Journey to Masuria, Poland: land of a thousand lakes (photo). Resorts of Poland. Masurian lakes Masuria Poland on the map

Masuria can be called the land of a thousand lakes. Or rather, there are more than 2000 lakes, interconnected by 12 canals, 3 locks and 8 rivers. All this high water is located on the territory of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The lakes are surrounded by vast forests with landscaped parks and wonderful nature reserves. These places can be called islands of the most unique virgin nature, which are ideal for fans of a calm and secluded holiday.

For many centuries, Masuria was subject to a variety of rulers - Tatars, Swedes, Russians, Prussians, etc. At one time, Masuria was part of the German Empire. Masuria is now often called the "green lungs of Poland", and even in the last century it was declared a recreation area.

Regardless of which side of the world tourists come here from, they still have to pass through the ancient city of Thorn. This real medieval city has still preserved its narrow streets and ancient buildings, which are now under restoration.

In the Masurian Islands, in small coves, you can often see many private moorings for yachts. There are also equipped campsites for recreation. Yacht lovers are offered rental for a week, for one day, in general, for any period. Yachts are available in a variety of types - from the simplest to the chic, equipped with everything you need.

Here you can choose a variety of types of recreation - kayaking, canoeing, swimming, diving and, of course, fishing. You can take a boat or a yacht along all the coasts, visiting ancient castles, ruins of ancient cities and cultural monuments along the way.

The Masurian lakes are considered a paradise for nature lovers. Here you can meet such representatives of the fauna as deer, lynxes, bison, wolves, wild boars, many birds, the most typical of them are cormorants and gray herons. And in the Masurian lakes themselves, over 60 species of various fish live - pike, pike perch, carp, eel, trout and salmon. However, amateur anglers must first obtain permission from the Polish Fishing Association.

If you come to Poland to rest on the Masurian Lakes, then you will not have problems finding accommodation. You will even have different options. Either you can stay in a modern mansion, in some luxurious apartments, or on the lake in a summer fisherman's house. Do not worry about the purity of the water - thanks to the recently built large number of treatment facilities, the water here is very clean and clear everywhere.

The so-called "floating houses" are especially popular here. These are very comfortable and quite safe boats in which you can relax with the whole family. They have everything you need - cabins for rest, showers, kitchen and heating. On such boats you are guaranteed comfort and a lot of pleasure while traveling. And you already choose the one that is most suitable for your needs.

The most popular and comfortable resorts in the Masurian Lake District are the cities Pisz, Mikołajki, Vegonzewo, Gizhichko, Iława and Ryn. These are cozy towns with a large number of hotels, large recreation centers, children's entertainment and shops with everything you need. You can book a hotel room, campsite or apartment in the Masurian Lake District through any of the booking sites. Here you will find a lot of different offers. In addition to the fact that each of these towns is an ideal place for water tourism, they also have a lot of different attractions.

In the town of Grzychko you can see the most unique swing bridge, the only one in the entire territory of Poland. It was erected back in 1889, and it is a huge multi-ton colossus that opens the channel for shipping. In the same town, you can visit the Boyen fortress, built in 1856 and intended to protect the borders with Russia. This grandiose building, which is of undoubted historical value, will surely impress you with its reliability and power, since it has retained its formidable appearance to this day.

In Mikołajki you will be most interested in visiting the large water park "Tropicana". A ticket for children costs PLN 15, and an adult ticket costs PLN 30. For this amount, you can spend 1.5 hours in the water park, but you can always extend the time if you wish.

If you drive a little away from the towns located along the shores of the lakes, you will find yourself in the city of Kenshtin - the very heart of the Lakeland. Here is an interesting castle-museum in the Gothic style. And not far from the castle you will see the church of St. George, towering over the city. It is surrounded by a very ancient high stone wall and built on the steepest and highest slope.

Not far from the city, you can visit the remains of Hitler's headquarters - the Wolf's Lair. To date, a museum has been equipped here, where you can see the old railway, the Bormann bunker, the Wehrmacht command headquarters, the air defense bunker, the guest bunker, and more. A ticket to this kind of museum costs 2 euros, and you will have to pay 3 euros for parking a personal (or rented) car.

In the town of Reszel, located 14 kilometers from Kętrzyn, you can also see the ancient castle of Ressel built by the Crusaders. This castle is over 650 years old. From the side of the river, a Gothic bridge, miraculously preserved to this day, was brought to the castle. And literally next to him, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, decorated with a clock, rushes into the sky.

Not far from this city is a very legendary and highly revered place throughout Poland - St. Lipka. In fact, this is a whole complex consisting of an ancient Jesuit monastery and a church. Once in these places, the Virgin Mary herself appeared to the young shepherds. The church is truly striking in its splendor and grandeur, beautiful organ music sounds in it, here you can see the figures of saints and, in general, everything here is saturated with absolute calmness and shines with gold. You can also go for a bite to eat in the monastery dining room - there you will be treated to delicious dumplings, kvass and berry pies.

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Masurian lakes located in the northeastern part, in the area of the Masurian Highlands, forming an impressive body of water from about 2,000 lakes. They are connected to each other by 12 channels, 8 rivers and 3 locks, and they are surrounded by magnificent nature reserves, consisting of picturesque forests.

Peculiarities

This region enjoys great tourist attention. There are excellent conditions for doing sports, sailing on yachts and boats, sightseeing of historical sights. Many travelers go to the Masurian Lakes to combine all these ways of active recreation and get a lot of vivid impressions from staying in these places. Given the well-developed infrastructure, well-established transport links and the virgin beauty of natural landscapes, a trip through the picturesque lake expanses of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship can really give a lot of positive emotions. For residents of local settlements, the main areas of activity are fishing and the provision of services in the field of tourism, from renting out housing to conducting individual excursion tours.

general information

The area of the Masurian Lakes is 310 sq. km, on the territory of which there are several cities and small towns. In Poland, the northeastern region of the country is commonly referred to as the Masurian Lake District. Time behind Moscow is 1 hour in summer and 2 hours in winter. Timezone UTC+1 and UTC+2 in summer.

A brief excursion into history

The local lakes have always been of great importance for the inhabitants of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and have been the center of fishing. Now small-scale shipping is well developed here, mainly related to tourism activities. Numerous camp sites and sanatoriums are located on the banks. During the First World War, several bloody battles between Russian and German troops took place in these places.

Climate

The climatic conditions of the region can be called quite favorable. In winter, the average air temperature often exceeds the plus mark, although at times it can drop to -10, and summer is never hot. The abundance of water space affects the amount of precipitation, which is distributed evenly throughout the year. The peak of the tourist season falls on the time period from June to August, although the hype around the rental of yachts and accommodation in hotels begins in May. But by the end of September, the tourist bustle subsides and there are much fewer people.

How to get there

The nearest international airports to the Masurian Lake District are in Warsaw, Gdansk and Lithuanian Vilnius. The city of Elk is considered to be the distribution transport hub of the region, connected with many settlements by rail. The bus network is also very extensive, on the roads of which you can get to almost any corner of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.

Transport

For a clearer idea of the routes, before leaving for the region, you should purchase a detailed route map of the Masurian Lake District. The main means of transportation here are all kinds of floating vehicles, including spacious boats, yachts, kayaks, boats. Some large ships, in addition to passengers, also accommodate cars and bicycles for a fee, which is very convenient when traveling long distances.

Cities

The largest lakes in the Masurian region are the Sniardwy and Mamry lakes, which form a kind of water core, to which reservoirs and forests adjoin. The role of the key arteries of the region is played by the Masurian and Elbląg canals. The main resorts are Gizycko, Węgorzewo, Ryn, Pisz, Ilawa, Olsztyn and Mikołajki. The latter is considered the leading tourist center of the region and has a good geographical location in relation to the Kaliningrad region, from where Russian tourists often come to this city. In addition to numerous lakes, it is surrounded by abundant forests, among which rises several majestic medieval castles, interesting for history buffs. The pride of Mikolajka is the comfortable four-star hotel Golebievsky, with the Tropicana water park located on its territory, open from 7 am until late in the evening. The resort also houses an impressive number of restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, cafes, bars and shops.

Giżycko is one of the largest cities in the Masurian Lake District, which is located on a narrow stretch of land between the lakes Niegocin and Kisajno. It houses one of the largest fish processing plants in the country. Węgorzewo, Ryn, Pisz and Iława are small villages often used by tourists as places of rest and transit points during their travels in the Masurian region. The largest city in the entire region is Olsztyn, which enjoys tourist attention not only in summer, but also in winter, as an excellent ski resort.

Entertainment and attractions

Yachting is one of the main attractions for outdoor enthusiasts who come to the Masurian Lakes. The city of Giżycko has the largest number of offices of companies engaged in chartering yachts and providing services in this direction. Prices depend on seasonality and comfort of the vessel, as well as its capacity. Extremely common among the guests of the region are trekking routes, as well as fishing and just traveling by boat, kayak and boats. Many pleasure boats are equipped with cafeterias, allowing you to enjoy a boat trip while drinking coffee or enjoying a meal. Of the natural attractions that spread across the expanses of the region, the famous biosphere reserve "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" stands out, admiring with its relict forests and hosting the world's largest population of bison. Among the architectural objects noteworthy are the castle of the Warmian Chapter and the Gothic Cathedral of St. Jacob in Olsztyn, the majestic Teutonic castle in Ryn, the Church of St. John and the old medieval buildings of Pisz.

Cuisine and shopping

The tourist infrastructure is excellent throughout the region, but the largest number of restaurants, shops and souvenir shops are concentrated in such cities as Mikołajki, Gizycko and Olsztyn. In them you can not only buy souvenirs and enjoy dishes of national Polish cuisine, but also learn detailed information about excursions, routes and much more.

The Masurian Lakes are very popular throughout the European continent and offer excellent conditions for a rich outdoor activity. The most beautiful nature, favorable climate, a wide choice of routes and convenient transport links are the main advantages of these fabulous places, which annually gather hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Masurian lakes (Mazury), also - Great Masurian Lakes (Kraina Wielkich Jezior Mazurskich)- This is a lake district in the northeast, where there are more than 4000 lakes surrounded by forests and meadows, many of which are interconnected by rivers and canals. It is also home to Poland's largest lake, Śniardwy. (Sniardwy). This region has the largest concentration of lakes in Poland, with 15% of the area covered by water. These lakes are remnants of the Ice Age, when all of northeastern Poland and parts of Europe were covered in ice.

Mazury is an ideal place to relax not only in summer. Close contact with nature is the biggest attraction that this unique region of Poland offers. In this area, every traveler - whether a lover of solitude or a lover of outdoor activities - will find something to his liking. The network of turquoise waters stretches over 300 square kilometers. Therefore, this area is often called the Land of a Thousand Lakes. (Kraina Tysica Jezior). The Masurian lakes are considered one of the most beautiful parts of Europe. Endless waters fascinate every visitor, leaving the desire to stay in these parts as long as possible.

Masurian Lakes: How to get there

Traveling by public transport to Mazury is actually very easy and pleasant, regardless of the choice of transport. In addition, the infrastructure is well organized, especially bus transport.

Airplane. There is only one airport in Mazury - Olsztyn Mazury Airport (www.mazuryairport.pl). Direct flights depart from airports in and, as well as from abroad - from Munich, Berlin and London. The airport is located 60 kilometers from the city itself, but fortunately there is a railway station nearby, from which you can get there without any problems.

A train. To the three most important cities of Masuria - Olsztyn (Olsztyn), Elblag (Elblaga) and Gizycko (Gizycka) can be reached by train. The fastest way to get to Olsztyn from Warsaw is by rail. From the central station of Warsaw to the main station of Olsztyn, the trip costs from 9 EUR. Giżycko has a railway station with two-hour connecting trains to Warsaw and Gdańsk (Gdansk). Please note that trips from Warsaw are too long (6 hours or more) due to the lack of north-south rail connections in Poland, so the train makes many detours and does not take a direct route. More information can be found on the website of the Polish railway - "PKP".

Bus. From Warsaw to Gizycko, Olsztyn, Mragowo (Mragowo), Elka (Elk) you can get there, albeit a little longer than by train, but no less comfortably, by Mobilis buses. Price to Olsztyn - from 7 EUR. Routes to Elbląg and Elk are also offered by the Flixbus service.

Auto. It is not difficult to get to the Masurian Lakes by car from almost anywhere in the country. Therefore, it would be wise to use the navigator. It should be borne in mind that there are also paid tracks (from 0.50 EUR and above). The route from Warsaw to Mrągowo - route No. 7, then No. 61, No. 53 and No. 59, through Ostroleka (Ostrołęka) to Mrągowo (215 kilometers).

Masurian Lakes: Lifehacks

Lake Sniardwy (Sniardwy) is the largest lake in Poland. This is a favorite place for sailing. There you can rent a boat for a day trip. Renting a motorboat can cost from 2 to 6 EUR per hour. Other popular lakes are Lake Luquiaho (Luknajo)(it is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), Nigotsin (Niegocin) and Mamri (Mamry). In general, there are many entertainments on lakes, rivers and around them - boating, kayaking, swimming, yachting, cycling through the surrounding forests, spas.

In the town of Mikołajki (Mikołajki), the hotel "Golembiewski hotel" has a water park "Tropikana Aquapark", which is very popular with tourists. It works from 8:00 to 21:00. A subscription for 1.5 hours for an adult costs about 7 EUR, and 3.50 EUR for children under 12 years old (they can visit the water park strictly under adult supervision). Every additional half an hour - 1 EUR per person.

In the town of Kętrzyn (Kętrzyn) in the Masurian forests there is a museum "Wolf's Lair". This museum is one of the former headquarters of Adolf Hitler, where more than 2,000 people lived in 1944. The museum consists of 200 structures scattered throughout the forest: barracks, power plants, airports, railways, heat generating plants and many other military installations.

Olsztyn also has a very interesting place - Olsztyn Planetarium (Olsztynskie Planetarium). To book an individual tour, call (+48 89) 650-04-20 or go to www.planetarium.olsztyn.pl for more information.

The towns of Masuria themselves are very beautiful and picturesque, and there is something to see in them - multiple parks, ancient architecture and castles, cafes and restaurants with delicious national cuisine.

In the north-east of Poland there is a unique lake district, which is briefly called Mazury. It was formed during the last ice age and is geographically bounded on the map of Poland by Suwalki in the east and Olsztyn in the west.

In the north, Mazury borders on the Kaliningrad region, and in the south on Pisskaya Forest. The largest lakes in Poland - Sniardwy and Mamry - are also located here. The total number of lakes in the region reaches 4 thousand units.

In addition to the natural component, the historical page of these places is very interesting. The fact is that the territory of today's Mazury belonged to East Prussia for several centuries. Long-term colonization greatly affected the way of life of the Mazovians, as the local population was called at that time.

As a result, it got to the point that they even stopped considering themselves Poles, but at the same time they did not recognize themselves as Germans. The compromise was to classify oneself as an East Prussian. Although in reality, they themselves came at one time to the lands of these same Prussians.

But it has been proven that it was in honor of the Mazovians that these places got their name Mazury. Having first become part of the Duchy of Prussia in the 16th century, the population of Masuria became the first Protestant-Lutheran in the territory of modern Poland. In 1701 the duchy became the Kingdom of Prussia and Mazury respectively became part of it.

In the very center of Mazury, its main attractions are concentrated, which here means the largest lakes in the region. So the area already mentioned Sniardva and Mamra, respectively, is 113 and 104 square kilometers. Such a long water surface served as a good help in creating inexpensive water tourism in these places.

Today, some settlements in the Lake District, such as Mrągowo, Augustow, Giżycko and Mikołajki, are considered major centers of tourism in Poland.

Moreover, they, at the moment, are connected by excellent infrastructure with the presence of many inexpensive hotels. At the peak of the tourist season, numerous sports competitions associated with water, sand and sun are held here.

The largest lake in Masuria and Poland is Śniardwy. Its dimensions are simply huge by the standards of impressionable Poles and are 22 by 13 kilometers. That is why when the Poles want to emphasize someone's hugeness, they say: "Not every chicken will fly to the middle of Sniardva!"

Nevertheless, it is on Śniardwy that the largest sailing center is located, where professionals in this business do not disdain to stop. As for simple sail lovers, there are always more of them in life, and in Mazury they are everywhere in the forefront.

And every year, at the very height of the season, thanks to the last mentioned group, the price tag for tourist services rises at least twice.

For those water lovers who are bored with sailing all day or waving an oar up and down, the Tropicana water park was built in Mikołajki. And here there is already a larger choice, and the counter clicks faster, and the emotions are correspondingly different.

In addition, the town has many shops focused on goods with a water theme. And goods in Poland for some reason are always cheaper than anywhere else.

In the village of Ryn, which means "March", anyone can admire the medieval Teutonic castle of the 14th century. If you wish, you can even stay in it because of the location of the hotel in it.

In addition to the hotel, the castle houses a museum of local lore. However, the town of Ryn itself leaves a very pleasant impression, in which there is something to see. But the most important thing in this place is certainly its magnificent nature.

Also interesting, in terms of architectural inspection, is the city of Gizycko. Of its main attractions, it should be noted the military fortress of Hermann von Boyen, built in 1856 and the only swing bridge in Poland.

Due to its popularity with tourists, Giżycko has the informal title of Poland's summer capital. This is confirmed by 43 hotels within the specified city. Life in the city does not stop even in winter, when it turns into a center for sailing sports. Search for cheap hotels.

How to get there.

Gizycko is located in the very north-east of Poland. You can get to it both from Kaliningrad and from Vilnius, Gdansk, Warsaw and Bialystok. In the first option, it is necessary to take into account the passage of the border with the EEC.

Mazury in Poland is an amazingly beautiful and unique lake district. Almost everyone who describes Mazury lumps together districts that are completely unrelated to Mazury, and as a blueprint, someone faked it, the rest lick it off. Mazury is located in the north-east of Poland on the border: east - Suwalki (Suwałki does not belong to Mazury); west - Olsztyn; in the north - Kaliningrad region (Russia); in the south they end with Pisskaya Forest. This is Mazury, where more than 3,000 lakes are concentrated, most of which are connected by rivers or artificial channels. This part of Poland is distinguished by the beauty of the landscape formed by the last glaciation, the peculiarities of the geological structure, the climatic conditions, the uniqueness of the flora and fauna, as well as the history of land development and the ethnic composition of the population. Tourists mainly chose the Great Masurian Lakes, which are located in the center of Mazury and where all the major lakes are located: Sniardwy, Mamry and Jeziorak (27 km long!).

Mazury is a real paradise for lovers of sailing and kayaking, as well as for everyone who prefers to relax in silence and take leisurely walks through the forest, ride a bicycle or ride a horse. In the vicinity are Gothic castles and churches built by the crusaders who once owned these lands.

Masuria is a very popular holiday destination for the people of Poland, with a well-developed tourist infrastructure associated with accommodation, food and sports. Large tourist centers such as Mikołajki, Mrągowo, Giżycko host numerous sports and cultural events in the summer.

The Masurian Lake District has become one of the candidates for the title of the seventh wonder of the world, it is one of the few corners of Europe where nature is preserved almost in its original form. The lakes are surrounded by huge forests with landscaped parks and nature reserves.

Mazury is a place of forests. Here you can go to Piska Forest to fully appreciate the beauty and natural splendor of this area. Various representatives of the animal world live in the forests of Pisskaya Pusha: wild boars, roe deer, wolves, hares, foxes, otters, raccoons, lynxes and even American minks, and birds: a rare black stork, eagle owl, dumb swan and many others.

Here you have the opportunity to see the largest flock of swans you have ever seen - on Lake Lukaino. The number of swan pairs on the lake and its environs is about a thousand! This place is carefully protected by the personnel of the reserve, and since 1977 it has been under the protection of UNESCO.

Huge Lake Sniardwy called the Masurian Sea. Its dimensions are 22 by 13.4 kilometers, and from one coast it is almost impossible to distinguish the outlines of the opposite. It is on this lake that the largest sailing center is located, where both amateurs and professionals come. On the coast of the "Masurian Sea" there is also a livestock research station, where "Polish horses" are bred, whose height is up to 140 cm, as well as beavers and deer.

In Mazury, there are mostly narrow paved or dirt roads, however, as in all of Poland, you can’t accelerate, although the Poles manage to do it, and by the way, like ours on our terrible roads. But what delighted me was the alleys, even a bad road can be forgiven by driving along these wonderful alleys.

On the shores of the lakes, there are many so-called campsites, which are simply places for tents, this side of tourism is still “slipping” in Poland. It was hard to find a "normal" camping, like a normal one in Germany, but a 4-star one in Poland, at a price of 15 euros per day. However, they were satisfied: there were flowers all around, an emerald lawn under the tent; cozy restaurant; a small number of tourists (probably because of the price); own sandy beach on the lake; cleanliness and tranquility.

The campsite is located on the shore of a small (by Masurian standards) Lake Taltu(22 km in length!), when, having settled down, we went ashore, we were amazed by its huge size and the wonderful view of the setting sun.

The next day we went to inspect the tourist Mikołajki town located 10 km from us.

Tourist boats, boats, sailboats, etc. depart from the Mikolajki pier. in various directions, it all depends on your time, desire for what to see and ... wallet. We took a boat tour to Gizycko(12 euros per person for 8 hours, this is round trip). We sailed many lakes and canals, admired the most beautiful landscape, swans (unfortunately from a distance), beavers, yachts, bridges over the canals. We regretted that we did not stay in Gizhitsko for a longer time, they gave us only 1 hour, there was an opportunity to sail away on the next boat, but this had to be agreed in advance. So we had a little time: to see the extension of the unique bridge on the Lyuchany Canal, which has remained the only one in Europe since the 19th century, and ... to have lunch. But, alas, there was not enough time for a beautiful medieval castle.

bar on the water: beer, hot coffee, juices, sandwiches

when you swim under the bridge, the roof of the boat drops

Giżycko: "black panther" and the famous sliding bridge.

While we were having lunch, we watched with pleasure the crow, which quickly managed the rest of the dinner until it was removed.

Embankment Gizycko.

Maybe people were swimming during the day, but at that time we usually went somewhere. Huge poppy fields struck me with their beauty, my husband hardly pulled me out of there, I must have been drugged only from this beautiful sight. Flowers are my hobby, and the fields of tulips, daisies, poppies are simply mesmerizing.

Every day, yachts moored at the camping pier, offering various services, riding for an hour or more, apparently earning a living in this way. Hour of skiing 5 euros. But we rolled so far to Gizhitsk that it was more than enough.

This miniature park, everything that is interesting in Mazury, later we went to see some "mini" in full size.

Masurian village

Rastenburg. Polish and German names of cities are somewhat different, the Germans still cannot come to terms with the loss of a huge territory after the war, in their maps there are names of cities, etc. its own - German, and Poland gave its own, so sometimes it's hard to figure it out. Mazury before the war was German, like Kaliningrad, which is still written in the maps of Koenigsburg.

Let's go to the baroque castle in the village of Dönenhof which I really liked in the miniature park. The expected did not console, in the park of miniatures this castle looked better. Moreover, it took a long time to look for it, even in the village where the castle is located ... they don’t know about its existence, no wonder, it got lost in the forest and ... collapses, presenting a rather pathetic picture. Looking at our German license plate on the car, the bare-bellied kids accompanied us for a long time, showing the throw of the hand “Heil Hitler”, the outback, in a word…. And if this castle were made, at least from the outside, it would be possible to cut down some money from tourists, because he’s just a handsome man, and so ... they found an aunt who guards this “masterpiece” and climbed around for free.

Gateways. They began to build them even before the war, they dug channels, filled them with water, the Germans ended up with practically finished structures during the war. Hitler had big plans for these locks, but he failed to carry them out. After the war, there was simply no money to restore them, and these colossi are still standing, gradually collapsing over time, the water from the canals has left and they are overgrown with greenery. The difference between what I saw in nature and in the miniature park was striking, here everything looks more significant, more powerful.