The Old Inn in Jeleśnia is one of only two authentic 18th-century wooden inns still standing in the entire Beskid mountains. If you're looking for a place where old merchant trade routes meet the smell of good food, this is exactly where you should stop.

The building stands right along the historic trade route that once connected Żywiec with Orava, on the old market square next to the church. Its log construction, the massive ridge beam holding up the ceiling, and the distinctive broken Polish roof instantly transport you back to old-time Jeleśnia. In winter, with snow on the roof and smoke curling from the chimney, the inn looks straight out of a Beskid legend. In summer and autumn it's a perfect stop while hiking through the Żywiec Beskids — rest, grab something warm to eat, and soak up the local atmosphere.

How to get there

• Jeleśnia village centre — the inn stands directly on the main square, right next to the church, an easy few-minute walk from parking
• The building lies on the Wooden Architecture Trail of the Silesian Voivodeship (main route), so it's easy to combine with a longer regional tour

Practical information

• Today it houses a restaurant and café — a great place for a meal while exploring the area
• The building covers 490 m², with the large buffet hall and its fireplace being the main highlight
• The date 1774 carved into the ceiling of the main hall points to the building's likely origin
• The interior is decorated with folk paintings and traditional tissue-paper ornaments, a craft the Jeleśnia region is famous for

Legend says the ceiling of the main hall was brought all the way from the Cloth Hall in Kraków, and the inn was once visited by Beskid highwaymen, including the notorious Jurek Fiedor, known as Proćpak. Above the entrance, an old dialect inscription still invites travelers not to pass by without stepping inside.