Cabin on the Vistula

The Cabin on the Vistula was designed as a weekend retreat from the bustle of Poland’s capital city. Located in Czerwinsk nad Wisla, about an hour northwest of Warsaw, the site is situated along the Vistula River. Sitting on top of a hill, the cabin has a sweeping view over the river, with the surrounding trees and bushes affording a green boundary offering privacy on all sides. The idyllic combination of natural forms and practical functions at such a short distance from the city are coupled together to create a charming getaway with an inimitable river view.

Consisting of a single, extended gable structure, the cabin features a porch that stretches out across the hill to the south and the west. Beneath the porch, the space is filled with racks of firewood stacked tall. The generous porch area at the south end is sheltered by an additional sloping roof. Beneath, we have the ideal outdoor dining area, complete with a pizza oven of concrete and brick - the perfect hearth for open-air gatherings of family and friends as the sun sets over the river and the crickets begin to play. Just behind the main structure, a bit further uphill, there is a smaller detached second gable form that houses a cozy, wood-panelled sauna with an outdoor shower.

The cabin's interior layout consists of a main living and dining space on the ground floor, flanked by a guest bedroom and bathroom to one side. A broad expanse of sliding doors stretch across the entire southern side of the cabin, extending the space out onto the porch and bringing the natural light indoors, along with a meditative view of the gentle river. On the second level, the space is divided between a master bedroom and bathroom, along with an adjacent third bedroom.

The project is maintained in a straightforward palette of materials and hues, using a black standing seam metal roof and uniform warm wooden paneling on both the exterior and interior. Except for the bathroom tiling, the entirety of the interior is composed of wood, including a handcrafted dining table, kitchen cabins and island, and bathroom sinks. Adding to the traditional feel, the project features both a wood heating stove and custom tiled cooking stove that follows the Polish tradition.

This riverside cabin on the hill offers a chic, yet cozy, hideaway from city life. The thoughtful, tender design of the cabin’s amenities allows its dwellers to make a seamless transition from a secluded weekend retreat to a buzzing hub of activity for friends and family.

In the morning, the light drifts gently through the window, urging one to come out of bed and down into the warmth of the common area downstairs. The steam of freshly brewed coffee rising against the painterly backdrop of the riverside stretching beyond the patio doors. We step outside in our pijamas, breathing in the fresh grass-scented air, surveying the view from the top of the hill. It’s impossible not to marvel at the shifting landscape as each new hour brings a new arrays of blue, cream, pink, yellow, orange, and the richest shades of grey across the horizon. And all we can do in the meantime is stop for a moment and enjoy the gentle gifts the banks of this calm, ancient river bring to our feet.