We wave to you from the Suwałki Pass, from the Sudawskie Mountains. Yes, in the far north we have mountains too! It's a bit like the Bieszczady Mountains, which folded after the passage of the ice sheet. Maybe we have lower peaks, but the number of reservoirs is higher. There is a lake or pond in every hole and valley. One for each. The density of people is similar to the Bieszczady Mountains, so seriously everyone can have their own piece of water. We have nothing to compare with the cold. Scientists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, doing research in our area, discovered that the closer to the core of the earth, the colder it is. Quite the opposite of logic. So the glacial permafrost clings to us tightly. Thanks to this, we have long winters, a lot of snow, a lot of water around and a very specific microclimate. Fortunately, we also have ski stations, beaches, kayaks and ideal conditions for diving in Hańcza.
It is in these natural circumstances, at the end of Poland, at the end of the micro-village and finally at the end of the road, that our Habitat stands. The nearest neighbor is not in sight, not even within shouting range. There are 3 ponds and over 10 hectares of land. We have two houses, so each has its own swimming pond, and the third pond is shared, intended for fish. The house on the hill has a beautiful view of the sunset, space for 9 people, a fenced garden with an orchard. Dom nad Stawem is divided into two apartments with separate entrances, so it can be rented in half or as a whole. In addition, we have a neighbor (700 meters away) Mrs. Sołtys, who makes brilliant cheeses and breads, a neighbor with beehives and an apitherapy house and a lake 300 meters away, which is a stone's throw away. We invite you to the north, where you probably don't expect mountains or so much water.
I invite you to Siedlisko at the end of the road. Our two houses stand by 3 ponds. The House on the Hill, exclusively for 9 people, and the House on the Pond, with two apartments (with separate entrances): Sunny on the ground floor for 7 people and Studio in the attic for 5 people. The houses are several hundred meters apart, because the area around us is large. Over 10 hectares of unfenced meadows, forests and water.
The house on the hill has a fence around its garden and outbuildings and creates such a cozy homestead. From the terrace there is a beautiful view of the countryside and the sunset. In winter, when the panoramas are not covered by trees, the landscape stretches from the terrace for several kilometers. Then you can even admire the lake. In the yard there is a place for a bonfire, a sandpit.
The house has:
- A spacious, sunny living room with a fireplace and a seating area and 3 beds 90 cm wide (in the configuration: 3 single beds or a double bed and a single bed).
- Two bedrooms can be accessed directly from the living room, the first of which has a view of the garden, while the windows of the second one overlook the terrace and the many-kilometre-long landscape behind it, giving a sense of intimacy and closeness to nature. The first bedroom has a sofa bed, while the second has two single beds, 90 cm wide.
- There is a bathroom with a shower.
- There is a kitchen with a dining room.
- There are tiled stoves and a fireplace that give a lot of heat.
- There is also electric heating.
The house by the pond is divided into two apartments:
Sunny with a terrace. The one-story, 100-meter apartment is called sunny for a reason - the windows overlook the four sides of the world, from which you can see both the multitude of colors in the rose garden and the blue water of the pond located several meters away.
At your disposal is:
- a large kitchen with a dining room,
- a bathroom with a bathtub,
- two bedrooms,
- a living room with a fireplace.
The apartment can accommodate up to 7 people - in the first bedroom there is a double bed, in the second a bunk bed for 3 people (length 180cm) and a double sofa bed. The apartment includes a terrace overlooking the pond.
Attic studio for 5 people with a beautiful view of the pond. The studio is an open space with:
- Living area with a sofa bed and two armchairs and a fireplace.
- Relaxation area with a double bed and a single bed.
- A kitchenette with a fridge, an induction hob and a dishwasher, as well as a dining table.
- Bathroom with shower.
Both the house and the apartments have their own kitchens.
Be sure to take an interest in the goods of the region. On the plot next to us, a neighbor has beehives, so you can buy great honey from him. And 700 meters from us, Mrs Sołtyska has an ecological farm where she makes Wijzna rennet cheese, bakes delicious bread, has fresh eggs and milk. When it comes to shopping, it's a must there.
In the summer season we have herbs near the house - you can pick. We also have an orchard with plums, cherries, raspberries, Kamchatka berries, blueberries, currants - you can use them.
In summer we have a lot of water, in winter a lot of snow (usually). We also have great conditions for hiking, cycling and kayaking. It is best to take your own bikes - we have a place to keep them, or you can use a rental company, e.g. in Suwałki (they will deliver and collect them). There is much more to kayaking than Czarna Hańcza. 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 feel like doing more, from Pobondzie you can sail to Rutka Tartak, then Wiżajny, Potopy, Poszeszupie and sail to the border - but this is the pro version. The Marycha River, which winds between Poland and Lithuania, is also charming. At Lake Szelment you can rent SUP boards, kayaks, bikes and have fun on an inflatable playground on the water or slide on water skis or wakeboard on a lift! Why do we need a lot of snow in the Suwałki Region? Because this land far to the north is shaped like the Bieszczady Mountains, only with a lot of lakes. We have great hills for sledding, we have a great ski resort 30 km from Siedlisko (Szelment) and a nicely undulating terrain for cross-country skiers.
Our Siedlisko is located at the end of the road and at the end of a micro village (11 houses). We don't have a neighbor within 1 km, so you can feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. But we have 3 ponds - two for swimming and fishing with jetties and one for fishing. The swimming ponds are assigned to houses, because each house has its own. They have safe bottoms and gentle descents. You can jump from the jetties, because in the middle they reach a depth of 2 to 6 m. There is a swing/bench above the pond, so you can also admire the sunset from there and read books, and we have many of those at home.
The third pond is the fish pond. So if you are fishing, you can wait in silence for carp, crucian carp, rudd, roach, grass carp, silver carp.
If after rafting down the Czarna Hańcza, diving in Lake Hańcza (16 km) and splashing in our ponds, you do not have enough water, you can go for a walk (300 m) to Lake Wiżajny. It is so close only for a walk, because the shore is not developed and instead of a beach you will find calamus there. To get to the beach you have to drive 3.5 km to Wiżajny.
You can also use our Finnish sauna for a fee and after a session cool off in the pond or, if there is no frost, pour ice-cold water from a bucket on yourself. For mushrooms, all you have to do is bend down, you do not have to go far. Yogis are welcome to our closed shelter with a fireplace. In this shelter you can also organize small celebrations (for about 30 people) - there are tables, chairs, a mini kitchenette, a place for dancing and gates with a view of the water. A local company offers catering.
A dozen or so minutes' drive from the house rises Rowelska Góra - the highest peak in the Podlaskie province (it is 298.1 m above sea level). There you will also find the largest concentration of storks in the area.
Nearby we also have Suwałki's Fujiyama, or Cisowa Góra, which, seen from a distance, resembles a volcano. This is another nearby viewpoint.
In Smolniki (15 minutes by car) there is a viewpoint to admire the panorama, which was immortalized in Wajda's Pan Tadeusz and Konwicki's Issa 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.
In Stańczyki there are two railway viaducts, which are a section of the inactive Gołdap - Żytkiejmy railway line (which is a part of the Chojnice - Vilnius main line). They stand over the Błędzianka River. They are 36.5 m (!) and are among the highest in Poland. The bridges are parallel to each other. Their architecture resembles the Roman aqueducts in Pont du Gard.
In spring, it is worth coming to the Sudovia Gravel ultramarathon, in July to the Suwałki Blues Festival, and in autumn to the Jaćwieski Archeological Festival and the Zmota Challenge off-road rally. In winter, there are many cyclical events for those who love winter swimming, saunas and cross-country skiing.
What’s there for children?
In winter we usually have snow, even when it's dry everywhere. So you can take your sled and go skiing down our glacial hills. On the other hand, 30 km from us is the Szelment ski resort. 10 trails, ski schools, 20 instructors. And there are no people, so you don't have to wait in line for a ski lift.
In summer, of course, there's water. Our two ponds, the one by the House on the Pond and the one by the House on the Hill, have safe and secure bottoms. In the middle of the pond they reach a depth of 2-6 m, but by the shore, to the end of the jetties they are shallow and children can splash in them. At the end of the jetties it gets deep, so you can jump into the water from the jetties. There are also grassy beaches by the ponds. The third pond is the fish pond, not for swimming. You can cast a rod there for carp, crucian carp, grass carp, roach, silver carp.
You can also jump out to the lake. The city beach in Wiżajny is 3.5 km away.
There are also brilliant, deserted gravel or asphalt bike trails around (a few kilometres from us you can jump on the Green Velo bike trail). Take your bikes or use the local bike rental - they will deliver and collect them from Siedlisko.
The House on the Hill is full of books, toys, DVDs and puzzles. There is a sandbox in the garden, you can set up a swimming pool, there is a swing (for the little ones). In the Studio in the attic, a Brazilian hammock hangs and waits for those willing to swing. The sunny apartment offers a bunk bed - a house with shutters, books, blocks, DVDs and for those hungry for screens - a TV.
We also have board games for family evenings together.
What’s there for employees?
We have good internet throughout Siedlisko. We also have places for remote solo work. We don't have desks, but for a quick getaway, the tables in the dining rooms should be enough - both the house and the apartments have tables. If you want to work in a group (but still by the fireplace and with a view of the green forest and the blue water) - the shelter offers 30 places at tables and wifi.