Chatka w lesie

Languages I speak: Polish, English

It all started with French horn workshops in an old cottage in the middle of the forest.... In the summer of 2014, I organized the first edition of French horn workshops in the Białowieża Forest—an instrument I had played for many years and lived and breathed. The plan was simple – we enjoy music, we learn, we make bonfires, we talk – all in beautiful natural surroundings, staying in my grandfather's log cabin. Guests from all over Poland slowly began to arrive. I couldn't help but marvel at their reaction: getting out of their cars at the edge of a birch grove, they eagerly breathed in the scent of the forest, marveling at the silence and the birdsong that stood out against it. They commented: "The forest has THAT SOMETHING!" What is the magic of this ancient forest? Everything here is wilder, more unique, more unusual... I was born and raised in Podlasie, my grandparents lived in Hajnówka, and we spent our holidays and vacations in the forest. Bird songs, fresh air, bison looming in the distance – all this was familiar and obvious. As a teenager, I didn't want to go to the countryside – after all, the internet is weak in the cottage, there's nothing to do, and most of my peers were in the city. A cottage made of hand-hewn logs, insulated with moss from the forest? A wood-fired stove, a wooden barn? A well with a crane? Bathing in the nearby Łutownia River? I had all this at my grandparents' house since I was a child, and it was as normal and obvious to me as hot water from the tap in my apartment. But let's get back to the French horn players. That week-long stay with them in the forest, in a cabin, talking together and watching their delight in the surrounding nature, made me realize one thing – that this place is unique. Shortly after that trip, I offered my grandparents help with their amateur business – renting out the cabin. Creating a website, taking photos, and taking care of the interior of the cabin – things that were foreign to my grandparents, but in which I could fulfill myself artistically – became my responsibilities. And so, after a few months of work, Chatka w lesie (Cabin in the Woods) was created, a place that we have been offering for over 10 years to people who value relaxation in the quiet of the forest. And the horn players returned to our cabin five more times with longing. We quickly reached a point where we could no longer accommodate everyone in the cottage, so we decided to build more houses. This time, we chose the region where my other grandfather came from, namely the area around Siemianówka. Today, we rent out six houses. All of them are created with great heart, dedication, and in the place where we feel best – our family home.