From above, everything looks smaller. Problems, everyday worries, and from our mountain even the Dunajec and Szczyrk. It is here, in the place of our family peace, 600 m above sea level, in the buffer zone of the Poprad Landscape Park, that a dozen or so years ago I bought a small house on a small plot of land from Mr. Stanisław. Gradually, I bought the adjacent land, brought in electricity and expanded the house, which has become a spacious place of rest for 10 people, i.e. my family, friends and friends of these friends. I also developed the entire area around, creating a unique space to which we gladly return at every opportunity. Because how can you not use it, when there is a sauna, a tub with a jacuzzi, two-person hammocks, a pizza oven, a fireplace, a gazebo and even a summer kitchen with fires. There is also a chance for a hot coffee on the terrace, because the children play on the boules pitch, in a wooden house or draw with chalk on the wall. And with the coffee there is a view. To the Tatras, Szczyrk and the meandering Dunajec.
PS Access is only possible by off-road vehicle. The access road is steep, so in winter, when there is snow, solid chains will be necessary. If necessary, the caretaker of the habitat, Mr. Roman, will be happy to provide you with transport, and you can leave your cars with him in Szczawnica.
In the house at heights, which can accommodate up to 10 people: 4 people on the two largest beds (2x 200x200cm), and 6 people on slightly smaller ones (2x 90x200cm, 1x 135x195cm and 1x 150x220cm).
In Siedlisko, you will also find: a hot tub with a jacuzzi, a sauna, a covered barbecue area with a pizza oven and a traditional kitchen with fire pits, as well as a gazebo in the Pieniny style, ideal for spending time together. There is also a place for a large bonfire. There are also several double hammocks hung between the trees in the garden. Additionally, we have built a pétanque pitch in the garden.
Fast Wi-Fi is available in the house. There is also good mobile phone coverage - 5G.
The layout of the house is as follows. On the ground floor:
- living room - fireplace, several armchairs, sofa bed - sleeping area 150x220cm
- screen with projector and Apple TV
- fully equipped kitchen with island
- dining room - table for 12 people
- terrace - approx. 50 m2 - and on the terrace deck chairs and armchairs in western style
- study/bedroom - sofa bed - sleeping area 135x195cm
- bathroom with shower, washbasin and toilet
- sauna
- children's corner - wall for drawing with chalk and playing with magnets
- hall with washing machine and dryer and utility sink
On the first floor:
- bedroom 1 with bathroom - bed (200x200cm) - room with balcony
- bedroom 2 with bathroom - bed (200x200cm)
- bedroom 3 with bathroom - two beds (90x200cm)
On the premises there is There is also a chapel, which was funded by Mr. Stanisław - the previous owner of the plot and the small house that once stood here. We restored it and moved it to a more visible place.
We made sure that you feel at home here. So there is a barista corner where you can brew coffee in various ways, a kitchen equipped with cooking and baking equipment, just the way you like it - from wok dishes, to gentle steaming, and ending with equipment for conjuring up any desserts and cakes.
And because the natural circumstances here are unique, you can also cook outside. Here we have a stone kitchen made by a local stove builder with a grill, bread/pizza oven and cast iron grate with fire pits, and right next to it - large wooden benches.
Or maybe cooking in the scout version? A safe fireplace with places to sit and a solid wooden table is the perfect start for evening stories by the campfire.
When sometimes we don’t feel like cooking, we eat at Pod Siekierkami, at Karczma Chatka, W Bacówka Pod Bereśnikiem, U Stasi w Szlachtowej, at Schronisko Orlica or at the restaurant in the Hotel Batory.
The house rises high above the rest of Szczawnica, with an unobstructed view of the city, the Dunajec River and the Tatras. You can basically stay on the terrace and admire the clouds floating in the sky, swing in the hammock, relax in the gazebo, grill and bake pizza, bask in the sauna and tub, play petanque on a specially prepared boules pitch.
However, if you feel like taking a walk, just go out the gate. The house is located in the eastern part of the Poprad Landscape Park, so you can jump on the yellow trail and walk to Bacówka pod Bereśnikiem in 25 minutes. Or take the yellow trail, then the black trail, and then the blue trail to the Zaskalnik Waterfall.
If the capricious weather discourages you from being outside, you will find a cozy place to hide away in the house. You can read books on the sofa, listen to music, watch movies on a screen that hangs down from the ceiling or play board games at a large family table (our favorite games that have accompanied us for years are at home). Additionally, children can hide under the stairs and draw on the wall with chalk as much as they want.
If by some miracle you get bored with the lab in the habitat, all you have to do is go behind the fence. From the house, you can walk to the Dolny Park or Dietla Square in Szczawnica in about 25 minutes. The house is full of maps, guides and books on local topics. You can also find a lot of inspiration for hiking and cycling trips on the websites www.gorydlaciebie.pl; rowerempopieninach.pl; pieninyultratrail.pl.
If you like mountain biking, take your own equipment. Our house is cyclist-friendly - in the garage there are wooden bike racks with the possibility of charging batteries.
I refer those interested in the Dunajec River to the websites www.portpienin.pl and www.flisacy.pl.
In winter, you can go skiing in Palenica, or you can go to Tatrzańska Łomnica or Zakopane, which is a little over an hour's drive away.
When looking for information about activities in the area, it is also worth visiting the website of the Pieniny National Park www.piepn.gov.pl.
If you would like to go on an organized trip to more distant places in the region, on both sides of the border, there is a travel agency in Szczawnica: www.szewczyktravel.pl.
Among the local attractions, it is hard not to mention the jazz club with a unique atmosphere - Muzyczna Owczarnia in Jaworki, a place where fans of good music come from all over Poland.
Besides, we will be happy to help and advise you on what is worth doing during your stay in Szczawnica.
What’s there for children?
Imagine drinking coffee on the terrace, hot coffee, and the children running around the garden. The garden is large and fenced, and there are many activities to play. You can play petanque (boules) on the prepared pitch, play in a wooden house, swing in a hammock, play football and hide among the trees.
At home, you sit by the fireplace, and the youngest are busy in the play corner - here they can pursue their artistic passions in a large format - there is a blackboard wall and chalks, there are toys.
And if the children miss fairy tales, the projector with Apple TV will allow you to watch a movie.
What’s there for employees?
Our habitat is a place where you can work if you need to. Fast WiFi is available in the house and on the terraces, in the barbecue shelter, in the gazebo and in the hammock. There is also good 5G mobile phone coverage throughout the entire area. In all bedrooms there are desks with sockets for connecting all the necessary devices. There are also sockets in the barbecue shelter and gazebo, so you can plug in a charger. In the dining room you can also work at a comfortable table, and those who prefer a lying position can do it on the deckchairs on the terrace, the sofa in the living room or the hammocks stretched between the trees.
