Ełk: Lakeside, culture and trails

• The promenade along Lake Ełk has a footpath and cycle path for walks, family bike rides and inline skating.
• The climbing park on the lakeshore has three courses of varying difficulty, adapted to the age of users.
• The water tower houses the Muzeum Kropli Wody, with exhibits about the past of the city and region. It is closed indefinitely.
• Kopernik Park introduces children and young people to astronomy and physics through play.

The more than six-kilometre-long promenade along Lake Ełk is designed as a footpath and cycle path. You can walk there, go on a family bike ride or use inline skates. This gives you several ways to get active without having to look for different routes. If you are planning your trip around activities by the water, the promenade offers a specific starting point for your plans.

The climbing park is also located on the lakeshore. Its three courses vary in difficulty and are adapted to the age of users. Check current operating information before visiting. This way, your plans remain dependent on whether a visit is actually possible, while the different courses offer another activity alongside walking and cycling.

The water tower in Ełk was built in 1895 in what was then Przedmieście Garncarskie. The historic tower houses the Muzeum Kropli Wody, whose exhibits explore the past of the city and region. The museum is closed indefinitely. The tower and its exhibition themes therefore provide a cultural point of reference for planning your trip, but are not a reason to plan a museum visit as currently possible.

Kopernik Park offers playful activities for children and young people, with the aim of introducing them to astronomy and physics. In the wider destination of Lyck, the park is located at ul. Wojska Polskiego in Ełk, near the mouth of the Ełk River. Its design is inspired by a planetary system. This educational offer is therefore clearly distinct from the water tower’s focus on history.

In the wider destination of Lyck, Lake Ełk lies in the centre of Ełk. There are opportunities for sailing, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing. There are also two beaches right by the lakeside promenade. For your plans, these water activities can play a different role from the trails on land; you can check specific offers and their availability in advance.

The trails also vary in length and route. The 30-kilometre blue trail “Morenowe Wzgórza” runs from Ełk via Straduny, Piaski, Malinówka, Królowa Wola, Czerwonka, Grabnik and Chrzanowo, returning to Ełk. The Michał Kajka Trail also begins in Ełk and runs for 37 kilometres to Skomack Wielki. The 19-kilometre Tatar Trail runs from Ełk via Szyba, Tatarska Mountain, Chochołki and Ostrykół to Prostki and Bogusze. These distances and routes help you distinguish the trails by the route pattern and distance you want.

The Pope Trail is open year-round and starts in Ełk at the place where Saint John Paul II celebrated the Eucharist on 8 June 1999. Its stages can be covered on foot or by bicycle, and on skis in winter. Ełk city centre also has a group of 19th-century townhouses with Art Nouveau and eclectic elements. In the wider destination of Lyck, different forms of urban history and regional trails come together.

In the wider destination of Lyck, Ełk is served by national roads 16 and 65 and railway lines 38, 41, 219 and 223. The railway station and bus station are right next to each other: the railway station is at 16 Dąbrowskiego Street, and the bus station at 1 Dąbrowskiego Street. This information can help you include travel by train or bus in your plans.

In the wider destination of Lyck, the Ełk Narrow-Gauge Railway currently operates tourist passenger services with a diesel locomotive on the Ełk–Sypitki–Ełk route. Services run according to a timetable or by arrangement. Check the timetable and the travel option that suits you before making plans.

Discover more destinations: Golubie, Rękusy, Stare Juchy, Gorlo, Zawady Ełckie, Mrozy Wielkie, Szeligi, Sikory Juskie.

Is the Muzeum Kropli Wody open?

No. The Muzeum Kropli Wody in the historic water tower is closed indefinitely.

Which of the trails described differ in length?

The Tatar Trail is 19 kilometres long, “Morenowe Wzgórza” is 30 kilometres long, and the Michał Kajka Trail is 37 kilometres long. Their routes also differ.

Where are the railway and bus stations in Ełk?

In the wider destination of Lyck, Ełk’s railway and bus stations are right next to each other on Dąbrowskiego Street, at numbers 16 and 1 respectively.

Go to the main travel overview: Lyck.