We remember when Lake Gardno seemed like an endless ocean. For our daughters, their first bike ride around it was no small feat. It was here that they caught their first wind and took their kayak out of the water for the first time. A 15-minute walk through the forest to the empty beach was a major adventure for little legs; today, it's barely a stroll. The house on Lake Gardno has seen our family's adventures: all the vacations, holidays, May Day weekends, and long weekends. Whenever we could, we'd get in the car to get there as quickly as possible. We still do, but life is a bit different now, and our house has created a space for those who would like to spend time similarly. They seek natural surroundings, tranquility, and simple pleasures. They enjoy spending time with family and friends, both actively and lazily. This house is entirely ours – we conceived it, designed it, and built it ourselves. It stands on the edge of Słowiński National Park, on Lake Gardno. It has a garden blooming with lilacs in spring and covered with cherry trees in summer, a view you long for all year round. Fortunately, it can become a little bit yours too, and become the companion of many joyful moments.

Ground floor with a unique view of the lake: kitchen, dining room (dining room for 14), living room with a fireplace, bathroom with shower and toilet, hallway, and covered veranda.

First floor: 3 rooms – two with double beds + space for an extra bed for a child, one for two people with a slightly smaller bed; bathroom with bathtub, shower, and toilet.

Attic: double bed and double sofa bed, 4 single beds, and a space with sofas and armchairs. Video projection on a large screen is available.

The culinary center is the wood-burning stove. Anyone who hasn't cooked in one must try it. For beginners, we offer a cooking and baking course led by a local host (cost: 400 PLN). Preparing meals together is part of the ritual of Home Like Paradise. All the necessary equipment is provided: in addition to the wood-burning stove, there's also an electric stovetop, oven, baking sheets, a microwave, a blender, a toaster, a mixer, frying pans, pots, tableware for 14 people, cutlery, mugs, bowls, a garlic press, plenty of (sharp!) knives, cutting boards, and spices.

The highlight of the cooking program is making your own white cheese. First, a trip with churns to Mrs. Jadzia and her mutts for real milk (including eggs from the chickens running around the yard). Then we set it to sour. After 2-3 days, we skim off the cream and heat the milk over a low heat (wood-burning stove!) You can boil it (the cottage cheese will be firmer) or not (a delicate cottage cheese). Then strain it through a cheesecloth (a few hours, preferably overnight). For breakfast – unique cottage cheese with previously collected cream – sweet or savory.

We buy delicious bread from the local bakery at the ABC store in Gardna Wielka, near the church, or order homemade bread. I honestly don't know which is better – it's a matter of taste. We order homemade pierogi of any type and quantity from Smołdzino (on the way to the beach). We freeze 100 of them (with strawberries, cherries, cheese, mushrooms...) for the entire vacation. We also order other dishes there, including cakes.

At the "Meduza" smokehouse in Gardna Wielka, you can find carefully selected and prepared sea and freshwater fish. Unique classics: salmon and trout, but also butterfish, eel, and many others.

We buy honey from local apiaries, for vacation and to stock up for the entire year.

We eat home-cooked meals (we recommend the blueberry pancakes!), including fried fish, at the "Po drodze" bar in Smołdzino. You MUST go to Czołpino to see a real(!) Italian. Ricardo's trattoria has a small menu, but everything is delicious, made with Italian ingredients. We recommend the escalopes and, of course, the "Tira mi su." Nearby, in Gardna Wielka, you can get decent meals at the "Gospoda pod Diabelskim Kamień" (Guest House under the Devil's Stone), and in Smołdzino Forest, at the "Mozaika" pizzeria. A practical and tasty tip: there's a bar called "Czerwona Szopa" (Red Shed) by the beach in Czołpino. With a simple menu – pancakes, fish, pork chops, crepes, ice cream, and drinks. A very convenient option for sun-worn beachgoers, both young and old. Oh, and for connoisseurs: Słupsk is home to the famous and rightly awarded "Dym na wody" (Smoke on the Water). Everything there tastes delicious.

Oh my goodness... Never, unless it's by choice, because I, for example, like to get a little bored, and Home Like Paradise is a great place for that too. I sit, gazing at the scenery, the kids (grandkids...) roaming around somewhere, no beach, no bikes, kayaks, surfboards, books, or board games. Nature, birdsong, and nothing to do. Like paradise.

When I'm tired, I hop on my bike and ride an hour around the lake, or leisurely with a blanket to the beach. You can also drive and walk through the park. The longer the path through the forest, the emptier the beach.

In Czołpino, the beach is a 10-minute walk from the parking lot with the kids. It's never crowded there either, and if you walk 100-200 meters, there are single beach umbrellas a few dozen meters away. After 300 meters, it's deserted.

In Smołdziński Forest, a leisurely 20-minute walk through a wonderful forest takes you to the beach. This is my favorite family option! 100 meters to the side of the descent: single blankets, and after 200 meters – empty.

Gardna Wielka – access by car to the parking lot, then 4 km through the forest past the enchanting Dołgie Małe Lake. I love cycling to this beach from home. 45 minutes to an hour on two wheels, followed by a well-deserved rest on the nearly deserted beach.

In Gardna Wielka, there's a PTTK marina with sailboats for rent.

There's also a kayaking station with a campsite on the lake, where you can organize kayaking trips on the Łupawa and Słupia rivers. These are wild, uncrowded rivers, with sections for beginners, but some sections also have a mountainous character and are suitable for experienced kayakers. Trips last from a few hours to several days. From the campsite, you can conveniently launch windsurfing and kitesurfing to Gardno.

Cycling routes that are impossible to complete in a single vacation start right outside the house.

Running and walking – to your heart's content in every direction.

Interesting and with attractions for children: the Słowiński National Park Museum in Czołpino, the lighthouse and the Moving Dunes there, the viewpoint on Rowokole, open-air museums in Kluki and Swołowo, the zoo with numerous attractions in the Charlotta Valley, tourist attractions in Rowy and Ustka, and for those with a thirst for art – the world's largest (!) collection of Witkacy's works at the Museum of Central Pomerania in Słupsk.

In short: at Home Like Paradise, we ONLY get bored at our own request ;)

Little ones feel most comfortable on a blanket in the meadow in front of the house overlooking the lake. They can find shade, sun, and plenty of homemade toys. All this under the watchful eye of parents from a chair with a book or from behind the kitchen window while the adults prepare a snack or dinner. In inclement weather, we spread out a play mat in the dining room or living room. There are books and board games for all ages.

A kilometer from the house is the lake beach with a lawn and a kiosk selling drinks and snacks. Pedal boats and boats are available. You can walk, bike, or drive. A convenient option for getting to the water without a day trip is the beach in Czołpino, which is a classic, accessible by car, and then a 10-minute stroller ride through the forest from the parking lot. The Czerwona Szopa beach offers a typical menu.

For those who enjoy traveling independently by bike or trailer, the seaside beach on the other side of Lake Gardno is an excellent option. It's a 12-kilometer ride, including about 2 km on a public paved road, the rest on fields and through forests.

Kayaking trips on a leisurely route lasting 2-3 hours, or 5-6 hours. Great fun even for the youngest.

For older children and teenagers: advanced kayaking trips, longer bike rides, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and sailing.

Family-friendly – a trip to the Zoo in the Charlotta Valley, the Słowiński National Park Museum, the Lighthouse and Shifting Dunes in Czołpino, and the open-air museums in Kluki and Swołowo.

"Home Like Paradise" has many board games, a large screen and projector, and a spacious attic for group play and conversation.

A shared space for workshops and brainstorming sessions at a table for 12-14 people. Two comfortable desks. One in a small room overlooking the green garden and a quiet street. The other in a gray bedroom overlooking the lake and the endless horizon. There's 300 Mb fiber optic and coverage from all mobile networks, a screen, and a projector.