The Land of the Great Masurian Lakes

The Land of the Great Masurian Lakes is an incredible region of our country. Sometimes called the Masurian Sea or the Land of a Thousand Lakes, for many years it delighted countless sailors, anglers, and fans of all types of water sports coming to this place.

The name „Masurian Sea” might have been a very adequate name in the past, because many centuries ago, the entire area was covered in water, from which over time, islands and large parts of dry land began to appear. Right now, the central part of Pojezierze Mazurskie has nearly 2600 lakes, part of which is connected by Masurian channels. Thanks to the complex of artificial channels, such as the Jeglinski, Talcki, Miodunski, Szymonski, Gizycki, Niegocinski Wegorzewski and Sztynorcki channels, we have the possibility to sail around the entire land of the Great Masurian Lakes. There is no such other extensive complex of connected lakes in any other country of Europe. It is an unusual area in terms of nature, with Piska Forest and the Masurian Landscaped Park. Here, you can see otters, beavers, mud turtles and very numerous types of birds, including cormorants, herons, a bald eagle and a black stork.

The biggest attraction of the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes are obviously the lakes and its incredible diversity. The most popular lakes include Sniardwy, Mamry and Niegocin. There are also less crowded lakes, were we can find more peace, such as Nidzkie, Tyrklo and Dobskie.

The longest trail that we can conquer, is 111 kilometers long in a straight line. It begins nearby the city of of Pisz upon lake Brzozolasek, and it ends all the way at the Wegorzewo channel You will need at least 7-10 days to follow that trail, and if we also want to see some attraction on land or spend some time at the harbors, or if you just don’t want to hurry, you should plan at least 2 or 3 weeks of vacation. Since not everyone can allows themselves to have such a long break, we can suggest 5 main sailing trails, each of which is about 20-30 kilometers long. These trails are:

1. Sailing trail Gizycko – Wegorzewo

2. Sailing trail Gizycko – Mikolajki

3. Sailing trail Mikolajki – Ryn

4. Sailing trail Mikolajki – Pisz

5 Sailing trail Mikolajki – Ruciane-Nida

The Great Masurian Lakes are very diverse, so there is something for everyone. The southern lakes are surrounded by the woodlands of the Piska forest, which might make them seem more mysterious and charming. But the northern lakes can be proud of the more clean and lucid waters. So it is worth getting familiar with both the north and the south. If you don’t have enough time to see everything in one season, no need to worry. The Masuria is so charming, that if you come here once, you will always want to come back here. So you shouldn’t be surprised that thousands of tourist are coming here every year. But there is enough place for all fans of of water sports, and there really is something for everyone. If you still don’t know what to do during your summer vacation, you should definitely rent a yacht and try to conquer the trails of the Great Masurian Lakes. We highly recommend it!