Casablanca is white buildings contrasting with the blue of the sky and the turquoise of the Atlantic Ocean, terraces on sunny roofs, richly decorated interior patios hidden behind inconspicuous facades. This is the image we have when we think of a town in the west of Morocco.
But when we think of Łagów, in the west of Poland, we see azure lakes, blue skies, white facades, red roofs and, behind the threshold of the little white house, a big surprise. A holiday Casa Blanca with terraces surrounding a bright, sunny patio, the colour of the sky pouring into the interior through large windows, concrete floors and the whiteness of wood, a garden on a slope and a bath to which you have to take a step down. What do we mean by "down"? See for yourself.
What Casa Blanca looks like today is the result of a lot of self-denial, a lot of imagination and even more work by human hands. Our house is roughly 100 years old, which we infer from the dates of the surrounding buildings. We don't know much about its history, we don't know much about its previous residents. What we do know is that it was ruined and dilapidated when we bought it; very charming and threatening to become a building disaster at the same time. It got its present shape thanks to a very talented architect, and now it charms with its exotic atmosphere.
It is a transition from civilisation to nature. It stands in the historic part of Łagów, in the main street, overlooking the lake, snuggling on two sides with other houses. Once inside, however, nothing is quite as you imagined. From the garden and the slope, nature even invades the interior. When you cross the patio, you will see snails (after the rain), grass snakes and lizards (in the sun) and sometimes raccoons, which run over our fence on their way to the forest. In the evenings, they sometimes make noise on the roof and sometimes peep into the windows. So don't be surprised by those sharp black eyes somewhere between the leaves.
Welcome to a town where in just a few steps, you can reach lakes, beaches and jetties from which you can dive and do cannonballs. Where it can be very quiet and peaceful, and where you can go at full speed. Where you can taste local wine, walk to the castle, and rest your eyes by bathing in greenery.
In a small white house, i.e. Casa Blanca, but not in Casablanca, but in Łagów, Lubuskie Province. Our house is located on a street in the historic part of the town. The center of events, boardwalks, waffles and curly ice cream is a bit further away. Here it is old, modest, quieter, classy. From the outside, you don't expect what awaits you at the doorstep. Let yourself be surprised.
In a more than 100-year-old house, which once allegedly housed a canteen with homemade food, we have created an exotic oasis for aesthetes, seekers of blue sky and interiors where every corner is a scenography for photos.
You will find two bedrooms (one on the ground floor, one on the first floor) for 4 people. Each of them has a double bed and the possibility of an extra bed (sofa bed) and its own bathroom (in one bath, in the other shower). There is a bright and two-story high living room with a fireplace, emerald seating and access to the patio. There is a sunny kitchenette with a dining area and a panoramic patio window. There are terraces, sun loungers and a beautiful garden on a slope. There is no TV, there is wifi (although it can play pranks) and very poor mobile network coverage.
What is important. Due to the architecture of the building (stairs, mezzanine, terraces) and the escarpment behind the house, we recommend renting to families with older or non-walking children. The entire garden is located on a slope.
The details are as important to us as the overall picture. Pigeon bathroom with bathtub in the floor, concrete floor, spiral staircase leading to the second floor, upper bathroom with access to the sky terrace surrounding the patio, four-poster bed without a canopy. You will be beautiful here.
Dogs - yes, but as in the case of small children, we do not recommend staying with small animals / puppies.
We also ask you not to smoke cigarettes and open fire in the house and garden - due to wooden elements and the proximity of the forest, it is dangerous.
Casa Blance has a kitchenette with a dining area. Bright, sunny, overlooking the patio. So you can eat at home and as if outside. This is a summer residence reminiscent of a holiday in countries without storms and sudden drops in temperature. The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, coffee maker, two single induction plates, pots, dishes, cutlery, glasses. Conjuring a roast goose is impossible, but simple breakfasts, lunches and dinners can be prepared for sure.
When it comes to shopping, the closest to your home is the Odido store (700 m), which is open seasonally, and then in sequence (and all year round): Spar, Biedronka, Dino.
It is obvious that during the holidays you do not have to worry about what is for dinner, but where for dinner. To make it easier for you to choose, we recommend our favorites:
- Garden of Tastes - a beautiful garden right on the lake, so the views are perfect for dinner
- Cafe Stolarnia for coffee and desserts that are worth every calorie
- A fantastic initiative is the Forest Dinner Club in the village (actually in the forest), Confusion, BUT due to the pandemic, they still haven't started with dinners. Follow their FB, because as soon as they come back, you have to make up your mind!
- Of course, we recommend visits to the surrounding vineyards - tastings are organized by Winnica pod Lubuskie Słońcem (18 km)
From the restaurant a bit further, we recommend:
- Leniwka restaurant (Leniwka 1, Stary Młyn) - 30 km
- Gościniec na Półwyspie (Wysoka 45) - 22 km
The Ciecz and Łagowskie lakes are azure, incredibly beautiful, clean and three steps away from us. You can and even have to jump into such lakes! We have a few minutes on foot to the beaches on the lakes. Łagowskie is on the other side of the road, so it can't be closer, but you are 200 meters from the entrance to the Landscape Park on Lake Trześniowskie (Ciecz). To the path on Lake Łagowskie - 500 meters. Here we recommend the beaches in Leśnik (300 m) and Mundi Park (1.5 km); Lake Ciecz is dominated by wild beaches, which is beautiful. You can sunbathe with a book, fry on the handle (which we do not recommend), jump on the bomb from the pier into the water or from a rope swinging above the water.
We will tell you what we like to do in the Łagów area:
- we love and recommend you to rent a pedalo or a kayak (you can rent them in several places) and create a "portable" beach base on the water. The shoreline of Lake Trześniowskie is over 12 km of swimming, and Łagowskie Lake is about 7 km - the lakes are connected by a canal, so you can relax, dive and sunbathe on the water from morning to sunset
- there is a Łagów Lubuski Rope Park in the town (it's great!) - both kids and adults will have fun
- we recommend kayaking on the Paklica River, organized by the Martinez company
- you will jump onto the saddle at the Kimana Ranch in Łagówek
- and for bicycles at the U Sikorków rental - right next to our house
- a unique attraction of Łagów is the castle - a remnant of the Knights of St. John - with an observation tower, which is worth climbing to see the panorama of the area
- lovers of hiking and nature are recommended to hide in Landscape Parks: Łagowski, in the buffer zone of which our house stands; Gryżyński (25 km from us), Pszczewski (45 km from us) - these are the ones closest to us, and for a bit more distant we recommend the amazing Ujście Warty National Park (approx. 70 km from us). While there, you can see the surprising medieval chapel of the Templar Order in Chwarszczany (now a Catholic church)
- for history enthusiasts - Międzyrzecz Fortified Region (Ostwall) in Pniewo, i.e. a system of bunkers and fortifications created in the 1930s by Germany to protect the eastern border (26 km)
- a word about wine. Local wines are obvious in the Lubuskie region. The tradition of vineyards in this region dates back to the Middle Ages. Visit Lubuskie Wine Center in Zabór, where you can learn about the history. In the vicinity there are also Winnica Pod Lubuskim Słońcem or Winnica Folwark Pszczew, where you can get tastings and walks around grapevine cultivation.
- the oldest Polish film festival - Lubuskie Film Summer can be a treat for cinema fans. This year, exceptionally, it will be held on August 30 - September 6.
- and when you miss the city very much, you can make a trip to Berlin, to which we are only 160 km
What’s there for children?
Children, children, please. However, you need to know a few important points before arrival. Our house is quite demanding for parents with kids, because there are steep stairs and a garden on a slope, so we honestly do not recommend it to families with small children (crawling, starting to walk) - staying with such toddlers can be burdensome for parents! Therefore, it is best to take children that are not yet walking or already running.
For older kids there are two lakes within walking distance, or even three steps, there are waffles and ice cream, there are horses, there is a rope park. For details on attractions, please refer to the boredom section above.