Tourism in Northern Poland

1. Tourism in Northern Poland

2. Location

• The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland is a lake district in
northeastern Poland. Administratively, this Lake District lies within the Warmian-Masurian
Voivodeship. Also, small parts of the district lie within the Masovian and Podlaskie
Voivodeships.
This location contains more than 2,000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28
finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
*!!!
The Lake District was shaped by glaciers
during the Pleistocene ice age.

3. Transportation

TRANSPORTATION
The Masurian Lakeland can be reached by train, bus, or car. The nearest international airports are
in Szymany,Warsaw, Gdańsk, and Vilnius. The main transport hubs in the region are the towns of Olsztyn and Ełk.
There are trains to Masuria from Warsaw, Gdańsk and Vilnius, and buses from many Polish cities. A boat service
connects some central towns in the region. Biking and boating are popular ways to get around.
*!!!
The lakes are well connected by rivers and canals, forming an extensive system
of waterways. The 18th-century Masurian Canal links this system to the Baltic
Sea.

4. Tourism

The whole area is a prime tourist destination, frequented by:
boating enthusiasts
Canoeists
Kayakists
Anglers
Hikers
Bikers
nature-lovers.
It is one of the most famous lake districts in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot, with
the highest number of visitors every year.
Some hotels here can be found in close proximity to the Great Masurian Lakes, in the towns
of Giżycko, Mikołajki and Ełk among others. There are also guesthouses and campsites in
surrounding villages.

5. Masurians (Mazurs)

MASURIANS (MAZURS)
• In past this place was inhabited by Masurians, who spoke Masurian dialect.
• It’s a small 5,000-15,000 strong Lechitic sub-ethnic group, traditionally present in what is now
a Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.
• Before World War II and its post-war expulsions, Masurians used to be a more numerous ethnic
group found in the southern parts of East Prussia for centuries following the 16th
century Protestant Reformation. Today, most of Masurians live in what is now Germany and
elsewhere.
• Because of the influx of Masovians into the southern lakeland, the area started to be known as
"Masuria" from the 18th century.
*!!!
Some early writers about Masurians - like Max Toeppen - postulated them as
mediators between German and Slav cultures.

6.

• Many Masurians were often bilingual in German and Polish languages. In the 19th
century, the Masuria region of East Prussia was named after the Masurians.
• Like most of the East Prussian population, they favored Protestantism and
adopted Lutheranism.
• Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Polish settlers from northern Masovia moved
to the southern territories of the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights. (These
lands had previously belonged to the Baltic Old Prussians, whom the Teutonic
Knights had conquered in the 13th and 14th centuries.) The northern part of this
state was soon settled by settlers from Germany and thus became Germanised.
*!!!
*During the 1840s, the folklorist Gustaw Gizewiusz (Gustav Gisevius) collected Masurian
folk songs which were later included in Oskar Kolberg's compilation Dzieła Wszystkie.
*The oldest book written in Masurian probably is "Ta Swenta Woyna", written by Jakub
Szczepan in 1900

7.

8.

9. TEUTONIC STATE ORDER'S CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TOWNS OF WARMIA-MASURIA PROVINCE IN POLAND

*!!!
Important landmarks include the cathedral in Frombork, where Nicolaus Copernicus
elaborated the heliocentric theory, and sanctuary in Gietrzwałd, a site of Marian
apparitions and miracles.

10. Most popular destinations

Masuria is famous for its lakes and forests, offering a wide range of outdoor activities from sailing to kayaking and
swimming. The region includes the largest lake in Poland called Śniardwy. The resort towns include the most
popular ones:
Giżycko
Mikołajki
Węgorzewo
Ryn
Pisz
Iława
In addition to lakes, the Masurian region also has many rivers used for fly fishing, and forest areas that offer
many trails for trekking and biking. There is also a variety of wildlife, edible berries and mushrooms, and
large protected areas, including the Masurian Landscape Park that includes 11 nature reserves and
the Białowieża Forest with a breeding station for European Bisons.
*!!!
You can also experience unique atmosphere in dozens of small towns and villages, many of which exist
about 600 or 700 years, with the picturesque setting, quaint buildings and original opportunities for
recreation and relaxation for tourists.

11.

12. Climate

CLIMATE
• MASURIA HAS A TEMPERATE CLIMATE WITH COLD WINTERS AND WARM SUMMERS. THE
WEATHER HERE IS COOLER THAN IN MOST PARTS OF POLAND, AND THE AREA ALSO HAS SOME
SNOW DURING THE WINTER. THE MASURIAN LAKES ARE USUALLY FROZEN FROM DECEMBER TO
THE END OF APRIL. SPRINGTIME CAN BE WET, WHILE SUMMERS ARE GENERALLY DRIER.