This Bizarre Town With Thin, Wavy Farms Looks Like Wonderland, Has One Road for 6,000 Villagers

This Bizarre Town With Thin, Wavy Farms Looks Like Wonderland, Has One Road for 6,000 Villagers
Chawranphoto/Shutterstock
Michael Wing
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Disclaimer: This article was published in 2023. Some information may no longer be current.

It might seem something of a Wonderland when viewed from above—the village’s green- and gold-striped landscape weaves a tapestry that stretches toward the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

A long, lonely thread of street prods through the village of Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. That connects its nearly 6,000 inhabitants and their strangely slim plots of land. All along the way, houses with brightly colored roofs hug the road as it buckles along its 6-mile traipse through town.

This unique approach to rural planning affords locals the benefits of community and agricultural land. Despite the surreal patchwork of fields, driving through at street level, Sułoszowa looks very much like your average small town—everyone knows everyone else.

But there are murmurings in Wonderland.

Locals have mixed reviews about their town’s recently going viral—again—attracting attention that isn’t always wanted. Meanwhile, some have seen drawbacks to living in such a remote place. Do the benefits outweigh the hassles?

An aerial view of the village of Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. (Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock)
An aerial view of the village of Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock
Fields stretch to the horizon over Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
Fields stretch to the horizon over Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk
The town of Sułoszowa, Poland, seen from a bird's eye view. (Chawranphoto/Shutterstock)
The town of Sułoszowa, Poland, seen from a bird's eye view. Chawranphoto/Shutterstock

There are many things to love about Sułoszowa—for locals and tourists alike. For one, its rich medieval origins have given rise to its popular nickname, “Little Tuscany.”

Dating back as early as 1315, Sułoszowa has seen knightly lords, subjugation into serfdom, and utter devastation during World War I. Over the centuries, it has gone through political strife, power shifts, and religious rebellion.

Today, tourists may visit the medieval stronghold Pieskowa Skala castle, built by Polish king Kazimierz III the Great in the 14th century, which sits atop an escarpment overlooking the countryside on the east end of town.

A towering 98-foot-high limestone column known as the “Bludgeon of Hercules” stands like a sentinel by the roadside nearby—a fine spot for tourists to take photos.

(Left) Pieskowa Skala castle, built by Polish king Kazimierz III the Great in the 14<sup>th</sup> century, is seen behind the 98-foot-high limestone column “Bludgeon of Hercules" in Sułoszowa, Poland; (Right) Sułoszowa seen from on high. (Left: Łukasz Śmigasiewicz/CC BY-SA 3.0 PL; Right: Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock)
(Left) Pieskowa Skala castle, built by Polish king Kazimierz III the Great in the 14th century, is seen behind the 98-foot-high limestone column “Bludgeon of Hercules" in Sułoszowa, Poland; (Right) Sułoszowa seen from on high. Left: Łukasz Śmigasiewicz/CC BY-SA 3.0 PL; Right: Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock
An aerial view of Pieskowa Skala castle with 98-foot-high limestone column “Bludgeon of Hercules” in the foreground in southern Poland. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
An aerial view of Pieskowa Skala castle with 98-foot-high limestone column “Bludgeon of Hercules” in the foreground in southern Poland. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk

Additionally, a string of medieval fortifications known as The Red Trail of the Eagles’ Nests spans from Krakow to Czestochowa, some 100 miles away; there are breathtaking vistas, cliffs, and ravines scattered throughout; the local mountains are littered with some 400 caves ripe for exploring.

View of a house in the village of Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@50.270824,19.7207612,3a,75y,218.95h,95.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD0i3T_9K58G-RIbc8l9ipw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192">Screenshot</a>/Google Maps)
View of a house in the village of Sułoszowa, 28 miles northwest of Krakow, Poland. Screenshot/Google Maps
Crop fields viewed from the air over Sułoszowa, Poland. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
Crop fields viewed from the air over Sułoszowa, Poland. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk

While many consider the remote village a hidden gem in the mountainous countryside of southern Poland, not everyone agrees. One local says it suffers from “last mile syndrome.”

“Supposedly, we are close to everywhere, but actually far away,” dad-of-two Łukasz, 38, told the Daily Mail, though he adds, “It’s pretty here.

“You can get to Krakow by bus from Olkusz [a village 8 miles away], but there are only a few of them during the day, and they are often overcrowded, so you travel like sardines.”

But with all its plots, surely there is much to enjoy in town.

One upshot of Sułoszowa’s curious agriculture is its many food festivals centered around crop tasting—strawberries, potatoes, and such—these being music-filled gatherings that pop up throughout town.

Part of what makes Sułoszowa so special is that locals get to choose how they use their long, spindly plots. That can range from planting crops like rapeseed or berries, to raising livestock, to letting it be without making improvements.

The motley landscape has this aspect of choice to thank for its vibrant chromatic palette—and the fact that people take such good care of their fields.

Sułoszowa village in Poland seen from a bird's eye view. (Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock)
Sułoszowa village in Poland seen from a bird's eye view. Olivier Uchmanski/Shutterstock
The town of Sułoszowa, Poland, features narrow plots of land with various crops and agricultural usages. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
The town of Sułoszowa, Poland, features narrow plots of land with various crops and agricultural usages. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk
Both locals and visitors find themselves often walking to and from gatherings, due to the village’s layout, in part, but also the fact that Sułoszowa has no taxis. Yet that poses no issues for some.

“Even though the village is long, I have everything within easy reach,” shop assistant Martyna, 37, said. “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.”

A heart-shaped growth of vegetation seen from over Sułoszowa, Poland. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
A heart-shaped growth of vegetation seen from over Sułoszowa, Poland. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk
A dramatic aerial view of Sułoszowa, Poland. (Chawranphoto/Shutterstock)
A dramatic aerial view of Sułoszowa, Poland. Chawranphoto/Shutterstock

Not all its locals are so fond of the village’s tourist boon, though; some have gone so far as saying it’s “unbearable.”

“Sundays are the worst because then we get all the tourists staring through my window,” the village’s oldest inhabitant, 74-year-old Stanisław, said.

Moreover, despite the business tourism has brought, Sułoszowa has seen a trend of more of its young people moving away to larger urban centers.

Not to mention that the village has no pub; local youths regularly travel to the nearby village Trzyciąż some 6.5 miles away to cut loose at Klub Apogeum.

Narrow strips of land are allotted to different properties in Sułoszowa, Poland. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foto_po_mojemu_m.kindryk/">Małgorzata Kindryk</a>)
Narrow strips of land are allotted to different properties in Sułoszowa, Poland. Courtesy of Małgorzata Kindryk
Sułoszowa and its photogenic ribbons of crop fields seen from far above the ground in southern Poland. (Chawranphoto/Shutterstock)
Sułoszowa and its photogenic ribbons of crop fields seen from far above the ground in southern Poland. Chawranphoto/Shutterstock

“The youngsters are going abroad or to big cities for work,” Stanisław said. “And those that are here race their cars and motorbikes up and down the street outside my house.”

Nuisances aside, though, certain locals appreciate the unique lifestyle Sułoszowa offers.

With all the recent social media attention, they have chimed into the discussion to project a positive perspective.

“I wouldn’t trade this place for anything else,” one local Twitter user wrote. “It has its own charm and atmosphere. As the saying goes, there’s something about it.”

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Michael Wing
Michael Wing
Editor and Writer
Michael Wing is a writer and editor based in Calgary, Canada, where he was born and educated in the arts. He writes mainly on culture, human interest, and trending news.
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