The Great Masurian Lakes
Hidden in thick forest near the hamlet of Gierłoż, 8km east of Kętrzyn, is one of Poland’s eeriest historical relics – 18 overgrown hectares of huge,…
Warmia & Masuria
There’s something in the water in these two northeast regions bordering the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad – mostly hundreds of sailors, windsurfers and kayakers who come to make a splash in the Great Masurian Lakes, which dominate the landscape. There’s more aqua fun to be had here than in the rest of the country put together, and if water sports are your thing, this is your place.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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Warmia & Masuria
Built between 1687 and 1693, and later surrounded by an ample rectangular cloister, the hugely popular church was built around four identical corner…
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Warmia & Masuria
This stocky, square-set red-brick fortress, adorned with corner turrets, is probably Warmia’s most significant cultural gem. Enter from the south through…
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The Great Masurian Lakes
The Boyen Fortress was built between 1844 and 1856 to protect the kingdom’s border with Russia, and was named after the then Prussian minister of war,…
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The Great Masurian Lakes
The shallow 700-hectare Lake Łuknajno, 4km east of Mikołajki, shelters Europe’s largest surviving community of wild swans (Cygnus olor) and is home to…
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Warmia & Masuria
A well-rubbed bronze of Copernicus welcomes you to Olsztyn's massive red-brick 14th-century castle, the most important historic building in town. And it's…
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Warmia & Masuria
The Museum of Warmia and Masuria’s main annexe is housed in the former Gazeta Olsztyńska newspaper building. The Polish paper was famed for its outspoken…
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Warmia & Masuria
Open year-round, this skansen (open-air ethnographic museum) on the northeastern outskirts of Olsztynek features about 70 examples of regional timber…
