Warmia-Masuria

The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship has more than 3,000 lakes and other bodies of water, each covering more than one hectare. The Masurian Lake District includes Śniardwy and Mamry, Poland’s two largest lakes. Alongside its waterscapes, the region is shaped by historic castles, museums and religious buildings.

The Masurian Landscape Park lies in the southeast of the voivodeship. It encompasses forests, open agricultural land and surface waters, and extends across three counties and seven municipalities. The park contains 60 lakes, including Śniardwy, Poland’s largest lake, as well as eleven nature reserves. More than 90 percent of the park overlaps with the “Masurian Lakes” MAB Biosphere Reserve, the only biosphere reserve of its kind in the voivodeship.

The figure of more than 3,000 lakes and bodies of water applies to the voivodeship as a whole; the 60 lakes and eleven nature reserves refer to the Masurian Landscape Park. If nature and water are a particular focus of your trip, you can use these areas as a guide when planning further.

The Gothic castle in Olsztyn dates from the 14th century and now houses the Museum of Warmia and Masuria. It has a permanent Copernicus exhibition. Among its notable objects is an astronomical table made by Nicolaus Copernicus himself in 1517, which was used to study the equinoxes.

The Bishop’s Castle in Lidzbark Warmiński is also a striking example of Gothic defensive architecture. Built in the second half of the 14th century, it is one of the most significant and best-preserved examples of representative Gothic defensive architecture in Poland. Its permanent and temporary exhibitions range from archaeology and historic weapons to Gothic art and crafts, sculpture, and old and modern painting.

More Gothic brick castles can be found in Reszel, Nidzica, Kętrzyn and Ostróda. These include Teutonic Order, chapter and bishop’s castles. The Święta Lipka pilgrimage shrine offers a different architectural focus: the Baroque religious complex comprises the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a cloister surrounding it with corner chapels, and a single-nave monastery building. At Grunwald, a monument, an amphitheatre and a museum opened in 1963 are part of the battlefield site.

If you want to explore the region from the water, the Krutynia offers a route suited to canoeing. The river runs from Jezioro Warpuńskie to Jezioro Bełdany and passes through the Puszcza-Piska Forest. It is considered one of Poland’s most picturesque waterways. For a cycling trip, the Masurian section of the Green Velo route passes through Węgorzewo and continues via Banie Mazurskie in the hilly Mazury Garbate region to Gołdap.

PTTK branches in Warmia and Masuria also organize orienteering rallies, hiking and cycling rallies, canoe trips, boat trips, regional excursions, and leisure and sports activities. The Culinary Heritage Network of Warmia-Masuria-Powiśle brings together food producers and restaurants offering products and dishes made from natural ingredients according to traditional recipes. This lets you choose different focuses for your trip, from time in nature to cultural and culinary experiences.

When looking for a hotel or other accommodation, you can first choose the places and experiences that matter to your trip. Olsztyn and Lidzbark Warmiński offer museums and castles, the Krutynia a canoe trip, and the Masurian section of Green Velo a cycling route. These destinations are in different locations, so compare the specific stops on your itinerary rather than deciding based only on the region’s name.

More than 40 tourist information offices in the voivodeship provide information about local and regional attractions, accommodation, restaurants, cultural offerings, hiking and cycling trails, and events. They also offer city maps, area maps and regional travel guides in various language versions. For more detailed regional information, pages are available for the following areas: Olsztyn County, Nowe Miasto County, Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, Działdowo County, Węgorzewo County, Szczytno County, Gołdap County, Iława County, Olecko County, Bartoszyce County, Elbląg County, Braniewo County, Ełk County, Mrągowo County, Giżycko County, Ostróda County, Lidzbark County, Nidzica County, Kętrzyn County, Olsztyn City County and Pisz County.

How many lakes are there in Warmia-Masuria?

The voivodeship has more than 3,000 lakes and other bodies of water, each covering more than one hectare.

Which well-known lakes are part of the Masurian Lake District?

Śniardwy and Mamry are part of it; they are Poland’s two largest lakes.

What activities are available in the region?

PTTK branches organize, among other things, hiking and cycling rallies, canoe trips, boat trips, regional excursions, and leisure and sports activities.

For the main travel overview: Poland.