Stodoła Mutne

The Mutne Barn was a perfect choice. We traveled by car, just the two of us along with our little menagerie of five animals. Let me start by saying that there isn’t easy access to the building, and you have to leave your car down below. At first glance, this might seem like a hassle, but in practice, it means peace and quiet and the certainty that no one will be driving right under our windows. And the distance of about 150 meters you have to walk isn’t that far either. In our case, the lack of traffic also meant greater safety for the dogs (though we had to watch out for the cats, who clearly feel like the masters of the neighborhood...). The cottage itself is located on the outskirts of a village nestled into the surrounding hillsides. We visited the property in April, during the fruit tree blossoming season, which gave the area an extraordinary charm, and the hills resembled green fudge candies with white patches. Combined with the incredible birdsong that echoed almost constantly, it created an amazing effect. The interior of the building isn’t spacious, but it’s very cozy. In our opinion, the cottage should be intended for a maximum of 4 people, but I emphasize—this is our subjective impression. We were very surprised by how well the building retains heat—and given the slightly lower temperatures we encountered, this was very important. The very well-equipped kitchen allows for comfortable meal preparation, but if you don’t like to cook—you can dine at Rudy Rydz, located about 1 km away. (By all means, you can eat saffron milk caps there, though they aren’t available year-round. During the saffron milk cap season, the owner visits his secret spots and personally gathers supplies for guests, which, however, run out around springtime. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough left for us.) Stodoła Mutne is a great place to hide away if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of civilization. However, if you’re looking for a good base to explore nearby attractions, this is also an excellent choice. From Stodoła, you can pop over to Krczma Rzym in Sucha Beskidzka (though, if you’ve ever been tricked into signing the same pact that Twardowski signed, I’d advise against visiting this place ;D), visit the Queen of the Beskids—Babia Góra, take a night trip to Sopotnia Wielka (the first location in Poland and the tenth in Europe with Dark Sky Community status), take a cruise on Lake Żywieckie, visit the so-called Polish Vienna, i.e., Bielsko-Biała (from where you can hike or take the cable car up to Szyndzielnia), go to Koniaków for the famous lace thongs, etc. etc.... In the immediate vicinity of the property (by which I mean within a few minutes’ drive), there is no shortage of picturesque hiking trails that are well-marked (at least the ones we came across), free of crowds, and accessible to people with dogs. I must also mention the host himself, who is very kind and open to the comments and needs of his guests (of course, within reason). We left Stodoła Mutne feeling like we hadn’t had enough and with a firm resolution to return. I think that fact is the best recommendation.