Here she is, Rowan Woman. A wooden cottage with an artistic character. She hid in the youngest village of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, in the Narewka commune, within walking distance of the Narew River and at the gate of the Lada Forest. It stands in a green company of old spruces and pines. Its interior, which can accommodate 7 people, is a charming combination of old objects with modernity and my passion for music. There are plates from Włocławek and porcelain tableware, an old wooden table and "fox" armchairs. There is a soft dark green sofa, posters of Polish artists, scores, covers of Haydn and Mozart's horn concertos, vinyls and violins hanging on the wall. There's a terrace waiting for you here, swinging as much as you want in the hammocks, resting on the deckchairs and reading the books and albums about art that I leave here. You will be able to warm up the fireplace until it's red hot, trek to the Siemianówka Reservoir, look at the surroundings from the observation tower in Bondary, and ride a bike from the rental shop on the beach to visit the Dunin oak and the Orthodox church in Jałówka. You will be able to do all this, but you will not have to do anything. Here, in the Podlasie countryside, we praise taking your time, enjoying peace (and grapeshot) and being soothed by the aroma of the forest.

In Nowa Łuka, among old spruces and pines, there is a wooden, restored house.
On the ground floor there is: a living room filled with artistic accents and musical references with a brick fireplace and a bottle-green fold-out sofa, a kitchenette, a dining room, a chest of drawers with a bookcase and access to a covered terrace with a table and benches.

On the first floor there are two bedrooms: a larger one with a double bed and a fold-out sofa and a smaller one with double and single beds. They are also decorated with posters, paintings, records and scores. 85 m² will comfortably accommodate 7 people.

The area is large (the plot is 900 m²), green and fenced. The trees provide pleasant shade in the hot summer and are home to squirrels and birds. The plot includes: a wooden swing, three hammocks, a trampoline for children, lounge chairs and a fireplace. Well-behaved animals that sleep on their own beds are welcome.

You will rest in the vicinity of the Białowieża Forest, the Narew River and the Siemianówka Reservoir.

In the large and spacious kitchen, cooking will be made more pleasant by the trees outside the window and decorations in the form of decorated plates and bowls from Włocławek. I let coffee lovers know that they can prepare their favorite drink using a drip coffee machine, a coffee maker or an Aeropress. There is also a milk frother. You can eat your meals at a large table in the dining room, on the terrace or in the garden, the space of which will be an ideal setting for a picnic. There is also a dedicated fireplace place in front of the house.

Near the forest, in the land of gentleness, where storks build their nests, bisons live in the forest, in picturesque villages there are wooden Orthodox churches with domes shining in the sun, and houses have colorful shutters, you will find a charming wooden house hidden among spruces and pines.

Entertainment activities include:
– breakfasts, dinners and board games on the terrace,
– reading books from the bookcase by the fireplace, on a deckchair or on a garden swing,
– lighting bonfires in the evenings and staring at the stars (light pollution in the sky is extremely low here),
– staring at the sky or taking naps in a hammock,
– spotting birds and watching squirrels play.

You can explore the area on foot, by car or by bike (there is a rental shop on the beach). And closer or further away are:
– Siemianówka Reservoir, the fourth largest artificial water reservoir in Poland – you can go to the Stary Dwór beach (6 minutes by car, 40 minutes walk) or the beach in Bondary (with a large pier, reed umbrellas and an observation tower) and take advantage of numerous sports activities there attractions (climbing wall, volleyball and basketball courts, tennis courts),
– Białowieża Forest – the only natural object in Poland included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including: the Bison Demonstration Reserve, the Palace Park with an observation tower and the Kosy Most nature reserve,
– the village of Narewka, where you can see traditional Podlasie houses, an Orthodox church, an old church and a Jewish cemetery, as well as rent kayaks and go rafting down the picturesque and wild valley of the river of the same name as the village,
– Narew, which you can sail down,
– the church in Jałówka – it differs from many other rural churches, which are usually made of wood, in that it is made of brick – it has a white façade and a foundation,
– ruins of the church, also in Jałówka – the temple was blown up by the Germans during the war, today it is slowly taken over by the forest,
– Dunin Oak, European Tree of the Year 2022 – a 400-year-old natural monument that is a remnant of the Lada Forest – it is worth visiting because there is a risk that it will fall in half,
– Land of Open Shutters, officially covering three towns: Trześcianka, Puchły and Soce, but to admire the decorations of wooden cottages it is also worth visiting: Ciełuszek, Pawłów, Kaniuk, Ryboł, Plosek, because this magical land leading with the traces of traditional Podlasie architecture extends to many tiny villages in Podlasie,
– blueberry plantation in the village of Juszkowy Gród (if there are no very nice owners, there is a self-service stall), look for the "Borówkowy Juszkowy" sign by the road, you can look at the horses nearby,
– skit in Odrynki, i.e. an Orthodox hermitage founded by Archimandrite Gabriel in the swamps, among the floodplains of the Narew basin – an 800-meter footbridge leads to it,
– Krynki, the eastern border of the European Union, once a Jewish town full of life – it is worth dropping by for a leisurely tour, a sip of the local water (supposedly healing) and a look at the largest roundabout in Poland and the second in the world (only in Paris it is larger),
– Tykocin on the Narew River with the royal castle,
– Tatar villages: Kruszyniany and Bohoniki (to look at mosques and miziary (cemeteries) and taste traditional dishes – kolduns and pierekaczewnik),
– Knyszyńska Forest to explore on foot, by bike, with poles and running,
– ethnographic museum in Sanniki,
– Zbigniew Falkowski sculpture gallery in Ozierany Małe,
– Supraśl, where you can go to a performance of the Wierszalin theater, visit the monastery, visit the museums: Printing and Papermaking and Icons (located in the Archimandrite Palace from the mid-17th century), see the Buchholtz Palace (you can visit it during the holidays), People's House or Wooden Weavers' Houses.

Nearby bicycle routes:
– Podlasie Stork Trail, 412 km long, starting in the center of Białowieża and reaching Stańczyki (marked in red),
– Orthodox Temples Trail, 176 km long (marked in yellow),
– Podlasie Cultural Trail "Tree and Sacrum" covering just over 182 km.

I dedicate a garden with a trampoline, a wooden swing and a hammock among the trees to children. Little ones enjoy watching birds and trying to catch up with squirrels, while older kids enjoy playing board games and comet tournaments. The proximity of the beach, water equipment rental and attractions by the reservoir will suit every taste. If you can, take your bikes with you.

At home I leave board games for you (Dixit, Carcassone, Taboo, Superfarmer, Tajniacy, Jenga), chess and cards.

There is a desk in the large bedroom, but both the table in the dining room and the one on the terrace are suitable for work. There is a socket on the terrace next to the table, so you can make calls and complete to-do lists while looking at the forest. Wifi is fast, and a 42-inch Smart TV is also available.