When I was new here and building a house, I never knew if I had phone coverage. So I started every conversation with “This is Żur, how can I hear you? Over.” So I will have to disappoint those who suspected I had French influences – however, when it comes to Borowiacko-Kociewie traditions, it will be quite the opposite. My agro-turczysko, as one of the first Guests called tuŻur, is located in the Tuchola Forest, and ethnographically on the southern edge of Kociewie. It can also boast a location in the Natura 2000 area and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. What does this mean in practice? That you will go down directly from the cottages to the stream flowing below the plot, the clean air will blow all your worries away from your heads, and the only sounds that will break the silence will be the birdsong and the rutting in September. If you prefer to commune with culture instead of nature, I invite you to an open-air cinema or to my large library of several hundred titles from various genres. If you want to expand your culinary skills, I will prepare for you free bread baking workshops (be sure to let me know in advance!). In the evening - as part of a SPA session, you can use the sauna under the trees or admire the sky immersed in a hot tub. The area is exceptionally pleasant to explore by bike, so if you can, take two wheels with you in mind the local forest trails. If you want, I will take you to the forest and lead a shirin-yoku session. So that you do not run out of strength, I will prepare for you delicious breakfasts from local products, with vegetables from my own garden. And for dinner I will serve fresh trout caught in a nearby pond.
I invite you to the cottages by the babbling stream below. They are identical, separated by a privacy fence and facing the water with large windows. They are located approximately 100 meters from the tuŻur villa, where I and my visiting guests usually stay.
Each cottage has:
- a living room with a fireplace,
- a kitchenette with a four-seater table,
- two double bedrooms upstairs (one on an open mezzanine),
- a terrace with garden furniture and swings,
- a picturesque landing immersed in greenery, situated above the stream that flows below the cottage.
The cottages can accommodate 6 people (there's a fold-out sofa in the living room), but you'll feel most comfortable with a group of four.
My four cats and a dog live in the garden, so if you're traveling with a pet, it's important that they get along with other animals.
TuŻur is located in a quiet corner of the Tuchola Forest, outside the densely built-up village of Żur. The area covers 1.34 hectares, and the cottages themselves are located in a secluded area behind the villa (you'll first see it from the gravel road).
The property offers numerous recreational opportunities: a beach with loungers, hammocks, a barbecue, garden shelters, and a bonfire area.
For those seeking peace and quiet: my place offers plenty of it, but it's a place where families with children can come (although this rarely happens in practice). It may be important to know that the beach, where children enjoy playing, is located near the cottages.
If you feel like it, you can buy breakfasts from me. On the table you will find products that I buy regionally, from friendly hosts. There are home-made eggs and butter, you can find cottage cheese, farm cheeses, cold cuts from small, local butchers. If you are a vegetarian, no problem, I will offer you a meal adapted to your preferences.
As for dinner, I apply the following rule: before you arrive, I will ask you about what you like and what you cannot eat. However, what I serve you will be a surprise. My guests really like this solution. I can serve the purchased meals to you in the dining room of the villa or bring them in a basket to the cottages.
At tuŻur we serve various types of bread, including semi-whole wheat-rye sourdough bread with grain, baked by me on site.
And I can teach you how to bake such bread during your stay at tuŻur. The course is very short, and the process of baking bread is trivially simple. All you need to do is set aside half an hour after breakfast to prepare the dough together, spend the whole day on any activities you choose, and after eight or nine hours you can drop by to see how the bread is baked. The next morning you can enjoy your own baked bread! And I will provide you with the recipe and sourdough starter for the trip.
Please announce your willingness to take part in the course (free of charge) a few days in advance before your arrival - I have to prepare the sourdough starter for you in advance.
On the plot there is my organic vegetable garden, from which I will give you vegetables and herbs in season. I also invite you to pick the harvest yourself and add it to the dishes if you cook yourself.
The cottages also have simple kitchenettes (they have a hob with 2 burners, a dishwasher and a microwave), where you can prepare your own meals.
For those who would like to buy local delicacies, I will gladly give you the contact details of friendly producers and hosts.
TuŻur is a place where you can get bored with complete impunity (though you don't have to). It's located in the Tuchola Forest, within the natural and landscape complex of the Sobińska Struga Valley (a tributary of the Wda River), part of the Wda Landscape Park. It's also located in a Natura 2000 site and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Those seeking contact with nature will find crisp air, untouched forests and meadows, crystal-clear rivers and lakes. The silence is broken only by the birdsong and the sounds of the rutting season.
What you can do on-site and nearby:
– enjoy the charms of the habitat: hammocks and loungers in green corners, garden shelters, a barbecue, a fire pit, and a volleyball and badminton court,
– read and watch movies: I love cinema and literature, so you'll find a large library and a CD collection with several hundred titles from various genres. DVD players are available in the rooms and cottages, along with selected films.
- During the season, I organize a cinema under the stars once a week.
- Explore the region before you set off: you'll find tourist guides and maps, studies on the region, its history, culture, cuisine, and language, as well as mushroom and bird atlases.
- Swimming: the nearest wild swimming spot with a gentle slope to the water is located 1,500 meters from TuŻury. There are more clean, pleasant swimming spots in the area – I'll be happy to give you some tips.
- Kayaking: The Wda River and Zalew Żurski are excellent places to try kayaking for the first time, and even more advanced paddlers will find kayaking along their wild, sometimes deserted trails a real pleasure.
- Horseback riding for beginners and advanced paddlers (beautiful grounds for horseback riding!), available year-round for children and adults at the nearby Czarna Podkowa stables in Grodek.
- In winter, I'll be happy to organize a sleigh ride for you with the help of a friendly stud farm in nearby Grodek.
- Hiking and cycling trips.
- Fishing.
- Winter swimming.
- Light gardening: if you're interested, you can try your hand at gardening at TuŻur. I know not everyone has had this opportunity, and gardening can be very relaxing. I'd be happy to share my secrets for growing delicious vegetables and herbs.
I also invite you to enjoy the spa, nestled among greenery, featuring a sauna and a hot tub with a jacuzzi. During peak season (vacation, weekends, and holidays), these hedonistic indulgences are included in the price (one session per stay). Outside of peak season, they are available for an additional fee from Monday to Friday. The cost is 150 PLN for the first hour of heating up the sauna and hot tub, and 75 PLN for each additional hour.
The kids especially like the beach near the houses, which they sometimes treat as a large sandbox. When they get tired of building sandcastles, there will be a playground among the trees waiting for them. There are also badminton rackets and a beach volleyball court on site.
Fast internet allows you to work on site. You can sit with your laptop at the dining room table or on the terrace, where the reception is also very good.