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From sleepy sixteenth-century village to twenty-first-century internet sensation, Sułoszowa in southern Poland (population six thousand) earned millions of online fans after this aerial image of the one-road town went viral in 2020. It was the field system of narrow strips of farmland attached to the back of each house that caught everyone’s eye. Known as a Waldhufendorf, or “forest village,” the town’s layout was common in Central Europe during the late Middle Ages, as settlers reclaimed forests in hilly or mountainous areas. Each farmer received an equal allotment of roughly 40 acres—enough for one family to farm without help from others. Although the strips have narrowed over the years as they’ve been divided and passed to each generation, they still produce wheat, oats, potatoes, cabbage, and strawberries, among other crops.

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From sleepy sixteenth-century village to twenty-first-century internet sensation, Sułoszowa in southern Poland (population six thousand) earned millions of online fans after this aerial image of the one-road town went viral in 2020. It was the field system of narrow strips of farmland attached to the back of each house that caught everyone’s eye. Known as a Waldhufendorf, or “forest village,” the town’s layout was common in Central Europe during the late Middle Ages, as settlers reclaimed forests in hilly or mountainous areas. Each farmer received an equal allotment of roughly 40 acres—enough for one family to farm without help from others. Although the strips have narrowed over the years as they’ve been divided and passed to each generation, they still produce wheat, oats, potatoes, cabbage, and strawberries, among other crops.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.