Soon after I bought this land, 12 hectares of mid-forest in Bory Tucholskie, I started looking at old maps. One of them said that Betlejemka stood here - a poor cottage 700 m away from the village. Those who remember its inhabitants still live in the village. The story of their hospitality and kindness spread from mouth to mouth. Soon after, I learned that Bethlehems are houses made of natural materials: wood, reeds and clay. And on Christmas Eve, even before the first Christmas, I got permission to build a settlement in Borowiat. There was no more appropriate name for it than Bethlehem.
I knew that the houses would be old and natural, fitting into the local landscape. I bought 100-year-old cottages in eastern Poland. Some of them could be moved in their entirety, others are a combination of several cottages intended for demolition. All covered with thatch. Did you know they had to raise their roofs? Borowiacie houses are characterized by right angles, while the cottages of the eastern regions are lower, with more open roofs. The clay used to finish the houses gives a pleasant coolness in the summer and warmth in the winter. I can't compare the smell of burning wood in the fireplace with the smell of hot clay. Also modest, it must be admitted, are the nights spent in other circumstances than on the edge of the forest in comparisons. In complete silence and darkness you will fall asleep as you haven't slept for a long time, and when you open your eyes, you will be greeted by fog rising from the meadows. The clangor of cranes will be just a prelude to a day spent among peat bogs, forests and lakes, still wild nature of the Tuchola Forest.
There are 5 houses in the Betlejemka Settlement. 2 of them have single apartments, 3 have 2 twin apartments. In their case, the entrances to the apartment are on two opposite sides to ensure privacy.
At the moment, we can invite you to 5 apartments, but two more will be ready soon.
We wanted the cozy interiors of our apartments to be consistent with the folk character of old houses, but also comfortable and modern. All of them were finished with great care. Natural materials dominate, and the smell of wood is mixed with the smell of clay from Rzeszów covering the walls.
The houses are approximately 40-50 m apart, so unless you are the only guest, you will have the opportunity to meet other people vacationing with us outside. However, since the area is huge (12 ha!), everyone will find space for themselves here.
We invite you to Bethlehemka with dogs (no more than two dogs per apartment) for whom, according to their owners, it is a real paradise :)
Breakfasts are served (from April to the end of September) in the form of baskets (one basket for two people for two days) filled with products from a friendly certified agritourism farm. Depending on the season, the basket will contain country sourdough bread made of organic flour, eggs from happy hens, real butter, homemade jams or delicious artisan cheeses and cold cuts from a local family butcher's shop, and other products depending on the season.
In the summer, our area is full of blueberries, so you will need jars to collect them. Maybe you will make pancakes with cottage cheese and blueberry sauce?
The boundaries of Betlejemka Settlement are marked on two sides by a wall of forest, which will be your companion here. Its inhabitants: cranes, beavers, roe deer and salamanders - regular guests. If you come for silence, absolute peace, blissful nights of sleep and long days filled with reading, conversations, walks and bike trips, this is the address. There is no better way to spend time in Betlejemka than to take advantage of the benefits of its surroundings: vast forests, clean lakes and rivers of the Tuchola Forest.
- One of the greatest pleasures in the area is cycling along the forest trails. There are 4 mountain bikes and 2 electric bikes waiting for you on site (so if there are more willing guests, the rule is: first come, first served). Electric bikes are great for riding through the forest, because they allow you to reach places that are difficult for regular bikes to pass.
– We have 2 SUPs for you (PLN 40/day), on which you can paddle around the nearby lakes. Another great experience is a SUP rafting along the Brda canal, whose waters flow slowly: it is therefore safe and perfect for a first adventure of this type.
– Not along the canal itself, but along the Brda, runs one of the most beautiful and longest (240 km) kayaking routes in Poland. The trail begins near the Karsiński Landscape Park and ends in Bydgoszcz. The nearest towns where you can start the rafting are Rudzki Most and Woziwoda. You will certainly find a level of difficulty appropriate for your abilities – on the Brda there are both sections with a gentle current and those with rapids, with many bends and obstacles.
– The Tuchola Forest can also be traversed on foot. The trails lead through forests, peat bogs, heathlands, along lakes and rivers. Here you will find routes for short family walks with children and for more experienced hikers. Check out the Brda Trail, the Wdza Trail, the "Z Dukty do Dukty" Trail and the Czarny Kierz Trail.
- The Tuchola Forests are a haven for many species of birds, such as rare capercaillies, black grouses, eagle owls, kingfishers, white-tailed eagles, cranes, woodpeckers and black storks. Are you interested in ornithology, or maybe you just want to start? Take binoculars with you to be able to observe them.
- On warm summer nights, I invite you to film screenings under the stars. I am a film buff, and I appreciate classics the most, so I will be happy to invite you to a screening under the stars. You can also suggest a film that you would like to see.
- In the summer, numerous festivals are held in villages in the Tuchola district. These include, for example, the Poetry Festival of the Forest Bee and St. John's Poetry or the Mushroom Festival in Krzywogoniec, the Night Mysteries of the Lakeside or the Flower Power Festival in Cekcyna. This is a great opportunity to get to know the folklore of these lands or taste the local cuisine prepared by the housewives of a given village. These events have a special charm, which is why I highly recommend them.
- Or maybe yoga? 20 km from here is Halina Resler's yoga studio, Trzcionek 10. Halina is one of the first yoga teachers in Poland, and the place where you can practice with her is located in beautiful natural surroundings. Let me know that you would be interested in classes.
Some of the many places worth visiting in the Tuchola Forest:
- the beautiful reserve of the Stążka River Sources with the famous Krasnoludków Waterfalls - it covers the upper section of the river valley along with its sources (the whole is a natural monument), and there are also rare plants here (including orchids!); dwarves are said to live here,
– Dendrological Park nad Stążką in Gołąbek – there are 150 species of trees on an area of 2.5 ha,
– a very picturesque nature trail Jelenia Wyspa in Gołąbek,
– Jeziorka Kozie reserve with floating islands – the tiny islands are impressive, but there is also interesting vegetation of peat bogs and sundews to see,
– Jezioro Zręczczno reserve – a haven for lilies and water birds,
If, in addition to beautiful nature, you also want to get to know the culture and history of our region, visit:
– Tuchola – an atmospheric town with nice cafes and restaurants (especially drop by the Łuczniczka cafe with delicious chocolates produced in Tuchola),
– Krąg – a small Borowia village in the middle of the forest, between 2 lakes; is a living open-air museum from the 19th century,
- over 200-year-old wooden cottages in Lińsk, Zielonka, Rosochata, Brzoza and Sucha.
What’s there for children?
If your children do not need an inflatable castle to play, and instead they will be happy to go with you on a trip to the forest, we invite you. What is certain is that there is no shortage of safe space here. Maybe you will learn to recognize wild birds together, and mushrooms in autumn? From the windows of the houses you can watch deer, and in the spring you can watch the arrival of storks. In addition, we are sure that the kids will be lost when they see the big chestnuts standing near the houses. Horses and sheep made of wood are a gift from friendly artists from the artistic group BoneKozubal.
Several nature trails run through Bory Tucholskie and you can plan a walk along their route. These paths are:
– blue: “Piła Młyn”, where you can learn something about lichens and see the Kacze Oko dystorphic lake,
– red: “Łąki Józefowskie”, where you can get to know the plants of the forest floor and see the vast mid-forest meadows,
– green: “Around Lake Wielkie Gacno”, where you can see dunes and swamps covered with cotton grass.
What’s there for employees?
The Internet works perfectly, so we can invite you to work straight from the forest. With your laptop, you can sit on the sofa, on one of the armchairs in the living room or at the table in the dining room. During a break from work, we recommend a walk around the settlement to stretch your bones, and when you have checked off all the tasks, you can go for a bike ride to the forest. If you would like to work outside, you can share the Internet from the hot spot and sit on one of the garden armchairs.
