Rzym Inn in Sucha Beskidzka

Above the entrance hangs a painted horse – just like the inn sign in Adam Mickiewicz's ballad "Pani Twardowska". The Rzym Inn (Karczma „Rzym”, literally "Rome") in Sucha Beskidzka is an 18th-century wooden inn closing the eastern side of the market square and one of the finest examples of traditional timber architecture in Małopolska. Best of all, it is still in business: you can have lunch in its historic rooms.

History of the inn

The inn was built in the 18th century with the consent of the town's owners at the time, the Wielopolski family; the restaurant itself gives the date as around 1750, while some other sources place it at the start of the century. It stood at a crossroads where, once the town had been granted market rights, fairs were held – only later did the spot become a proper town square. Merchants closed their deals here, and travellers left their carts in the former drive-through hall.

During the Second World War the façades were plastered, the back was whitewashed and the roof was covered with tar paper. The original appearance was restored only in a thorough renovation in the late 1960s, carried out by the Kraków monuments conservation workshop. It was then that the building got its current name, a nod to the Twardowski legend. The inn is listed as a historic monument and lies on Małopolska's Wooden Architecture Route.

The Twardowski legend

In Mickiewicz's ballad the devil comes to claim the soul of Twardowski, a nobleman who sold it to him, in an inn called "Rzym". Local tradition sees the Sucha inn as its model, and the town's website quotes the lines about the inn sign – a horse painted on canvas. There is no hard evidence linking it to the ballad, but the legend is part of the charm and a good reason to visit.

What to see

• Log construction on a stone base, on a rectangular plan of 27 × 19.3 m, with a footprint of about 510 m².
• A hipped shingle roof and an arcaded porch at the front with carved posts and an openwork balustrade.
• The painted horse – the inn sign above the entrance.
• A central hall with two rooms on either side, a restaurant and a café, with beamed ceilings and décor inspired by the highlanders of the Żywiec and Babia Góra area.

Tripto tip

Address: Rynek 1, Sucha Beskidzka, tel. +48 33 874 27 97 (as of October 2026). The inn is a restaurant serving traditional Polish and regional food, with about 180 seats; the menu includes Stryszawa-style żurek (sour rye soup) and the "Twardowski special". Entry is free; you only pay for your meal. The restaurant does not publish opening hours, so call ahead, especially out of season. Because the building is protected, there is no accessible toilet inside; one is available about 50 m away at the entrance to the municipal car park next to the inn.

Kraków is about 70 km away (via Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Wadowice), Katowice about 120 km, and Sucha also has a railway station. A few minutes' walk from the inn stands the Renaissance castle known as Little Wawel, and Maków Podhalański is 6–7 km away. Allow 2–3 hours for lunch at the inn and a walk to the castle.