From above it’s a vision of paradise… but what’s life really like in the picture-postcard village that wowed millions of online viewers? MailOnline found out
- MailOnline spoke some of the 6,000 residents of picturesque Sułoszowa in Poland after a snap of it went viral
- Photos of the pretty little village with its beautiful flowing fields were posted online and shared by millions
Streaks of green and gold stretch as far as the eye can see, an intricate patchwork of fields separated by a slice of road hugged between little homes with red and blue roofs.
A bird’s eye view of this picture-postcard Polish village is almost dreamlike.
Posted online and shared millions of times, browsers have since been left in awe of its colourful sweeping fields.
MailOnline visited Europe’s ‘hidden gem’ to speak to some of the 6,000 residents of Sułoszowa, and find out whether life is as idyllic on the ground, as it appears from above.
MailOnline visited Europe’s ‘hidden gem’ to speak to some of the 6,000 residents of Sułoszowa, and find out whether life is as idyllic on the ground, as it appears from above
Dubbed a ‘little Tuscany’, at one end of the village is a dramatic rock formation on top of which is perched a 14th castle with ‘to-die-for views’ of the local countryside
‘It can be a bit gossipy’, says local shop owner Edyta as she arranges a display of farming equipment.
‘I saw the aerial picture on the internet and I know that people are talking about us, and I am not that surprised, it is a lovely view.’
Serving a chatty local she adds: ‘There is a good sense of community here.
‘We have Strawberry Days where we all get together and taste the new crops and play live music.
‘We also have Potato Days where we do the same thing.
‘But people like to gossip. And everyone knows everyone.
‘It can be a bit gossipy’, says local shop owner Edyta as she arranges a display of farming equipment
Posted online and shared millions of times, browsers have been left in awe of its colourful sweeping fields
Local tractor driver Marian Gęgotek has just finished tending to his sprawling 2.5mile-long plot of land
Down the road, local tractor driver Marian Gęgotek has just finished tending to his sprawling 2.5mile-long plot of land.
Growing potatoes, wheat and oats, the 68-year-old said: ‘Life here is slow and fairly quiet, but I like it.
‘Until I saw the pictures from above, I didn’t really appreciate how nice it is here.
‘That’s how it often is, people don’t appreciate what’s right under their noses.’
Local campsite owners Bartek and Karolina said: ‘The view from the cliffs is impressive, but from the road Sułoszowa looks like any normal village’
Little homes with red and blue roofs can be found in the picturesque village
The village was founded in the 16th century by an aristocratic army officer who represented the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
Every year visitors flock to explore the local cliffs, ravines and over 400 caves
He added that after a day in the fields he likes to visit pals for a few drinks.
‘You have to drive everywhere to reach your friends. But after a few beers, there’s always a youngster with a driving licence to take you home,’ he chuckled.
One of those ‘youngsters’ is married dad-of-two Łukasz.
Taking his two daughters for an afternoon stroll across the village’s quaint market square the 38-year-old said: ‘It’s pretty here but the main problem is we have the last mile syndrome.
‘Supposedly, we are close to everywhere, but actually far away.
‘You can get to Krakow by bus from Olkusz [a village eight miles away], but there are only a few of them during the day and they are often overcrowded, so you travel like sardines.’
Shop assistant Martyna, 37, added: ‘There are no taxis here so you have no option but to walk.
‘On Christmas Day, we walked 5 km to one family.’
Below the cliffs, charming houses hug a small winding road
Green fields stretch for miles on the outskirts of the picturesque village
Despite the throngs of tourists descending on the village, more and more of its younger residents are leaving. Pictured: People in Apogeum nightclub
In addition to the ‘strawberry and potatoes days’ the local community centre holds a regular ‘Club for Seniors’ (pictured)
But she added: ‘Even though the village is long, I have everything within easy reach.
‘The shop, the village hall, the bank, the clinic – everything is within walking distance.
‘We have a couple of grocery shops selling local products and we have a bakery.’
First making headlines in 2020, the sleepy village which is part of the Ojcowski National Park is one of the longest linear villages in Poland.
Founded in the 16th century by an aristocratic army officer who represented the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, the village is isolated from other villages by long stretches of empty road.
But, lying just an hour northwest of the regal city of Krakow, it is also something of a hotbed for tourism.
Every year visitors flock to explore the local cliffs, ravines and over 400 caves.
Dubbed a ‘little Tuscany’, at one end of the village is a dramatic rock formation on top of which is perched a 14th castle with ‘to-die-for views’ of the local countryside.
There is also the ‘Bludgeon of Hercules’, a 98-foot-tall limestone column thrusting into the sky.
Another less likely tourist attraction is a tree. Father-of-two Łukasz said: ‘Tourists can’t get enough of that Larch tree’
A road out of town is pictured with a beautiful sunset and green fields
There is also the ‘Bludgeon of Hercules’, a 98-foot-tall limestone column thrusting into the sky
Below the cliffs, charming houses hug a small winding road.
Local campsite owners Bartek and Karolina said: ‘The view from the cliffs is impressive, but from the road Sułoszowa looks like any normal village.
‘There was already a lot of publicity about Sułoszowa, but now it’s come around again because of these pictures.’
Standing next to her husband on her acres of freshly cut grass, Karolina said: ‘Bartek bought this land for the campsite five years ago as a Valentine’s Day present.
‘At first I thought he was crazy. He put all our savings into it and we already have a successful campsite in Krakow.
‘But now all seventy-one plots are fully booked during high season.
‘Quite a few English people come to visit us, although the war in Ukraine has put a severe strain on the tourism industry.
‘But in May, the European camper van rally will take place in Krakow for the sixtieth time, and they will first come to us.’
One of the attractions is the so-called Trail of the Eagles’ Nests, a string of fortifications stretching from Krakow to the holy city of Czestochowa 100 miles away.
The idyllic buildings have charming roofs and square windows
Some of the local houses are beautifully patterned with picturesque gardens
One of those fortifications is Sułoszowa’s 14th-century Pieskowa Skała Castle built by Polish king Kazimierz III the Great, considered one of the country’s most outstanding rulers.
Another less likely tourist attraction is a tree.
Dad-of-two Łukasz said: ‘Tourists can’t get enough of that Larch tree.
‘Once I went and there were tours, about twenty cars, families with children, plus a gang of motorcyclists.’
But despite the throngs of tourists descending on the village, more and more of its younger residents are leaving.
One of the village’s oldest residents, 74-year-old Stanisław whose house sits directly under a towering rock of sandstone said: ‘I wouldn’t call it idyllic here.
‘The youngsters are going abroad or to big cities for work. And those that are here race their cars and motorbikes up and down the street outside my house.
‘It’s unbearable. Sundays are the worst because then we get all the tourists staring through my window.’
With no local pub, and with the village restaurant closing around 5pm, when not racing each other, the ‘youngsters’ head to club Apogeum in the neighbouring village of Trzyciąż, 6.5 miles away.
For the rest of the village, in addition to the ‘strawberry and potatoes days’ the local community centre holds a regular ‘Club for Seniors’.
Local nun Jolanta from the village’s 14th-century Sacred Heart of Jesus church said: ‘The village’s Seniors’ Club is a great place that is buzzing with activities.’
She added: ‘I think the reason our village is such a hit is because people here take good care of their fields, this is way it looks so nice, the fields are cultivated.
‘And it is wonderful to walk among them and enjoy the countryside and silence, you are almost guaranteed to see some deer and other wild animals.’
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