Apparently, you have to drive 95 km to go around all the houses in Grotowo. There are few villages where farms, like mid-forest enclaves, are scattered at such great distances. It takes 45 minutes to visit a friend - a neighbor, with a hen and tincture under my arm. Yes we have here. The village founded in 1702 among the forests of the Noteć Forest was initially supposed to be called Schönerwiese, or Beautiful Meadow, but it was bad luck that King Frederick II, who was passing through here, fell from his horse. Dirty wardrobe and offended royal pride were the reason for changing the name to Modderwiese - Rotten Meadow. Unjust and unfair, but that's okay. For us, today's Grotów is a magical and beautiful place. And because there are more people like us, who are in love with the Forest, together we are rewriting the history of the post-German village, which was only 7 km from Poland before the war.
We noticed that women here suffer from loose hair syndrome. When they arrive, their hair is tied up, just like sometimes they are, immersed in everyday thoughts and stresses. But after a few days, all of them, as evenly, run around with dissolved. It also happens that arriving guests are sure that two couples who are already resting with us came here together and have been friends for years. And they had met a few days earlier. Maybe it's something in the air, maybe it's green, maybe it's the sky dotted with thousands of stars... something makes people slow down and soften here. In a historic farm from the beginning of the 18th century, we have created a place that we like to call an asylum for body and soul. Entrance ticket: openness to people and animals, readiness to walk barefoot on the grass and high tolerance for the singing of the hosts, who like to sit by the fire with a ukulele in the evenings. Let us sing a melody for you about holidays like with a (very laid-back) grandma in the middle of the Notecka Forest.
Our habitat is a farm founded by settlers in the first half of the 18th century. The first house was originally wooden. Over time, it was rebuilt, a brick part was added, but the room with original ceiling beams made of trees dating back to the times of Jan III Sobieski has survived to this day. Currently, there is a summer dining room here, and in the evenings you can listen to music performed by us. We call it the "Even Older Chamber". In summer it is pleasantly cool, in autumn bunches of grapes look through the windows. There is also a kitchen with a stove where mushrooms are dried in autumn. We use this house from May to October. This is where the Engineer's Room (5-person apartment) is located.
The second house, made of red brick, was built in 1894. It is in the large house, in the attic, that new rooms for our guests were built, each with a bathroom, three of them have air conditioning. Everyone has their advantages.
– Room No. 1 – “heavenly”, with a view of the sunrise in the field, with air conditioning,
- Room No. 2 - a small room with a mezzanine, air-conditioned, liked by couples,
– Room No. 3 – a room with a view of the sunset in the forest, air-conditioned,
– Room No. 4 - with a bathtub and a view of the sunset, no air conditioning.
In the hall next to the rooms there is a corner for spending time together, with a cast-iron goat and sofas. There, in the colder months, board games, sounds of guitar and ukulele reign.
Under the shelter and by the fire, the evening social life and night conversations of Poles take place, to the accompaniment of crickets and frogs. We are very open to our guests and we like getting to know you. Each of you comes here with your own story. Many beautiful friendships have been made in our habitat. However, if you feel that you want your own company above all else, no one will impose itself on you.
One more thing. Our place is not very "licked". The house is of course tidy, but otherwise it is a village with all its charms. In the bypass you can find a slight bustle. We like it when it's spontaneous and imperfect.
We cook with pleasure and love. We feed from the heart and generously. Familiar, local, delicious, homemade, but we are not afraid of experiments and inspiration. We use our own garden and eggs from our hens, vegetables and fruits from neighbors and the local market. We make our own preserves, bake rolls and bread, and make dumplings. If the calves from the neighbor share, we also have home-made milk and we make cheese.
We will be happy to prepare vegetarian (no surcharge) or vegan (surcharge) dishes. If necessary, we will prepare meals according to a special diet (for an additional fee).
Breakfast everyday is festive. Salty and sweet, hot and whatever you like.
Dinner consists of two courses and dessert - usually homemade cake.
35 km from here, in Kwilcz, there is a great vineyard called Enosphere, which is famous for its very good wines. We recommend checking their quality in person and organoleptically :)
If you want to get bored on vacation with impunity, you can do it with us. You can also enjoy simple pleasures:
– stare at the sky or chickens, talk, read,
– play badminton or board games,
- watch the cranes,
- go for a walk in the woods,
– sit by the fire, watch the stars and the moon,
– listen to old songs performed by the Hosts,
– play with dogs or cats, feed the hens,
- take your time to enjoy home-cooked food.
What if you want to go somewhere further?
– the area offers several lakes within a radius of several kilometers. There are wild bathing beaches and more civilized beaches.
– there is a nature reserve called Łubówko Lake.
– there are the Czaplenice, Łabędzin and Lubiatowskie Uroczyska nature reserves.
– there is the Notecka Forest with countless kilometers of bicycle and walking routes.
– the town of Drezdenko is nearby, with a charming promenade, the Park of World Cultures and delicious ice cream. We also recommend visiting the Museum of the Drawa and Noteć Forests.
– in Mniszki there is the Center for Regional and Nature Education, and there you can take part in workshops showing disappearing professions or make a Wielkopolska "roar" with your own hands.
– there are canoeing trips on the Drawa. You can also canoe on the lake (e.g. Lake Lipie).
– there is a wonderful local vineyard Enosfera in Kwilcz.
– for lovers of militaria, but a bit further: Międzyrzecki Fortified Region.
In the summer, our neighbors in Grotowo 5 host Sierpniówka. As the organizers themselves write, it is a "meeting of people of good will who '... want to build a home with peace ...' in order to make joy, love, music, dance and talk until dawn. As part of the admission, for a small fee, you can go to workshops, listen to music and meet colorful people from our area.
What’s there for children?
Our main advantages are peace and good food. One energetic two-year-old is enough for this first asset to be seriously threatened. Our place does not have special attractions and facilities for children, so we accept guests with slightly older children.
However, if you come to us as a group and rent the Siedlisko exclusively,
We will be happy to host you and your younger children.
What’s there for employees?
If only someone would run a fiber optic cable in our forest, we would be a very good place to work. We will let you know when and if civilization reaches us and you will be able to come to work with us.
