Sułoszowa, the delightful one-road village in Southern Poland

3 min read

Sułoszowa is a village of around 6,000 people located in the Olkuska Upland, less than 30 km northwest of Kraków, in southern Poland.
Millions of people around the world were mesmerized by the unusual layout of the rural settlement – hundreds of houses on either side of a singular street, snaking through multi-colored agricultural fields as far as the eye can see.
And, every one of the 5.819 inhabitants – according to a 2017 census – lives on the same street, which stretches for over 9 kilometers.
The village has an unique look, surrounded on all sides by patches of agricultural land, and everyone just built their home along the main road, instead of expanding outwards.

Locals know that people are talking about them, and they are not surprised, as the village is really pretty.
And, apparently, there is a good sense of community there.
They have, for example, Strawberry Days where they all get together, taste the new crops and play live music, but also Potato Days, and the local community centre holds a regular Club for Seniors, buzzing with activities.
And people like to gossip: everyone knows everyone.
Life is slow and fairly quiet.
After a day in the fields you can visit friends for a few drinks, but the main problem is they have the last mile syndrome, as supposedly, they are close to everywhere, but not enough.
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, and there are no taxis, so you have no option but to walk.
But, luckily, the shop, the village hall, the bank, and othe other facilities are within walking distance.
They are also a couple of grocery shops selling local products and a bakery.

Founded in the 16th century by an aristocratic army officer who represented the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, the village is isolated from the others by long stretches of empty road.
But every year visitors flock to explore the local cliffs, ravines and over 400 caves.
Dubbed ‘little Tuscany’, at one end of the village is a dramatic rock formation on top of which is perched a 14th castle with a stunning view of the local countryside.
There is also the ‘Bludgeon of Hercules’, a 30-meters-tall limestone column thrusting into the sky, and another attraction in the area 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.
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 important rulers.

Either way, the linear, single-street layout of Sułoszowa was dubbed ‘bizarre’ by major international news outlets, but to the Poles it’s just a typical Polish village and, apparently, having a single road passing through a village is not at all unusual in the central European country.
Although having a singular street may not be that uncommon for European villages, its location in the middle of a natural mosaic of agricultural fields is definitely not something you see every day.