Your guide
Vasily.
Castle-adjacent
since 2021.
I've spent my life on the edges of maps — always the foreigner, always between borders. The borderlands are where I think most clearly. I moved to Jelenia Góra for the mountains and stayed for the medieval masonry. I host tourists. I keep count of castles. I know an unusual number of trail taverns.
A short biography
Borderlands → More borderlands → Jelenia Góra → 100 Castles.
1985
Soviet Union
Born somewhere on the edge of a map. Pattern established early.
The years between
Various borders
Grew up in Moldova. Moved around. Learned Polish, somehow. Always the foreigner.
2021
Jelenia Góra
Relocated for mountains. Discovered: surrounded by castles.
2024
The Quest begins
Wleń. First find. Hooked for life.
Three things to know
Before you book.
01
I host couchsurfers
Over 200 guests from 40 countries. Everyone's a story. I'm patient with jet lag.
02
I speak four languages
English, Polish, Russian, and the local castle-tending dialect of "fascinated muttering".
03
I take the woo-woo stuff seriously
Ley lines, ruin psychology, haunted towers — not as belief, but as good storytelling material.
Ready?
Pick a date.
I'll drive.
Email me with your dates, group size, and one castle you already love. I'll propose a route within the day.