Zaborek charmer – you won’t want to leave here!

If you haven’t heard of this place yet, be sure to write down the name, and preferably book your accommodation right away. If you go there, you will definitely want to come back! Introducing a place that just became our number one when it comes to unique places in Poland for the weekend.

After an intense weekend in Wroclaw, we wanted another calmer, slower one, preferably in nature. And here with help comes Pension Uroczysko Zaborek – a place tucked away in the woods, where the door creaks pleasantly and the chirping of birds wakes you up in the morning. And fair warning, reading the following post and looking at the photos will put you in danger of booking accommodation here immediately ;-)

Location and access

One of the advantages of living in central Poland is that everywhere is relatively close. And we do not hide the fact that when we go by car we sooner choose directions where we have a good and quick access. Therefore, it was Wroclaw that we chose for our first trip together as a foursome – a good road, a 2-hour drive and we are there. Unfortunately, for this reason, the east of Poland is often overlooked by us, which we very much regret! So we decided to catch up a bit and head near the border with Belarus, in the vicinity of Janow Podlaski, where the Pension Uroczysko Zaborek is located. The site is about 20 kilometers from Biała Podlaska and about 3 kilometers from Janów Podlaski. Being here, you will be in a remote area, among forests, meadows and fields.

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According to Google Maps almost four hours of driving from Lodz, in practice, with stops came out 5-5.5 hours, so not so bad! The route to Warsaw is, of course, the A2 crossing, and heading further east the tighter it gets, but driving on Thursday during the day and returning on Sunday, we didn’t hit any traffic jams or slowdowns anywhere. The whole way went almost perfectly, and the navigation accurately led us to the first building in the Guesthouse, where the reception is located.

About the Zaborek Wilderness

If we had to describe this place in one word it would definitely be: MAGICAL (by the way, this is the word that appears most often in other accounts of this place and we are not at all surprised). A magical place where you can feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

Zaborek is a complex of more than a dozen wooden buildings, some of which were transported from other parts of Podlasie, and all of which have been restored while maintaining their original appearance. Several can be used for overnight stays (e.g., White Manor, Old Parsonage, Windmill), some are part of the open-air museum that can be viewed here, and some have been converted into meeting rooms (Church) or rooms where you can spend time together(Feast Shed). They are all well-kept, beautiful, surrounded by vegetation.

We stayed overnight at the White Manor. It is a beautiful two-story house, with rooms on the floors and a restaurant on the first floor. Here we had hearty breakfasts and dinners served, so we didn’t have to dress up in inclement weather, as everything is in place.

And the food here is just some kind of cosmos! :-) Initially, when there was only one family besides us, breakfast was served to the table, and everything was prepared according to our order. With a larger number of guests, a buffet is being prepared. Tables in both options always yield to food and encourage people to feast quietly and enjoy the meal. Like nowhere we could sit and sit here. Plus, good company and overpriced service!

In fact, it is the people who make this place. Supersympathetic owners who will tilt the sky to make your stay here unforgettable, and fantastic staff who will stand on their heads to make everything as the guests wish.

Seriously! This was probably the first time we were able to eat a meal in peace, even though we were with two children. The ladies serving the meals helped and entertained the children, and we knew they were under the watchful eye of not only us, but others as well!

A special nod to the lady who even took our toddler in her arms and carried him so that we could eat warm soup :) We did not once have the feeling that the children bothered anyone here, quite the opposite. You can see that the right people in the right place work here, and they enjoy what they do. Our delight is endless, as we have never encountered such hospitality and family atmosphere anywhere else.

Breakfast and dinner are always prepared for guests using local products, and regional dishes reign supreme. As we mentioned, the food is delicious, but you should also try the dishes from the restaurant section. Aside from the quality of the dishes and the fantastic service, just having a place to sit with a view is already a huge pleasure.

Who is Zaborek for?

For everyone! Both families with children, couples, groups of friends and older people will find something for themselves here. The area is so large and well landscaped that both people who are looking for quiet and kids who need to run around will not be disturbed. With several buildings, it is possible to arrange guests in such a way that families with children rest separately, and groups of friends or those seeking peace and relaxation.

For the youngest there are two playgrounds (we especially liked the path embedded in the forest), a playground, a tyrolean, and horses. There is also a room with foosball and board games are available. What’s more, kids can take the maps in their hands and set off on a nature trail, take part in a Quest-type field game, or play a game of pick-up. All of this will allow you to get to know the area, discover interesting places and has a considerable dimension not only entertaining but also educational.

For those a little older, there’s a beautiful pond pier, walking paths, a banya, the aforementioned open-air museum, but also places to barbecue and feast! We had no problem finding a quiet spot where we could sit on a bench for a while and enjoy the sun’s rays.

We enjoyed walking among the buildings ourselves, reading their descriptions, learning about the history of St. George. It’s not a very long visit to St. Roch’s Church, and we could write at least a few paragraphs about each of the buildings located here, and the entry would reach a record length on our blog ;) Because, after all, it’s unusual to spend the night in a rectory from 1880, a manor house from 1844 or a windmill of the koźlak type (this accommodation is probably the biggest attraction!). Moreover, the rooms are original, each in a different style and decorated differently.

What’s in the area?

The site itself already provides quite a lot of opportunities for leisure activities – we can see the aforementioned renovated buildings, learn about their history.

The area is surrounded by forest paths ideal for a walk or bike ride. And you could spend a week on these activities, as the terrain invites you to hop on a unicycle and head out front (bikes can be rented locally).

However, if you would like to see the surrounding area, you can go on a tour of the famous stud farm in Janow Podlaski.

It is worth taking a guided tour, as you can then look into rooms that are not accessible to visitors on their own. On top of that, of course, we will learn a lot more not only about the place itself, but about the horses and their breeding. Such an option may seem expensive at first – a guided tour costs as much as 100 zlotys with a small group, but on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm, regardless of the number of guests, you pay only 15 zlotys per person. And leaving aside all the controversy and history associated with the place, here we were able to learn a great deal about the history of the stud, see the beautiful horses and even the young, week-old, foals, which the children especially enjoyed :)

What else is there to do in the area? You can go to the Alpakarium in Stara Kornica, see the Castle in Janow Podlaski, admire art in the open air (Land Art – Bubel Lukowiska) go to Biala Podlaska (here you can look in bad weather at the pool or playrooms).

There’s plenty to do!

Pension Uroczysko Zaborek on film

We would also like to invite you to watch our short film report from another stay in Zaborsk, which we consider the best accommodation in Poland:

Pension Uroczysko Zaborek on YouTube.

Summary

Pension Uroczysko Zaborek is a wonderful place. The owners have managed to create a piece of place on earth, where you can feel like in another world, peaceful, free from worries, and at the same time very family and friendly.

We will especially recommend this place, because I don’t think we’ve ever felt so bad about leaving. We will definitely come back here again and we are sure that you will too :)

We also recommend you our post: May trip with kids – we answer the question. where is it worth going?

For dessert, we recommend the photo gallery:

Zobacz galerię wszystkich zdjęć z Uroczyska Zaborek >>>