ENDLESS PISKA PRIMEVAL FOREST, FOREST LAKES, CANTER ON MEADOWS IN THE MORNING, PURSUIT AFTER A FOX AND HORSES WHO LIVE AS SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG. HARDLY ANYONE HEARD ABOUT THE LITTLE VILLAGE IN HEART OF THE FOREST LAND. IN THIS AREA YOU COULD MEET ONLY MUSHROOM PICKERS AND LOST TOURISTS OR KAYAKERS (WHO WERE FACED WITH THE STORM DURING THE CANOEING TRIP IN KRUTYNIA RIVER). THEY FOUND HERE SHELTER FROM TSAR OF ORTHODOX CHURCH. IN THE NEARBY OSINIAK THEY FOUND WHITE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND IN NEAR WOJNÓW AN OLD NUNNERY WITH BEAUTIFUL WOODEN CHAPEL AND CEMENTARY. THE LITTLE VILLAGE ATTRACTED PUBLICITY THANKS TO FERENSTEIN STUD, BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY. 20 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE WARSAW THE IDEA OF BUILDING PRIVATE STUD SEEMED TO BE WHIM. HOWEVER THEY ACHIEVED THEIR DREAMS. THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A PERFECT PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. TOGETHER WITH 11 YEARS OLD CAROLINE THEY BROWSED ALL OF THE CLASSIFIEDS, VISITED DIFFERENT VILLAGES AND FINALLY CAME TO GAŁKOWO. IN MAY NEXT YEAR THEY FINISHED THE RENOVATION AND MOVED IN. THEIR HOMESTEAD CONSISTED OF FEW MODEST RURAL BUILDINGS . THE PRIMARY STUD WAS CONNECTED TO COVERED RIDING STABLES THAT COULD ACCOMODATE SEVERAL DOZENS OF HORSES. DURING THE RENOVATION THEY USED TILE AND WOOD, RECOVERED FROM OLD BARNS. AT THAT TIME IT WAS EXTREMELY ORDINARY PLACE AND TODAY IT IS ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE IN MASURIA DISTRICT. KAROLINA’S GRANDMOTHER DESIGNED A CLUB IN ONE OF THE OLD STUD. SHE CONJURED UP A PLACE FULL OF CHARM AND WARMTH, DESIGNATED FOR FAMILIES, EMPLOYEES, FRIENDS AND GUESTS WHO CAN READ HER NEWSPAPERS, DRINK MORNING COFFEE OR AFTER-DINNER WHISKY AND WARM THEMSELVES IN THE FIREPLACE WITH THEIR BELOVED PETS IN THE EVENING. FERNESTEINS LIKE REMARKABLE FURNITURE AND DECORATIONS BOUGHT ON FLEA MARKET. WANDA USED TO BUY SUCH THINGS ALREADY IN THE CHILDHOOD. AS A SCOUT GIRL SHE WENT ONE DAY FOR A TRIP TO KWIDZYN WITH HER FRIENDS. THEY WERE CAUGHT BY THE STORM SO THEY TRIED TO HIDE IN THE CATHEDRAL. THE DOORS WERE CLOSED, BUT FOUND THE WAY TO BOILER HOUSE IN A FLASH. THERE SHE SAW HER FIRST EXHIBIT. UNDER THE HEAP OF COAL AND WOOD SHE NOTICED A CARVED ELEMENT WITH HOLDER. THE BAS-RELIEF TURNED OUT TO BE THE FRAGMENT OF CUT PIPE ORGANS. TODAY, THE FIND DECORATES THE FIREPLACE IN THE CLUB.

THE STUD IS THE REAL CENTER OF MASURIA SOCIAL LIFE. 100 HORSES, FAMOUS GAŁKOWO MASTERS COMPETITION, HORSE SHOWS, THREE TRAINING SQUARES, RIDING STABLES, 50 HECTARES OF MEADOW ON THE EDGE OF THE PRIMEVAL FOREST. IN THE STUD THERE ARE HALF-BRED HORSES, ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED HORSES, HUCUL HORSES. THE STUD ACCOMODATES 20 BREEDING HORSES, 20 RACEHORSES, 30 HORSES USED FOR QUALIFIED RECREATION AND 20 HORSES IN GUESTHOUSE. IN THE PROCESS OF BREEDING, HORSES ARE SELECTED BY WBFSH (THE WORLD FEDERATION OF SPORT HORSES’ BREEDER). STALLIONS ACHIEVE EXCELLENT RESULTS IN THE RANKING OF THE BEST REPRODUCERS. GUESTHOUSE ATTRACTS MANY PATRONS, WHO KEEP THEIR SADDLE-HORSES THERE. GUESTS VISIT GAŁKOWO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. GREAT RIDERS AS WELL AS DEBUTANTS, WHO WANT TO LEARN FROM THE BEST, COME HERE TO TRAIN. DURING ONE HOUR OF RIDING YOU CAN ADMIRE HERE CHARMS OF KRUTYNIA RIVER, MORAINE LAKE OR OTHER FOREST LAKES. TEAM OF TRAINERS AND INSTRUCTORS (GUIDED BY CHRISTOPHER FERENSTEIN- ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS HORSEMAN IN THE HISTORY OF POLISH POSTWAR HORSE-RIDING) IS ABLE TO SATISFY EVEN THE MOST DEMANDING AMATEURS AND CONTESTANTS. RIDING SEASON ACTUALLY NEVER ENDS. PEOPLE COME HERE, SINCE IT IS SO EASY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS LOVELY PLACE. THEY STATE THAT THE STARS OVER GAŁKOWO ARE SOMEHOW CLOSER.