konwicki Valley. From a height of 225 m above sea level you will admire the north-eastern part of the Suwałki Landscape Park, lakes: Kojle, Perty and Purwin and in the distance the mountains: Jesionowa, Cisowa and Krzemieniucha.

# 7. In the vicinity we also have Suwałki Fujiama, or Cisowa Góra, which looks like a volcano when viewed from a distance. This is another nearby viewpoint.

# 8. There are two railway bridges in Stańczyki, which are a section of the inactive Gołdap - Żytkiejmy railway line (which is a part of the Chojnice - Vilnius section of the main road). They stand by the Błędzianka River. They are 36.5 m long and are among the highest in Poland. The bridges are parallel to each other. Their architecture resembles the Roman aqueducts at Pont du Gard.

# 9. The tripoint of the borders of Wisztyniec, i.e. a place where three borders meet and a granite pillar stands. You can see it in Bolcie. A cognitive path will lead you to the place - the border triangle - the pole of cold.

# 10. Forests full of paths and mushrooms. We are in close proximity to the Suwałki Landscape Park and the Romincka Forest.