The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship lies in the north-eastern part of Poland. It consists of the historic regions of Warmia, Masuria and Powisle. For its natural values it is considered as one of the most beautiful part of Poland. As far as the size is concerned, the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is on the fourth place, with the area of 24 thousand square metres. The capital - Olsztyn (over 170 thousand inhabitants), other cities: Elblag (130 thousand inhabitants), Elk (60 thousand inhabitants). Warmia and Masuria is the region of outstanding tourist and recreational values. It is called the land of a thousand lakes, even though there are twice as many. The biggest lakes are Sniardwy (113,8 square metres) and Mamry (104,4 square metres). The deepest are represented by Wuksniki (68 m), Babieta Wielkie (65 m), Pilakno (56,6 m) and Elk Lake (55,8 m). Some of these lakes, connected with channels and rivers, create the enormous water route, kilometres long. The most famous one is The Elblag Channel.

 
Forests, natural landscape parks and nature preservation areas, representing 30% of the whole area, are the region's treasure. The beauty of the landscape is completed by numerous preserved gothic castles, churches and palaces. For the tourist attraction, every year region is visited by 5 millions of tourists on average, and 20% of them come from abroad. There are over 34 thousands of places for them to stay for the night.

 

The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and especially its eastern part, is one of the coldest areas of Poland (beside the mountain ranges). Summers are mild and short here, winters long and cold.

 

The beauty of the landscape is one of the most precious feature of The Elblag Plateau Natural Landscape Park. The Elblag Plateau is cut with numerous and usually deep (sometimes 40-60 metres) valleys, shaped by flowing streams. The flora of the plateau is immensely rich: one may find here beautiful beech forests with ancient oaks. The odd occurance of mountain species of plants, like ostrich fern and carnivorous plants - sundew and cypripedium calceolus is charecteristic. The most precious fragments of forests' complexes are protected in two preservation areas" 'Buki Wysoczyzny Elblaskiej' ('the Beeches of the Elblag Plateau') - where a complex of Pomeranian beeches occur, and 'Kadynski Las' ('the Forest of Kadyn'), created to protect old beeches and oaks, as well as the precious undergrowth.

 

The Masurian Natural Landscape Park is one of the oldest and biggest natural landscape parks in Poland. With its borders it embraces the biggest lake in Poland - Sniardwy, located in its eastern part. In the west, the 29 thousand hectares of Pisz Primeval Forest prevail. Characteristic for the Park is the 'Grad' - multispecies deciduous forest, with such trees as pedunculate oak, little-leaf linden, hornbeam or maple. Swamp forests, alder woods and riparian forests are common near the bodies of water and on swampy terrains. Forests are separated with long lakes, like Beldany, Mikolajki Lake, and in wetern part - Mokre, which is the deepest lake of the park, 51 metres deep.

 

The Wel Natural Landscape Park embraces the part of river Wel plains, numerous lakes, adjacent forests and swamps. Its 20 thousand hectares area distinguish itself for the high level of water and peat bogs ecosystems' naturalness, large number of rare flora and intersting vertebrate fauna, especially fish and birds. The city of Lidzbark with 8 thousands of inhabitants is located here as well. Hike lovers will find here not only historic monuments, but also places of fantastic landscape values, like the picturesque Lidzbark Lake, surrounded by forests, located to the west of the city. One can admire the nature's beauty, observe its many interesting elements, and learn oneself, while walking along the didactic paths.

 

The Pojezierze Ilawskie Natural Landscape Park represents an important and integral element of the Green Lungs Of Poland region. It has been also included into the 'Nature 2000' area. A definite majority of the park area is forested (15.184 ha), spread in the western part from the Stary Dzierzgon and Zalew to Ilawa.

 

The Elblag Channel - build in the XIXth century tourist attraction of an European scale. It connects Elblag with Ostroda through numerous lakes. Sluices and slipways system enables the transport of ships by land, on special wagons. The most interesting place in Elblag is the Old Town, beautifully renovated after the Second World War. The 95 metres high tower of St. Nicolas Church is definitely worth seeing, as well as the Elblag Museum's yard, where one can see the gothic column - the only remnant of the Teutonic castle.

 

Much landscape importance is ascribed to the battlefield of Grunwald. A museum complex is also placed there.
To the north from Elblag, in the town of Kadyny, the biggest Polish oak grows. It is called 'The Bazynski's Oak'. It is 25 metres high, approximately 1000 years old tree, whose trunk's perimeter equals 11 metres. By its feet a large hollow is situated, accomodating up to 11 people.
In Gierloz near Ketrzyn, the Wilczy Szaniec is located - the ruins of Adolf Hitler's headquarters and the main tourist attraction of the town.

 

The castle in Paslek is worthseeing - made of stone, approximately in 1320, by Teutonic Knights.

 

In the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship there is one health resort - Goldap. Specific conditions contribute significantly to the terapeutic mud-climatic character of the place. One may here cure movement disfunctions, respiratory circulatory and nervous systems' diseases, as well as women's illnesses.

 

Among the voivodeship's historic monuments, medieval objects do prevail. Teutonic and episcopal castles characterises this region.

 

Frombork lies in the north-western part of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in the Braniew administrative district. Thanks to the harbour and inland fleet, Frombork has the water connection with Krynica Morska and Elblag, as well as with Russia (Kaliningrad). Frombork, often called a 'Jewel of Warmia', was the place of life, work and death of Mikolaj Kopernik. Considerable part of Frombork's tourist attractions flows from its history. The crucial point is the Cathedral Hill (opened for public for the whole year). The edifice's complex of the Cathedral Hill is considered a highest-class historic monument. It consists of medieval cathedral, episcopal palaces, canon curias, defense walls and towers. The gothic cathedral (Archcathedral Basilica), build in 1329-88, is an intersting architectural object. In the area of the Cathedral Hill the bell tower, called the Radziejowski's Tower, is located. In its interior, one of the best Polish planetariums and the Foucault's pendulum - a device enabling the direct observation of Earth's rotating movement - are placed. From the observation terrace (70 metres above the sea level) one can see the whole Frombork neighbourhood. In the former episcopal palace, the Mikolaj Kopernik's museum is situated, where mementos and exhibitions associated with the great astronomer may be seen.

 

Braniewo is the city located by the river Pasleka. It is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It was founded on the basis of Teutonic wooden watchkeep from 1240. Among the historic monument, the St. Katharine Church and St. Cross Church are especially worthseeing. Interesting is the spatial setup of the Old and New town. The smallest zoo in Poland, located in the former moat, is also a great attraction of Braniewo. Beside that, baroque hospice (1719 - nowadays a Civic Public Library), St. Mary's granary (1831), City Hall - former the residence of the starost (1878), railway station, by the Malbork-Krolewiec railroad (1852), Swiss House, from the end of the XIXth century, are also very interesting.

 

Olsztyn - the biggest city and the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The largest museum in Olsztyn is the Warmia and Masuria Museum, whose main building is located in the Warmian Chapter Castle. Its collections consist of mementos, documents, iconographies, paintings and sculptures made in the region. A Kopernik's exhibition, with the greatest exhibit - an experimental astronomic table, made by Kopernik himself in 1517, is being constantly presented in the museum. Approximately 10 art galleries function in Olsztyn. The Artistic Exhibitions Office situated in Olsztyn's planetarium, is one of them. It is the biggest state-owned art gallery in Olsztyn. Among others one can find equally interesting the Rynek Gallery, the MOK Spichlerz Gallery or the Art Deco. The most interesting cyclic events and festivals held in Olsztyn are the Olsztyn Artistic Summer Festival, Olsztyn Blues Nights and all-Polish Castle Meetings 'Let's Sing Poetry'. The Castle Meetings have been organized since 1974, and its main point is the competition of young artists, singing poetry.

 

The Olsztyn Astronomical Planetarium was opened at the 19 of February, 1973 - in the 500 anniversary of the Mikolaj Kopernik's birthday - at the Aleja Pilsudzkiego Street. It is the second biggest planetarium in Poland and the headquarter of the Kopernik's Cities Federation. The Astronomical Observatory in Olsztyn is situated in the adapted water tower, build in 1897 on the St. Andrew Hill - the highest (143 metres above the sea level) elevation of Olsztyn. The observatory was opened at the 13 October, 1979. It serves the observation of the sky and the city - from the observation terrace.

 

The city of Szczytno is often called the 'Masurian Gate', because of its location at the southern periphery of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It lies approxiamtely 180 km from Warsaw, 50 km from Olsztyn and nearly 50 km from Ruciane-Nida and Mragowo - gates of the Great Masurian Lakes Route. The city is situated by the two lakes and surrounded by clear bodies of water, perfect for fishing and water-sports: sailing, rowing or diving. The main natural values are represented by the favourable natural conditions, well-presereved natural and landscape environment, inconsiderable urbanisation, clear air and forests. Near the city many flora and fauna preservation areas are located. Forests are full of mushrooms and other woodland fruits. The main city's attraction are: The Tourist Song Festival - held in May - Days and Nights of Szczytno - July - the Days of Craft - August - the Tourist Days - September - Rock Music Concert - September. Historic monuments and objects: the ruins of the Teutonic castle; Masurian shack; Town Hall; Evangelical-Augsburg Church; Roman Catholic Church and Baptist's Chapel.

 

The Mragowo administrative district characterises itself with many landscape values. It belongs to the main tourist sub-region of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Things worthseeing: City Hall - the central piont of the Mragowo's market square. Build in 1825, was the symbol of the city's development. Renovated in 1990s' is now the showcard of the city. A Section of the Warmia and Masuria Museum is situated here, as well as many social organizations. Historic tenements - the city centre consists mainly of the tenements, build by the cobbled streets, reflecting the typical climate of an old Masurian town. Catholic St. Wojciech Church - build in the neo-gothic style in 1860 on the grounds of mayor Timnik's widow, who after her husband's death, decided to vest her goods in the catholic commune. The building of former vicarage is placed nearby, where nowadays the parish chambers and library has their quarters. The Bismarck's Tower - located in W.Sikorski's park, on the so called Jaenike Hill. It was build in 1898 to commemorate the German chancellor Otto Bismarck. Currently the tower is closed for the public, it may be only seen from the outside.

 

Gizycko lies in Masuria, between Mamry and Niegocin Lakes. It is one of the main harbours on the Great Masurian Lakes route and one of the most important tourist and recreational centres in Poland. Attraction worthseeing are represented by: the Boyen Keep, build in 1844-56 excellent preserved example of Prussian Defense School, located west to Gizycko, on the narrow pass between two big lakes - Niegocin and Kisajno. Two ways lead to the keep - from Gizycko and from Ketrzyn -  and four entrance gates - two main ones - the Gizycko Gate and the Ketrzyn Gate - and two auxiliary of a special character - the Water Gate (equipped with the drawbridge) and the Powder Gate (near the present amphitheathre). Nowadays, the keep's area is marked with numerous walking paths. One may find here a youth hostel for app. 200 people and the Boyen Keep's Lovers' Society. Every Summer, in the amphitheatre near the Powder Gate, many events and concerts take place, e.g. the Sea Shanties in Gizycko and many more. The castle in Gizycko, located by the Luczanski Channel, linking Niegocin and Kisajno lakes, was build by the Teutonic Order in app. 1341. As the residence of the Order's prosecutor it consists of the housing part and the rectangular yard, surrounded by the wall. In the XVIth century the castle was re-build, and given the renaissance character. Only one housing wing had preserved the demolition, conducted in the XIXth century. Undoubtful tourist attraction are the church organ's concerts, held in the Evangelical Church in Gizycko.