Alpacas at Ceglany Dom

In the hamlet of Koruszka, about 2 km from Milicz, a small herd of alpacas lives on a historic farmstead with a brick house (Ceglany Dom) and a barn. The owners bought the place in 2011 and have been breeding alpacas since 2013, organising meetings and walks with the animals. All around lies the Barycz Valley with the Milicz Ponds.

Meeting the alpacas

The alpacas have paddocks on a fenced two-hectare plot that also includes woodland, a meadow, a relaxation area and a campfire spot. The owners describe them as gentle, friendly animals – some even let you stroke them. Visitors can join in at feeding time and the daily work with the herd, and guests staying overnight can spend time with the alpacas throughout their stay.

The farmstead and accommodation

The brick house has four rooms with bathrooms, one of them on the ground floor adapted for guests with disabilities. The barn has a living room with a fireplace and a table for 20, plus 10 beds, and since 2023 two year-round timber cabins have been added. There is a monitored car park, a covered bike shed and four bikes for hire. Dogs are welcome – the grounds are fenced – and there are facilities for families with small children. In 2019 the farm won first place as the best agritourism business in the Barycz Valley, and it has held the “Barycz Valley Recommends” certificate since 2013.

The surroundings

The farm lies among pine woods and oak avenues, next to a breeding refuge for Polish konik horses. According to the owners, the Milicz Ponds in the Barycz Valley form Poland's largest nature reserve. Until around 2003 the hamlet itself was called Garuszki. A blue walking and cycling route, known as the archaeological trail, passes through, and about 700 m to the south-west lie the heavily damaged remains of a 10th–11th-century hillfort, where archaeologists uncovered a cobbled entrance and the stone foundations of a gate. The farm is also part of the Lower Silesian cycling network, which makes it a good base for bike trips through the valley.

Tripto tip

This is not a petting zoo with a ticket desk: meetings with the alpacas must be arranged with the owners in advance, and prices and times depend on what you agree. The address is Koruszka 13, 56-300 Milicz. Wear comfortable shoes that can get dirty in the paddock, and allow about an hour for the visit. Prepare children for the fact that the alpacas decide for themselves whether to come closer.