MAZURIAN LAKE DISTRICT

We spent three days at The Masurian Lake District. It is a great lake district in northeastern Poland which contains more than 2000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The Lakeland extends roughly 290 km eastwards from the lower Vistula to the Poland–Russia border, and occupies an area of roughly 52000 square kilometers. 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. The whole area is a prime tourist destination, frequented by boating enthusiasts, canoeists, anglers, hikers, bikers, and nature-lovers. It is one of the most famous lake districts in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot. We explored two tourist hubs – Giżycko (free parking near the new marina) and Mikolajki (parking 40 PLN). Both were quite lovely, but more beautiful is the smaller Mikolajki, where we took a 1,5-hour boat trip (30 PLN). We had plenty of time to explore local restaurants and bars – in Giżycko we had quite a lively local karaoke night at Pasaż Klub (Beer 0,5 l / 8 PLN, Mojito 19 PLN). Generally, all restaurants were nice and the food tasty, with average prices – soups 15 PLN, starters 18 PLN, main dishes 30 PLN, Kozel or Pilsner Urquell Beers 0,5 l / 10 PLN.

Parking location – Giżycko: 54.034340N 21.770108E

Parking location – Mikołajki: 53.800302N 21.577357E