A village headman once lived here, distributing milk in the area during the war. So, to say that the history of these cottages is steeped in milk and honey wouldn't be an exaggeration. Today, however, instead of cows, bees bustle right outside the forest by the Bug River, with the help of which we create our own apiary – a place born out of our love of animals and our passion for Podlasie, where my wife comes from. We are both veterinarians, and in addition to the apiary, we also run a clinic in the area. And while I personally dreamed of pursuing a career in large animal gynecology, learning from bees proves to be equally satisfying, colorful, and perhaps a little more subtle.
In Wólka Nadbużna, people do things that only those with or without a plot of land can afford: peacefully, close to nature, far from pressing matters and deadlines. You can go for walks in the forest, explore Podlasie villages by bike, and discover the region's historical sites – all of which are close to us: Holy Mountain of Grabarka, Drohiczyn, and Mielnik. You can fish on the Bug River, which borders our land, and if you don't catch anything, embark on a tour of Podlasie's cuisine. We'll tell you who sells the best local specialties and where. For hedonists, we have a sauna, jacuzzi, and ulotherapy cottage in the garden, where the fragrant, bee-breathed air not only soothes the nerves but also heals. If you're looking for a home of your own that will satisfy your curiosity about the world, in addition to your desire for comfort, we invite you. You'll find something sweet here.
BEEKEEPER'S HOUSE
There are places where you immediately feel that everything has its own rhythm. Not fast-paced. Not imposed. Just natural – like the work of bees, the rustle of meadows, and the peaceful breath of Podlasie.
Its name is not a decoration, but the essence of this place. Inside, you'll find the warmth of wood, natural materials, and details that evoke our apiary. Everything has been carefully selected to create an atmosphere of peace, simplicity, and closeness to nature. This is an interior where tradition meets comfort, and the history of beekeeping isn't just a story on the wall, but the quiet backdrop of your entire stay.
The Beekeeper's House is for those who appreciate authenticity. For those who want to sip coffee on the terrace in the morning, listen to the meadows, smell the wood, and live life at a slower pace for a moment. For families, couples, and friends seeking a relaxing retreat with character, close to the river, close to the apiary, and close to Podlasie.
This is a place for anyone who believes that the best relaxation doesn't have to scream luxury. All it needs is light, silence, a comfortable bed, and honey that actually comes from here.
We leave you with a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook what you like. A barbecue and a place for a bonfire will be waiting for you outside.
When you come to us, you can count on a welcome basket with local delicacies. In it you will find our honey, mead, eggs from our hens and traditional bread from a local bakery. In addition, we will be happy to share with you tips on what and where to buy here: who sells the best preserves, cheeses, vinegars or oils. We are in the process of preparing a culinary guide to the area, which will soon be waiting for you on site.
On-site, you can relax in a variety of ways and configurations. In a refined and cozy house, nestled in a village on the Bug River, surrounded by greenery, you'll be able to pause and forget about pressing matters for a moment. Whether you let boredom take its toll is up to you. Inside the house, you'll find:
– a comfortable living room with a sofa, an internet-connected TV, and a fireplace where you can curl up with a book,
– a library with beekeeping literature and more,
– board games for social evenings at the table,
– cozy nooks with sofas, blankets, and spotlights. And outside, in our SPA area, you'll find:
– a dry sauna (this pleasure will cost you 200 PLN per day),
– a jacuzzi (the cost here is 150 PLN per day),
– an apitherapy house (next to the Beekeeper's House – we charge 100 PLN per day for it and it's available to all residents).
A few words about apitherapy – because perhaps not everyone has heard of it. Apitherapy involves entering a house with bees, with whom you don't have direct contact. The bees do their work in hives under loungers, from which you are safely separated by a dense mesh. This treatment is relaxing and has health benefits – it helps treat anxiety, insomnia, asthma, and alleviates the effects of stress, as well as heart and circulatory system diseases. The air emerging from the hive has a wonderful aroma, and the sound of thousands of buzzing bees soothes frayed nerves.
Near our cottage, right on the Bug River, we've created a haven for anglers. In our large, private pond, fishing enthusiasts can catch tench, roach, bream, eel, carp, ide, perch, crucian carp, sturgeon, rudd, grass carp, vimba, and asp.
Our location makes us an excellent base for exploring the confluence of Podlasie, Mazovia, and the picturesque Bug River region.
You can also take a kayaking trip on the Bug River, for example, from Mielnik (20 km away) to Drohiczyn. The trip takes 2-3 hours.
Drohiczyn, the historic capital of Podlasie, is just 17 km away. In Drohiczyn, you can climb Castle Hill, where a medieval castle stood, and from there, admire the panorama of the Bug River, admire historic churches, and even visit the Kayaking Museum. You can also take a boat cruise on the Bug River.
– Holy Mount Grabarka is the most important religious site of Polish Orthodox Christianity. Its history dates back to 1710, when the local community of Podlasie was decimated by the plague. According to a revelation from an old man, salvation could be found on Mount Grabarka. Today, people drink the water from the holy spring there.
– In Mielnik, there is the only still-active open-pit chalk mine in Poland. Chalk was mined there 500 years ago! The massive workings can be viewed from a vantage point above the mine. This isn't the only attraction in Mielnik: you can also climb a former 11th-century fortified settlement and gaze out over the Bug River, see the ruins of a church from 1420, or walk along a wooden footbridge to the summit of Rowska Mountain in the Bug Valley Protected Landscape Area.
- Siemiatycze has a guarded swimming pool – one with tourist infrastructure, but if you're looking for a place to spend half a day with children, Siemiatycze is a good choice. There's also a newly built, year-round swimming pool, Wodne Tarasy.
- Janów Podlaski, with its famous Arabian horse stud farm dating back to the Napoleonic Wars, is best visited from early May to late September. It's the oldest state-owned stud farm in Poland. Besides the horses, another attraction is the 19th-century stable complex, the oldest of which, "Zegarowa" (Gargow) from 1848 and "Czołowa" (Czorowa) from 1841, were designed by the renowned Italian architect Henryk Marconi. "Ziołowy Zakątek" (Herbal Corner) in Koryciny is a place that draws on the herbal traditions of Podlasie. You can visit the herbal botanical garden there, buy herbal remedies for various ailments, enjoy dishes seasoned with local herbs at the inn, and visit a moonshiner's hut or the house of a whisperer.
"In winter, you can rent cross-country skis in Wólka Nadbużańska. Let us know you're interested, and we'll arrange a discount for you."
All kids are welcome with us, the only thing is that we don't have any special attractions for them in the form of a playground or a trampoline. Books and games await you at home, you can see what's going on with our hens or go fishing with your parents on the Bug River.
About 300 m separates you from the educational park Natural Educational Paths of the Siemiatycze Commune, where a lot of natural curiosities can be learned by both children and adults. In the pine forest there are models of animals and mushrooms, nesting boxes, forest puzzles, educational boards (we took care of the educational path regarding bees), a labyrinth and a playground. The nature trails in Wólka Nadbużna are open 6 days a week (except Mondays) and we recommend them to anyone interested in the world who would like to learn something about the biodiversity and geodiversity of Podlasie.
Forget about all the stereotypes of the Podlasie countryside and see for yourself that our internet does not differ from that of Warsaw office buildings, and the SPA in the form of a sauna and jacuzzi relaxes better than in a five-star hotel. In both bedrooms there are worktops for remote work with comfortable chairs. You can also choose to work in a kitchen combined with a living room, at a large table or on a comfortable sofa. The house is quiet and peaceful, so the only disturbances you can encounter here are the buzzing of bees in the summer.
