We're Ewelina and Artur. Before Szuflandia existed, we led two separate lives under one roof — and even though we loved each other deeply, we barely saw each other.
Always passing each other by
Ewelina worked full-time in the hotel industry. Artur ran his own bodywork and paint shop. Work ate up our days, and we passed each other at the doorstep — one leaving as the other came home. Our two older children grew up before we knew it. We dreamed of one thing: to finally do something together. To be side by side, not just living alongside each other.
The moment something broke
The turning point came when Artur's health started demanding attention — his asthma made it clear this couldn't go on. That's when we made the decision that changed everything: we didn't want that kind of life anymore. We wanted to be independent, and we wanted to be present — for each other and for our children. Everything else was just a matter of courage.
Ewelina saw it right away
We spent years looking for the right place. Ewelina finally found it — and knew from the first moment this was it. A secluded spot tucked into the forest above a stream, right next to the ski slope. The plot was overgrown with self-seeded trees and didn't look appealing; most people would have walked right past it. But she saw what wasn't there yet.
Everything was "impossible"
Almost everything turned out to be difficult. The terrain — steep and rocky. Construction — even harder, because contractors kept throwing up their hands, saying much of it simply couldn't be built. So we built a lot of it ourselves. And when, right at the end, we ran out of money to furnish the apartments, we sold our car and used the money to buy everything we still needed. After that, only one thing was left: waiting for our first guests.
Where "Szuflandia" comes from
The name comes from the bedrooms, which look like drawers pulled out of the building's form ("szuflada" means "drawer" in Polish). To this day, when someone asks what Szuflandia actually is, we answer as simply as we can: it's our birch plywood. The whole house smells of wood and of an idea.
What it's all for
We care about one thing: that everyone leaves us rested. That's why you won't find televisions in the apartments — but you will find board games. We believe in relationships, and in giving people a chance to reconnect. We talk with our guests, share a piece of our lives. And they come back — for anniversaries, for birthdays, for no reason at all. Some have been coming back regularly for ten years. That's the greatest reward for us.
Us, off duty
We have four children — and for our two younger ones, we now have the time that was once so hard to find. We love skiing, walks, and long conversations. What fascinates us most is how people relate to each other, especially in marriage — so much so that we started a separate project,zwiazekwpraktyce.pl (Polish-language, for couples), which helps couples build lasting relationships. At Szuflandia, Ewelina handles sales and marketing, Artur — everything technical. We describe it like this: for Ewelina, nothing is impossible; for Artur, sometimes it is. Maybe that's exactly why we complement each other so well. And an ordinary day? It starts with coffee — always together — and the drive to Wisła. Then cleaning the apartments, tidying the grounds, small repairs, mowing the grass. When there are no guests, we're planning how to get some.
Coming soon
Something still ahead of us
In the future we want to invite couples to Szuflandia for workshops — on building closeness and staying together through good times and bad. For us, it's a natural extension of what we already do: creating a place where people reconnect. If you were to spend a weekend like that here, just the two of you — does that sound like something for you?
Leave your e-mail and we'll let you know when the workshops start — no spam, just the essentials.
If you make it to us some autumn or winter — we'll be waiting for you. Really.
Ewelina & Artur