http://www2.warsawvoice.pl/old/v499/17mapa.gif

The great Mazurian lakes are joined together into one of the most interesting inland water systems in Europe. Forty five lakes linked into one by a network of canals make the area an excellent resort for sailboating enthusiasts.

Linked by rivers and canals, the lakes form an extensive system of waterways over 1,200 kilometres long !

The Mazurian Lake District was formed by a continental glacier from Scandinavia. The largest lake, Śniardwy, and Mamry, with its elaborate coastline are typical ground moraine lakes. However, the most common lakes in this area are gully lakes: long, narrow, deep and winding,formed by the frontal moraine.

For many centuries, these areas were inhabited by pagan Prussian tribes-a history that is still evident in some place names. The towns along the trail, Wegorzewo, Gizycko, Ryn, Mikolajki and Pisz, were all ancient villages, and did not obtain their town charters until comparatively late, at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. But with the exception of Mikolajki and Ryn-the medieval seats of Teutonic Knights-most of them are not particularly pretty. The name Ryn comes from a walled stronghold erected in the mid-14th century; the Teutonic Knights must have named it for the castles along the Rhine River. The stronghold's German name was Renu.

The Mazurian lakeland boasts Poland's largest lakes such as Lake Sniardwy (106 sq. km.) with eight islands and Lake Mamry (104.9 sq. km.) with thirty-three islands.

Many water sports centres were built along the lakes. In Gizycko, sometimes called Poland's water sports capital, we find numerous marinas, hotels, hostels and many places renting out water sport equipment. Other important lakeside centres are those of Mikolajki, Ruciane-Nida, Mragowo and Wegorzewo. They all offer a full range of services for yachting enthusiasts and many attractive events for tourists who flock there in summer season. In wintertime the frozen lakes attract great number of ice-boating fans.


Mazurian lakes:

http://mazury.info.pl/fotogaleria/ciesielski/pejzaz14.jpg
http://mazury.info.pl/fotogaleria/ciesielski/pejzaz15.jpg
http://mazury.info.pl/fotogaleria/ciesielski/pejzaz10.jpg
http://mazury.info.pl/fotogaleria/ciesielski/pejzaz07.jpg
http://www.gizycko.turystyka.pl/img/kajak05.jpg
http://www.gizycko.turystyka.pl/img/kajak06.jpg
http://www.plfoto.com/zdjecia/566413.jpg
http://www.wm.24.pl/images/galerie/001/03.jpg
http://www.wm.24.pl/images/galerie/001/07.jpg
http://www.wm.24.pl/images/galerie/001/05.jpg
http://www.wm.24.pl/images/galerie/001/08.jpg
http://www.wm.24.pl/images/galerie/001/17.jpg
http://www.poland.pl/gal/236/165/182/med.jpg
http://www.poland.pl/gal/122/94/19/med.jpg
http://www.poland.pl/gal/65/191/37/med.jpg
http://www.poland.pl/gal/122/53/49/med.jpg
http://www.plfoto.com/zdjecia/542983.jpg


Mikolajki

http://www.poland.pl/gal/209/157/142/med.jpg
http://www.plfoto.com/zdjecia/567905.jpg
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik16.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik12.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik4.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik6.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik9.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik1.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik2.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki/mik3.JPG
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki1/Untitled-111.jpg
http://mazury.info.pl/zibek/mikolajki1/Untitled-21.jpg

Sztynort

http://www.poland.pl/gal/238/137/24/med.jpg
http://www.poland.pl/gal/236/72/50/med.jpg
http://www.plfoto.com/zdjecia/572660.jpg

Ryn

http://www.gizycko.turystyka.pl/_warto/02.jpg
http://www.gizycko.turystyka.pl/_warto/08.jpg

Gizycko

http://www.gizycko.turystyka.pl/_warto/13.jpg
http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/o/1_Gizycko_2.jpg
http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/o/1_Gizycko_4.jpg

Wegozewo

http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/o/1_Wegorzewo_3.jpg
http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/o/1_Wegorzewo_2.jpg

Ruciane Nida

http://www.poland.pl/gal/120/84/163/med.jpg

Cool pics!

Nice bridge in that one town. The area looks really nice...kinda reminds me of the Muskokas in Canada.

Later

I like Mikolajki, then Ryn and Wegozewo pictures.

Beautiful views, maybe this summer I'll go there

Great pic, Mazurian is beautiful especially Mikolajki, this is my favourite town in this region.

Cool pics!

Nice bridge in that one town. The area looks really nice...kinda reminds me of the Muskokas in Canada.

Later



:yes: Yup!!!

Take Mazury and multiply that by 10 000 and you have Canada.

Mazury are very nice in summer :)

Nice pictures! Do people actually swim there? I would be a bit scared, the water looks a bit dirty.

LOL !!!!! Masuria is the cleanest place in Poland :D

Nice pictures! Do people actually swim there? I would be a bit scared, the water looks a bit dirty.

Of course people are swimming there - the water in great majority of the lakes is clean :cheers:

And the summer temperatures of water in the lakes is much higher than in the Baltic sea.

And why do You think Mazurian Lakes are among top tourist summer destination in Poland ?

If the Mazurian nature would be polluted noone would go there to spend his holidays.

I have found some nice photos of Mazurian lakes :

http://www.poland-tourism.pl/binn/PL00000000BI0293.JPG
http://www.poland-tourism.pl/binn/PL00000000BI0298.JPG
http://www.poland-tourism.pl/binn/PL00000000BI0299.JPG
http://www.poland-tourism.pl/binn/PL00000000BI0302.JPG
http://www.poland-tourism.pl/binn/PL00000000BI0303.JPG

Looks amazing! I have to go there! I love sailing! :D

I've just returned from a few days sailing on Mazurian lakes - I recomend it to everyone - it's amazing place :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :rock:

I will be there in 2 months. Expect lots of photos.

Nice pictures! Do people actually swim there? I would be a bit scared, the water looks a bit dirty.

Thats how lake water normally looks in the nothern half of europe, has got nothing to do with how clean it is...

Im more the type who doesnt love woods, cold weather, mosquitos :bash: and i usually spend my holidays in more southern regions (Greece, Italy, Turkey) but I love the Mazurian lakes and il have to go there again sometime soon for a weekend, just the roads are crap and theres lots of traffic in summer, but hey its beautiful :)

Gizycko
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11774d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11777d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11791d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11803d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11793d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11800d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00549.jpg
Ketrzyn
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto07/02787x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto07/02788x.jpg
Krutynia
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto10/03640x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto10/03636x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto10/03637x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto10/03634x.jpg
Mikolajki
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11703x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11829d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11830d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11831d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11833d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11719x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11847d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11378x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11712x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11821d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11823d.jpg
Nidzkie Lake
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00750.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00753.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto03/01011x.jpg
Pisz
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11619x.jpg
Borecka Woods
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00522.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto03/00820.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00512.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00514.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00515.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto08/03150x.jpg
Rapa, Farenheid's Tomb
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto02/00603x.jpg
Ryn, castle
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11815d.jpg
Szczytno, castle
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11743d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11737d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11745d.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11736d.jpg
Sniardwy Lake
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto09/03398x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto09/03399x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11624x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11627x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11631x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11638x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11643x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto10/03617x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11337x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11366x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11650x.jpg
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto22/11668x.jpg
btw: as you can see - the bottom of the lakes is visible on photos - so it's not so bad with the water quality ;)

Nice pictures! Do people actually swim there? I would be a bit scared, the water looks a bit dirty.
Just ask yourself this. Do people actually swim in the Black Sea in Ukraine? LOL :nuts:

There is one detail ragarding really nice Mazurskie jeziora:
It is impossible to get to Mazurskie jeziora without spoiling of car.
Road No 16 Augustow - Olsztyn (especially its part Orzysz-Mikolajki) is most terrible between national roads in the Europe.

I tried to find alternative roads from LT/PL border to Gdansk, but all the ways were bad:
1. Kętrzyn-Gizycko-Suwalki: it is impossible to drive between Wydminy and Olecko
2. Szczytno-Grajewo-Augustow: terrible road repair works between Stawiski and Grajewo; deep "kolejinas" near Rajgrod
3. Lidzbark Warminski-Gizycko-Goldap-Szypliszki: terrible road conditions between Goldap and Rutka Tartak
4. The alternative way is to go from Vilnius to Gdansk via Koenigsber/Kaliningarad. Roads are better, but it is different story, especailly about stupid Russian border guards and custom officers.

I would be happy if situation of Polish roads has improved during last two years

I would be happy if situation in Polish roads has improved during last two years

well those roads are not important so much as those in western and southern Poland. The difference is really huge, but there is much bigger traffic. But I bet that when you come this year to Poland you'll be impressed by all the construction on our roads :cheers:

Yes delphin really in general the roads are still bad and efficient construction is going on at the highways which are going to be amazing but not on the smaller roads. Highways in Poland are few but excellent, Expressways are acceptable and roads such as E77 Warsaw to Gdansk are really crap and you forget the smaller roads....The roads in western and south Poland are not much better, just that you have much more highways and expressways.

Highways in Poland are few but excellent, Expressways are acceptable and roads such as E77 Warsaw to Gdansk are really crap and you forget the smaller roads....The roads in western and south Poland are not much better, just that you have much more highways and expressways.
As I know, Mazurskie jeziory are in northern part of PL.
Roads in this region has nothing common with expressways

@DelfinPL Yes, I am impressed by scale of road construction in PL.
But these works are mainly in Westen and Southern part of PL or close to Warsaw. Eastern and Northern part of PL has only old network of roads with some exceptions.

As I know, Mazurskie jeziory are in northern part of PL.
Roads in this region has nothing common with expressways

@DelfinPL Yes, I am impressed by scale of road construction in PL.
But these works are mainly in Westen and Southern part of PL or close to Warsaw. Eastern and Northern part of PL has only old network of roads with some exceptions.

yes we commonly call it Poland B - land east from Wisła river

hey good thing you bumped it up, I seem to have skipped it on my list

How bout some pics of the forumers spending their free time in Mazury? :)