Our house is small, and for a long time we had been admiring a large spruce standing alone on a flat part of the land, close to Kramarica Creek, a perfect spot for a quick dip on warm days. Having stayed at gatherings where people slept in simple, well-placed tents, we began to wonder if this could also work here, at least for a while.

Robert built a platform and we set up a tent. During the first year, it quickly became a much-loved place for friends and visitors needing time away from the city - to sit by the river, share a fire in the evening, and enjoy the rare luxury of no entertainment at all. Well, except for our dogs, who happily cuddle anyone willing, the chickens, who roam freely no matter who is visiting, and the hammock strung across the river, which quickly became the most popular place to spend an afternoon.

Another guest space came from a building that had quietly stood there for years, doing nothing more than holding firewood. We gave it new life instead - clearing it out, insulating it, and turning it into a proper little room for guests. It sits right next to Kramarica, close enough that the creek becomes part of the room itself.

We also built a River Kitchen - a small platform tucked where the spruces stand guard over Kramarica Creek. It survived the floods and still holds its ground, just above the clear water. Here you can sip your morning coffee, cook a meal with the creek running beneath you, and on hot days, dip your toes in without even stepping away from the stove.

It turns out that a wild piece of land halfway up a mountain, surrounded by forest and good people, already offers more than enough