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?
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.
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.
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 the exploring.
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.”
“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.
“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.”
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.
“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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