Some people dream of space flights, others of a cruise in the Caribbean, and we just wanted to have a windmill. In Masuria. Not just any windmill - our imagination was stimulated by those we had seen in Spain and France years earlier. In southern countries, similar buildings have been made of stone, in a circular shape, for centuries. Wooden tree stands are rather typical of Poland. However, we decided that no one would be offended by this slight cultural inaccuracy. And when you come, you will say for yourself that the windmill does not look as if it has always stood on the hill in Zyndaki.
Maybe it's due to the surrounding pebbles from which we built the façade. All the stones used to create it come from nearby fields. Since it was impossible to place a crane on the hill, we transported each brick, stone and beam to its top by hand. It happened that rolling one boulder took several hours. This is a lesson in mindfulness, isn't it? And I think you now understand why it took 6 years to build the windmill. And back to the bricks... each of them, including the one with the imprint of a dog's paw, comes from the demolition of old Masurian houses. Local materials combined with the technological ideas of the French who helped us create the project resulted in a dream come true: a modern windmill that looks like it did 200 years ago.
You can spend a few magical days here with 4 people, because that's how many people the building can accommodate. It's hard to say what will be best: sleeping on top of the windmill, under its exposed machinery, bathing in a cast-iron bathtub underground, or perhaps the feeling of freedom provided by the view from the hill. You may also be charmed by the furniture we made ourselves and our ceramics. We value craftsmanship, living close to nature and space. Kindness and joy of life are even closer to us. If you feel the same way, welcome. It will be beautiful.
On a small hill, surrounded by three lakes, there is the Zyndaki Windmill. Our dream. We like to believe that this is where the one windmill in the village was located, which used to be here somewhere and which the inhabitants told us about.
The windmill has 4 floors:
– level -1 is a bathroom with a magical atmosphere: with a brick floor, a cast-iron bathtub and a historic dowry chest from 1864,
– ground floor, level 0: fully equipped kitchen with a table where you can eat your meals,
– 1st floor: living room with a sofa bed that can sleep 2 people,
– 2nd floor: the bedroom, which is so magical that it has an open roof and you sleep right under the heart of the windmill (so far it is not in use yet, but the mechanism will start soon).
The plot on which the building is located is not fenced, and below there is a wooden house in which we will live someday. For now, however, it stands empty. Someday it will be here at all - we are in the process of creating a ceramic workshop, where we will invite you to workshops, there will also be a bread oven. However, it should not happen that our work interferes with your rest.
We have a nice and well-equipped kitchen (no oven, so bake the cake before arrival), and the preparation of meals is in your hands. We will only add that the original ceramics that you will find on the spot are the work of Rafał, who is a ceramist. We feel that you will enjoy eating and drinking from it.
If you don't like cooking in a windmill, you might like the option of eating in the mill. We warmly recommend this restaurant in Warpuny, where the food is very tasty. You will eat there and fish soup or zander in chanterelles, and pizza or burger.
We also came up with a great corner for a bonfire - such that you can hide in it with the whole group, without exposing yourself to any looks from below - because it is slightly hidden in the ground. And the coolest thing is a waffle maker... for making waffles over the fire. They taste completely different than from the electric one! It's an old German piece of equipment, on which there is even an old recipe for waffles, the ones made with yeast and lard. We use a more modern one and they come out delicious.
It's like this here: no internet, poor coverage, around fields, meadows and lakes. For some it may be the definition of boredom, for us it is the best in the world. And we will never tire of these views and walks around the area.
At location:
– there is a bookcase and board games,
– you will make a bonfire (with waffles! more information in the food section),
– we have 2 kayaks and we will take you to the river with them,
– there are deckchairs – we suggest lying down in front of the fan, reading and looking at the clouds.
There is a forest just a stone's throw away, and there are three lakes around which you can reach on foot.
There are rural beaches on lakes Warpuńskie (2 km) and Żyndackie (1.5 km) where you can relax. At Lake Giełądzki, where you will reach through the forest, there is no beach on the shore closest to us, but there is a pier where you can also sit down and relax.
A little further:
– You've probably heard about the picturesque Krutynia and the rafting trips that take place on this river. But did you know that the Krutyń trail starts right next to us? The thin stream flowing from Lake Warpuńskie through Żyndackie is the beginning of this river. During the season, kayaking traffic on Krutynia is similar to Marszałkowska in Warsaw, but in the nearby sections it is quieter. We have 2 single-person kayaks and we can drop you off at a place where you can swim privately
– We are lovers of charming Reszel, a town 20 km away. It is quiet, picturesque, and on September 1 it completely dies, which has its own charm for those who like to visit off-season. In Reszel there is a Gothic castle with a wonderful view of the historic buildings and the Warmian landscape. The castle also has a gallery and a restaurant with a beautiful courtyard.
There is a lot to discover in Masuria and nearby Warmia. It is beautiful here at any time of the year, and this region will charm both those who want to relax in peace and those who love sightseeing, history and architecture. Those who rest best when moving will also be delighted. Here's what else you can do:
– ride bikes, using picturesque routes: the Bicycle Loop around the Great Masurian Lakes trail is 300 km long – you can, for example, start in Mrągowo 15 km from here,
– skiing on the Four Winds Mountain,
– go to the nature reserve on Lake Łukajno and observe wild birds,
– Krutyń (on the Krutynia River) visit the Natural History Museum, and near this village also the Zakręt Reserve – you will see floating islands there with your own eyes, and maybe even meet an insectivorous sundew,
– take a trip to the Kadzidłowo Wild Animal Park (recommended especially to families with children – in the summer there are crowds of families here, so it's best to go to Kadzidłowo off-season – be sure to also visit the iconic Oberża pod Psem for plum dumplings or dumplings with groats and cottage cheese.
– go on a trip along the trail of Teutonic castles: in addition to Reszel, there are castles in Nidzica, Kętrzyn, Ryn, Olsztyn, Lidzbark Warmiński and Szczytno.
What’s there for children?
For children there are holidays like in the old days. Believe it or not, but from our own experience, we know that even smartphones and tablets go into the corner here, because somehow rural entertainment seems to be much more fun. Rolling down the hill, sliding hair down to the lake, playing hide-and-seek. It's simple and no frills, but it's like from a fairy tale or an adventure movie. After all, how often do you sleep with the elderly in a windmill?
In the season, you will probably meet our 2 Hucul ponies here, with whom we come on holiday. You will be able to observe them, stroke them, commune with them.
So far, we have not accepted guests with infants, so we do not have facilities for babies, but if necessary, everything can be arranged.
What’s there for employees?
Leave work behind. Here we restore to factory settings to return to it with new energy. We don't have internet.
