Interview: Why are we here and what is our vision?

You “ran away” from Prague to the countryside. Why exactly to Bohemian Switzerland, to Krásná Lípa? Do you have both roots here, or did this region attract you by chance or work?
Our journey to Bohemian Switzerland was a combination of chance, youthful recklessness and a kind of subliminal hunch that it could do us good here. It was definitely not a trend or love at first sight. North Bohemia is shrouded in an unlucky reputation, the Šluknov outcrop as a place from which anyone who can, will leave. We have no family ties here, but the area attracted us with its unique landscape, distinctive people, and a kind of truthfulness. Living on the outskirts is worth it from today’s perspective, if you appreciate the advantages of the border and are happy that the crowd doesn’t flock here. People with strong ties to the place or those who have created an identity for the region from the essence of their own work and out of respect for what is offered thrive here. We don’t play for what isn’t there, but we support the good that is.

Did you come here to live right away, or was it just a test drive at first? When was that?
Jump! Two work meetings and a few things that fit in a Skoda Forman 🙂 It was in 2006, we were 26 years old.

Your first secluded home (as I read) was offered to you by an acquaintance. Is that true?
Yes, it’s true. Thanks to an acquaintance, we had the opportunity to try out solitary living in the forest, with everything in between. Frozen water, wet wood, naivety, an army of mice, and a desire to overcome obstacles. We are quite resilient and don’t like to give up.

When you started putting together your own home in Kamenná Horka, which is part of Krásná Lípa, was it already with the idea of ​​​​business, or did you still stick to your original professions?
We lived in the solitude of Brtníky for 4 years, during which time we both worked as employees. I (Irena) as a pharmacist and Aleš at the National Park Administration as a construction officer. We were looking around for a lolality for our own house. Kamenná Horka is one of the most beautiful places in the region. Here we built not only a house, but mainly a home. We love it here immensely. We know how important a place to live is for its quality. We don’t want to look out the window of an expensive panel apartment on the outskirts of Prague and think about where we will go for the weekend and when, so as not to spend an hour in traffic jams on the ring road. Our advantage is that we can walk or ride a bike and everything we need is within reach: the forest and a café.

When did you decide to buy another cottage for today’s guesthouse, and was it easy?
The decision to buy a building for a family guesthouse came around 2015. The journey to its realization was then three years long. We considered the concept and location for a long time and our options and direction of energy. We did not just want to create an accommodation facility, but a place that would be inspiring, would have a vision, would embrace you when you walk in, would not only take from the brand of the National Park, or the protected landscape area of ​​the Lužické Hory, but would contribute to its good name, nature protection, sustainable tourism, slow travel. The energy of the intention is important to us.

0ur private house and the guesthouse have a similar “touch”. Did the same expert help you with it, or is it just your identical vision and work?
Both are the result of conversations between us and Acad. Arch. Josef Matyáš, who has a cottage nearby. He is now a “retired” architect and has become a close person to us. Every year we visit each other, discuss homemade plum brandy, invite him to the guesthouse for neighborly feasts. We have close relationships with most of the people who were involved in the guesthouse in some way. We wanted both objects to look harmonious and fit into the surrounding nature. Our family house and guesthouse are about 300 meters apart. We collaborated with local craftsmen and artists, you will not find things from chain stores here, but quality Czech products and applied art.

When you were creating the guesthouse, what was your idea: rustic, stylish, simple… And its surroundings too?
Our vision was to create elegant spaces, a simple yet sophisticated place that would respect the natural character of the area. We were inspired by traditional architecture, which we combined with modern elements. We need our guests to feel harmony from what they touch, what they see and perceive. A biotopic pond and natural wellness are therefore a completely obvious choice. The guesthouse is surrounded by a rugged garden, places to relax, hammocks in the trees. Everything is lined with forest and stately beech trees. From the garden you can go straight into the beautiful forest.

The building is located in a protected area, so the reconstruction and further construction was probably complicated, how much more?
Yes, we fall under the Lužické Hory protected area. Our intention was more or less in line with the requirements of nature protection. And we have rather forgotten about the paperwork over the years. We are proud that we can live and do business in such an exceptional place.

How is the heating in this very friendly-looking space, fully wood or even electricity?
Thermal and visual comfort are important for the guest. The guest is welcomed by a double-sided fireplace in the hallway. The other side of the fireplace is in the yoga room. So the hall has natural light and heat from the fire. The central heating is connected to an Air-Water heat pump. There is underfloor heating in the wellness area.

Who is the creator of warm-looking interiors?
My husband and I have similar tastes and ideas about where interior design should go, what it should represent. Visuality, functionality and an emphasis on Czech creators are what unite us and we harmonize this world of comfort and beauty together.

By the way, most of them are made of wood… Spruce, pine, oak on the floor?
Wood is a traditional building material in the Lusatian Mountains. After all, this landscape is nicknamed the landscape of Podstávky chalets. That’s why we also have traditional long spruce floors. We’ve already had to renovate some of them. Long, massive spruce beams hold up the first floor. You can also sit on spruce everywhere, except in the Finnish sauna on alder.

Speaking of wood: its red color on the exterior gable is also imaginative. Who chose the color here?
The choice of red for the gable was inspired by the traditional architecture of this region. We wanted the house to fit into the surrounding landscape, but at the same time have its own unique flair. But some inspiration came from Finland, where Aleš studied. The company that produces this durable exterior paint is also from Finland. The tribute must survive the harsh Nordic winters.

You state that sustainable functioning and living are important to you. Does this mean that you also chose Czech materials for the house and in the house?
Yes, wherever possible, we used Czech materials and cooperated with local suppliers. Sustainability for us also means supporting the local economy and having the least possible impact on nature.

What is the living area of ​​the guesthouse? And how long has it been operating?
The guesthouse has a living area of ​​approximately 200 m² and has been operating since 2018.

You offer wellness in the guesthouse, you rent bikes, you arrange trips… and you also offer home-cooked meals. So your “grandmother’s” kitchen! She must be a significant driving force, right? When did she join?
Here I would change the question.
The benefit is that we not only do business in our region, but we live here. We can recommend something to our guests that they cannot find in the info center or on the Internet, we support them in visiting local events, sometimes we go with them or we simply take them with us to somewhere we are going: to a concert, an exhibition. Last year, there were guided tours of Schindler’s Knitting Factory, a unique factory that has been doing our region honor for 170 years. We enjoy connecting with those who create something interesting in our region. We also have a new concept for groups who want to make a positive social impact on their vacation destination, volunteering a short time for a beneficial project, for example: cleaning a river or restoring monuments. We also provide stay packages focused on health and beauty. Health diagnostics according to traditional Chinese medicine, treatments and recommendations. We cooperate with the local manufacturer of natural cosmetics Nobilis Tilia. The services are provided by sensitive people, experts in their field. As for our grandmother, she prepares breakfast baskets full of goodies for our guests. She has been with us since the beginning of our operation and we are very grateful to her for that. Our guests like to see her in the kitchen, because then the pension smells of apples and cinnamon.
We organize neighborhood feasts and small cultural events, we also like workshops, you can learn to bake sourdough bread, prepare healthy snacks or come to floristry courses or various cooking courses. Painters find the facilities here, we support their work in the open air.
Irena teaches yoga, the hall facilities are used for courses and lessons. Aleš is a guide to the national park. We will cover a lot so that everyone can choose if they want to spend their time with us.

Don’t you ever feel like moving all the guests out and relaxing in this cottage for a week by yourself?
(laughs) We can enjoy the moments when everything is ready for our guests, we sit in the garden and tell ourselves that even after years this place continues to appeal to us with its atmosphere. It is a beautiful space inside and out and we feel a responsibility towards it. Moments of great commitment alternate with waves when we are not so busy, it is so okay and it helps to keep our strength in balance. We can relax. Without that, it would not be possible to do it in the way we have chosen.

And yet… have you completely abandoned your professions?
Yes, we both focused fully on running the guesthouse and taking care of our guests.

What else do you dream about? We both love to travel. We prefer places like the ones we create to large hotels and the consumerist way of tourism and travel. We have two children and, like any parent, we want them to be happy and healthy. We are experts at dreaming of all kinds, we dream small, but we are also not strangers to big fantasies. So we have travel goals, we dream of going on a trek to the Himalayas, we dream of traveling on pilgrimage trails, we still have enough places to explore. But we also dream of a better environment, of harmony between people. We dream of our region as a renowned place, where people here know how to provide services in tourism well with values ​​that are inspiring to others. We dream of a media world filled with truly brave people whose thoughts influence the social climate for good. We dream of little things, like slow mornings and evenings under the stars. We dream and imagine… because if we can’t imagine or dream of something, it probably won’t happen. We dream and celebrate, not ostentatiously, but celebrating within ourselves, sometimes with friends. Dream and celebrate too. It reminds us of the non-obviousness of our lives.

The interview was created for the magazine Venkov a styl