Weekend in Masuria

Have you ever seen a large-scale medieval battle or been to Hitler’s military headquarters? Go to Masuria! The region of a thousand lakes.

Masuria - lake
Photo by ekieraM

From among the regions I visit in Poland, Masuria is one of my biggies. If you go there just for one weekend, you can really pick from a lot of attractions. However, I suggest you take a couple more days for it. It’s easy to get there from Gdansk, Bydgoszcz or Warsaw airports.

The choice of the things you choose to do depends on what you prefer. If you are into active entertainment, Masuria is full of really nice cycling paths, rivers for kayaks (notably on river Krutynia) and sailing routes between its lakes. You can cycle or sail from one area to another for a good week! Apart from the majestic forests, small villages and beautiful lakes, the area has a rich heritage of medieval architecture. Reszel, Lidzbark Warminski are Frombork are some very notable destinations, while in Malbork you can see the largest brick castle in the world! For its beauty, Masuria is the hot spot for active summer holidays in Poland.

We very much recommend you come for 15th July to see the battle of Grunwald

Battle of Grunwald
Photo by Paweł Witan

However, if you are more into cherry picking for a more laid-back entertainment, I very much recommend you come for 15th July to see the battle of Grunwald. The battle originally took place in 1410 and was one of the greatest battles of the Middle Ages. It draws a crowd of roughly 100 000 spectators every year!

An another big point on your trip itinerary should be the day-long boat ride (on-land as well as on-water!) with the Ostródzko-Elblaski canal located in the midst of a very picturesque area. Apart from those, it’s interesting to see Woolf’s Lair – old bunkers that housed Nazi top military brass, and the Swieta Lipka sanctuary famous for its miracles. All in all, Masuria is a great place for a summer holiday!

Radoslaw Kowalski

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