The regional inn ‘Styrnol’ is located in the tourist part of Zawoja is one of the most interesting historical places in the region. The spot where the inn was built was an important part of Zawoja called Podryzowana A century ago woodcutting was a significant source of income for the local inhabitants and is connected with the name of this hamlet comes from special wooden drain pipes (’ryza’) made by the locals which were laid across steep mountain roads.

Near the inn there is one of the oldest road chapels in Zawoja, dating back to the 19th century. It displays a unique wooden sculpture – a statue of Mother Mary. In the vicinity there are three guest houses built during the interwar period. The inn is a heart of this mini open-air museum. Its owner the Budzowski family were inspired by the traditional design of the regional architecture. The style in which the inn was constructed is based on a book by professor of ethnography Anna Kutrzeba-Poinarowa – Folk Architecture in Zawoja, published in 1931 in Krakow. The building’s features such as the proportions and the outline as well as the details – the doors, windows, stone-paved entrance hall and other features of the interior are typical to the local style. When you also consider delicious regional dishes served by waitresses wearing traditional folk outfits and live music played by an original folk band, it is definitely well worth a visit. Such visit might also be a fascinating history lesson – a real trip in time.

The name of the restaurant is not accidental and is quite meaningful: ‘styrnol’ is actually a local dialect name of a popular yellowhammer - Emberiza citrinella. It’s rather small sparrow-like brown bird with lighter lines on its back, a long tail and wings with yellow edges particularly visible when it flies. Styrnol is a hero of local legends and songs. According to those, it watches over treasures hidden under the ground. On Palm Sunday, the bird gets the treasure out and lets it dry in the sun.

See also the history of our inn and its offers both cultural and culinary ones.