Masurian Lake District
Masurian Lake District
Pojezierze Mazurskie | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 54°00′N 22°00′E / 54.000°N 22.000°E | |
Country | Poland |
Area | |
• Total | 52,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi) |
Website | mazury |
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lake Land (Polish: Pojezierze Mazurskie) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masurian dialects. It contains more than 2,000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.[1]
The Lakeland extends roughly 290 km (180 mi) eastwards from the lower
The lakes are well connected by rivers and
Geology
The lake district was shaped by glaciers during the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes.
History
From the 13th century on, the Lakeland was successively part of the
]Historical population
Mother tongue of the inhabitants of Masuria, by county, during the first half of the 19th century:
County (German name) | Year | Polish-speakers | % | German-speakers | % | Lithuanian-speakers | % | Total population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gołdap (Goldap) | 1825 | 3940 | 16% | 17412 | 70% | 3559 | 14% | 24911 |
Olecko (Oletzko) | 1832 | 23302 | 84% | 4328 | 16% | 22 | 0% | 27652 |
Ełk (Lyck) | 1832 | 29246 | 90% | 3413 | 10% | 4 | 0% | 32663 |
Węgorzewo (Angerburg) | 1825 | 12535 | 52% | 11756 | 48% | 60 | 0% | 24351 |
Giżycko (Lötzen) | 1832 | 20434 | 89% | 2528 | 11% | 25 | 0% | 22987 |
Pisz (Johannisburg) | 1825 | 28552 | 93% | 2146 | 7% | 0 | 0% | 30698 |
Mrągowo (Sensburg) | 1825 | 22391 | 86% | 3769 | 14% | 5 | 0% | 26165 |
Szczytno (Ortelsburg) | 1825 | 34928 | 92% | 3100 | 8% | 0 | 0% | 38028 |
Nidzica (Neidenburg) | 1825 | 27467 | 93% | 2149 | 7% | 1 | 0% | 29617 |
Ostróda (Osterode) | 1828 | 23577 | 72% | 9268 | 28% | 0 | 0% | 32845 |
TOTAL | 1825/32 | 226,372 | 78% | 59,869 | 21% | 3,676 | 1% | 289,917 |
Tourism
The Masurian Lakeland can be reached by train, bus or car. The nearest international airports are in
Hotels can be found in close proximity to the Great Masurian Lakes, in the towns of Giżycko, Mikołajki and Ełk among others. There are also guesthouses and campsites in surrounding villages.[1] The Masuren Waterway starts in Węgorzewo in the north and finishes in Pisz. This Waterway is new for pleasure boats. Only boats with a low waterdraft can go as far as Pisz on the Pisa.
Sights and activities
Masuria is famous for its lakes and forests, offering a wide range of outdoor activities from sailing to kayaking and swimming. The region includes the largest lake in Poland, called Śniardwy. The resort towns include the most popular, Giżycko and Mikołajki, Węgorzewo, Ryn, Pisz and Iława. Giżycko is located on the shore of Lake Niegocin. It has an ancient fortress, historic church, bridges, and passenger boats to the towns of Węgorzewo, Mikołajki and Ruciane-Nida. The town of Mikołajki is a popular tourism center.
In addition to lakes, the Masurian region also has many rivers used for fly fishing, and forest areas that offer many trails for trekking and biking. There is also a variety of wildlife, edible berries and mushrooms, and large protected areas, including the
There are four separate boating trails set up along connecting lakes: from Giżycko to Węgorzewo and Ruciane-Nida, and from Mikołajki to Pisz and Ryn. There are also two kayaking trails along rivers, the most popular being the Krutynia River Trail. On top of that, there are several color-marked walking trails with numerous points of interest for qualified tourism. They include:
- The blue trail of K. I. Gałczyński,
- The yellow trail of K. Małłek,
- The green round trail (okrężny)
- Grand Trail of Mazury Garbate (Hunchbacked Mazury trail, to the north of the region)
- The blue trail of M. Kajek
Historical sights include the ruins of
(former German name: Rastenburg), which has become a major tourist destination.Climate
Masuria has a temperate climate with cold winters and warm summers. The weather here is generally a bit cooler than in most parts of Poland, and the area usually experiences several snowfalls during the winter. The Masurian lakes are oftentimes frozen from December until the end of February. Springtime can be wet, while summers are generally drier.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Pojezierze Mazurskie". Najpiękniejsze miejsca w Polsce. VC. Travelling Polska. 2009. Archived from the original (Internet Archive) on August 20, 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ von Haxthausen, August (1839). Die ländliche verfassung in den einzelnen provinzen der Preussischen Monarchie (in German). Königsberg: Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung. pp. 78–81.
- ^ Jasiński, Grzegorz (2009). "Statystyki językowe powiatów mazurskich z pierwszej połowy XIX wieku (do 1862 roku)" (PDF). Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie (in Polish). 1: 97–130 – via BazHum.
- ^ Belzyt, Leszek (1996). "Zur Frage des nationalen Bewußtseins der Masuren im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (auf der Basis statistischer Angaben)". Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung (in German). Bd. 45, Nr. 1: 35–71. Archived from the original on 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-03 – via zfo-online.
External links
- Official website of the World Tourism Organization
- Tourist information, at mazury.info.pl (in Polish)