Land of a thousand Lakes but not as nice as the land of Beatrix Potter (Masurian Lake District, Poland)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Masurian Lake District, Poland
Date:	21/09/09 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great to be in the outdoors away from city life

Disadvantages: No mountains

Ten days of looking after my mother in law is a stressful event especially when I have to be a tour guide for Warsaw as well. So you can imagine the signs of glee on my face when my husband suggested a trip away from the city for a few days to relieve me of Mother-in-law stress syndrome.

In various conversations with Polish friends I had overheard the word Masurian Lakes and according to many a Pole this is one of the country's major beauty spots along with the Tatra mountains. Only snag - Poles are very outgoing and love outdoor activities. We are not the cycling, running, watersport types although we don't mind a bit of walking. So what was it going to be - a trip to Wroclaw or the Masurian Lakes? I opted for the lakes and within a couple of hours the tent and rucksack were thrown into the boot of the car and I had forgotten all about my mother-in-law.

The Masurian Lakes are affectionately known as the 'land of a thousand lakes'. This region is a very popular holiday region in Poland because of its crystal clear lakes, unspoilt forests, enchanting landscapes and the occasional village - this is what holidaymakers who want to get away from it all can find. Another name for Masuria is Poland's 'green lung'.

We spent four days in the region and started from Elblag which is situated on the Baltic Coast and is approximately 90 miles from Gdansk so from Gdansk you will have to take the E75 road south for 36 miles to Malbork and then Elblag is 60 miles from here. From Elblag you can then travel into the heart of Masuria.

The most convenient form of transport is obviously a car, but if you have the energy and naturally the time - the best way to see the region is by bicycle as Masuria is a cyclists' paradise. Some of Masuria is hilly but the coastal roads are suitable for cycling.

Before I give you a run down of some of the attractions let me just say that this region has good tourist facilities. However, if you don't book in advance it may be difficult to find vacancies if you are looking for western standard hotels in the peak holiday season. We went camping as I think this is the most appropriate form of accommodation for this particular trip. It is cheap and the best way to experience the natural beauty of the countryside. But I appreciate that not everybody likes camping - I am not the greatest fan but I think for some wild and picturesque places it can be good fun.

Masuria is a paradise for campers, with hundreds of campsites for overnight stays in the midst of nature. Camp sites are graded in three categories and are usually open from the middle of May until the middle of September. Most have security and have simply furnished chalets too.

Okay so let me take you on my trip and introduce you to some of the Masurian highlights. Let's start at Elblag.

Because of its ideal location on the Baltic Coast, the town has changed hands several times over the centuries, and was often destroyed by the victors in the process. Pagan Prussians and German knights, Prussians and Poles, Swedes and Russians all coveted the Baltic port, and at the end of World War II Elblag had been reduced to rubble.

Again I was amazed to see that some of the buildings in the old town had been reconstructed in their original form, on the basis of historic documents. Some work is still ongoing.

The City Museum details the history of the town and I was surprised to find out that for 40 years the harbour couldn't be used; the only exit to the Baltic from the Vistula lagoon was at the Russian town of Baltijsk, access to which was prohibited by the Baltic fleet that was stationed there. As a result Elblag was cut off and could not be reached by water. Hydrofoils now ply between Elblag and Kallingrad and they seem to be a popular tourist attraction.

It was enjoyable to take a trip along the canal to a small lake in Ostroda which is about a 50 mile trip and what was even more interesting was to realise that this canal which was built in 1858, is the only canal in the world where boats travel overland as well as on the water. This marvel of technology navigates height differences of almost 100 metres and includes so-called 'inclined planes', which are used to haul boats overland.

Next stop was Olsztyn which is the Masurian capital. This has a lovely old town and one I liked very much as it provided a very attractive setting for the many artists and craftsmen who had studios and galleries in the town. I spent rather too much time looking round the old quarter which again has been reconstructed.

After I had finished scouring the artwork and many sculptures I took a walk to the 14th century castle, which now houses the Warmia and Masuria Regional Museum. This houses a very interesting art and natural science collection. The unusual stone figures standing in the castle courtyard are idols once worshipped by the pagan Prussians and date from the early Middle Ages. They are all that has remained of the people to whom this country once belonged.

The Cathedral of St James was built almost as the same time as the castle. The most outstanding feature for me is the Gothic star and net vaulting that forms elegant patterns on the ceiling.

A more modern attraction in the town is Copernicus Planetarium. Here outer space is shown not from the perspective of the earth's inhabitants but from that of the astronauts. You can find the planetarium in the Aleja Zwyciestwa.

Opening times: Tues-Fri 10am - 4pm. Sat and sun - 10.30 - 4pm.

From the Masurian capital we followed an easterly direction for about 30 miles. This stretch of road which is highway 16 is very picturesque and there are many places you can stop en-route to have a bite to eat or a drink.

The reason for following this particular route was because I wanted to visit the village of Sorkwity as I had been told that in the village was one of the few Protestant churches in Masuria. Shortly after entering the village we saw the whitewashed church which was on the left hand side. The pastor, lives opposite the church and gladly opened the building to let us have a look around. He seemed delighted to point out to us his proudest possession which was a colourful baptismal angel hovering high above the heads of the faithful near the ceiling of the nave. He told us in Polish that with the help of a block and tackle construction the wooden sculpture can be lowered at christenings so that the head of the child being christened can be moistened with holy water from the silver dish it holds. I only understood half the story but my husband who is now fluent in this difficult Slavic language understood everything. Show-off!

One more attraction to visit in Sorkwity is the palace which looks like it has just been taken from a picture book and planted there. It is 19th century neo- Renaissance style and set in enchanting surroundings in the midst of historic oak trees on the shore of Lake Lampackie.

The countryside here is really lovely and we decided to follow the well known route which we had been told about to lead us to the classic tourist destination, Swieta Lipka that I have heard so much about because of the Roman Catholic Shrine.

This is a must on every trip to Masuria - a visit to the shrine of Swieta Lipka (literally the Holy Lime tree). The nine mile trip took us over moraines and along the shores of beautiful lakes. At the end of the trail is the 17th century pilgrims church; a splendid ochre-coloured baroque building with two towers and a facade ornamented with columns and sculptures, standing in a secluded area.

We were really bowled over with the sight of the 18th century organ which is adorned with small biblical figures and when the organ is played which is every hour the figures are set in motion as they are attached to the instrument. It was really fascinating to watch.

A walk through the forest close by will lead you to a small statue of the Virgin Mary. This was once the border line between Poland and Prussia.

From the shrine we moved on to Ketrzyn and then a few kilometres further to the village of Gierloz which is in the middle of a forest. No not another shrine but to a huge bunker complex constructed from steel and concrete. It was once the headquarters of Hitler. He occupied the compound, known as the 'Wolf's Lair,' for almost two years, directing much of his war strategy from here. It was here on July 20th, 1944, that Klaus Graf Schenk von Staffenberg exploded a bomb in a courageous, though unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler, who was out of the room at the time.

Not sure what I think about this complex. I suppose its just a lump of concrete sealed together with steel but what makes it haunting is knowing that Hitler was down there for 2 years planning and scheming. It makes me shiver to think about it. If you really want to see where he was held up then you can obtain a plan of the complex and guides are available at the kiosk.

The Masurian landscape is made up of thousands of lakes of all sizes and majestic hills. In the rushes along the banks of the lakes, swans, cranes, herons, crested divers and ducks find safe nesting places. The waters are teeming with eels, pike and salmon trout. Gizycko is one of the most popular holiday centres in Masuria, in an idyllic location between two lakes: Niegocin in the south and Kisajno in the north (part of Lake Mamry). In 1772, a canal was built between the two lakes, a route which today is used almost exclusively by water sports enthusiasts. Excursion boats are available and provide an ideal way of seeing the scenery.

Mikolajki is another beautiful town and when we were there was packed out with tourists It is sometimes called the 'Masurian Venice' and is close to the largest Masurian lake, Lake Sniardwy, which is again an Eldorado for nature lovers and water-sports fans. Not being into water sports we took a trip on an excursion boat to some of the larger lakes and walked along the shore to an observation centre where we could watch the wild swans and herons.

Finally, a very small place south of Mikolajki, lies the prettiest river I have ever seen apart from the Neretva in Bosnia. The river is called the Krutynia and is popular with canoeists. We went on a punting trip and left all the hard work to the local boatman so we could enjoy the splendid, tranquil waterway. The green tunnel and shimmering red stones, over which the crystal-clear water of the river flows will stay in my memory for a long time.

Just an extra note for readers who are interested in watersports etc

Firstly, it is fine to swim in the lakes of Masuria. The water is pure and cool and refreshing. Windsurfing has also become popular in Poland and along the Baltic Coast but in the lakes windsurfers are still rather exotic, and are obliged to share the water with canoeists.

The many lakes in idyllic settings are often linked by rivers and canals, so that canoe tours of several days' duration can be planned. This is also facilitated by the fact that the most attractive lake shores have bivouac places for overnight stops in the midst of nature. The most beautiful river to canoe on is the one mentioned above, and if you wanted to you could do the whole route which is 124 miles, winding through glorious countryside.

A website to look at if that's your thing is www.zgpzw.pl

Fishing is another popular Polish pastime and the rivers of the Masurian lakes are filled with brown and rainbow trout. I like a bit of fly fishing myself as my father taught me when I was a child. Fishing with bait is only allowed for catching pike, perch and catfish. Many angling shops offer equipment at low prices but you must have a license to fish. Ask at the nearest tourist office for details.

Since my trip the other week I have been asked on several occasions - what I thought of Masuria. This is my answer - of course we didn't cover the whole area but what we did see we both enjoyed very much. The scenery is very pleasant and in some parts really lovely and the sunsets are divine. I paticularly liked to see the bird life especially the herons. I liked the fact that the forests were quite deep and the trails were fun to walk through. I loved the ride on the river Krutynia - it was so peaceful and the colours of the water were majestic. However, it isn't mountainous so its beauty isn't extreme enough for me. The English Lakes are beautiful and having lived in Cumbria and the Pyrenees then perhaps I have been spoilt but I didn't think the Mazury Lakes were anything extra special. The region is nice enough but it isn't the land of Beatrix Potter.

Summary: A pleasant lake district in Poland