What to see in Elblag and surroundings

Elblag is a Polish city located in the warminsko-mazurskie region. It is one of the oldest cities in Poland – it was established in 1237 and gained municipal rights in 1246.

In spring of 1237, not far from the location of a Prussian trading settlement named Truso, which existed until the 9th century A.D., the Teutonic knights constructed a small, wooden-earth castle on an island at the mouth of the river Elblag. Currently, Elblag is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the warminsko-mazurskie region.

The Old Town in Elblag

The Old Town is the oldest district in Elblag. This city was established after the year 1237 by Herman von Balk. Up until 1337, the Old Town in Elblag was the only urban organism in Elblag. The Teutonic castle, which was the basic element of the Old Town, was destroyed on February 12th 1454. This part of Elblag practically didn’t suffer any damage during World War I. Tje only devastation was the burning of the High Bridge (Most Wysoki) on July 8th 1917, but it wasn’t caused by warfare.

After the year 1947, a decision was made to demolisj the remaining ruins, and use the leftover bricks for the reconstruction of Warsaw.

The Archaeological and Historical Museum in Elblag

The Archaeological and Historical Museum in Elblag is located in the outer bailey of the former Teutonic castle. The museum was established in 1954 from the initiative of the former authorities of Elblag. The local castle didn’t survive to our times, because the people of Elblag demolished the fortress in 1454 during the rebellion against the Teutonic Order.

The museum is located in two buildings: the former Malt House, which is commonly known as Podzamcze, and the former gymnasium. In the museum you can see many artefact, including the oldest discovered glasses in Europe from the 15th century, baroque-styled furniture from Elblag and gold products from local workshops.

The Market Gate

The Market Gate in Elblag is one of the most characteristic and recognizable monuments ni Elblag. The 14th-century construction was once a fragment of the city’s no-longer existing defensive walls.

Since it was first created, the Market Gate was a significant part of the city fortifications and one of the main entrance gates to Elblag. In 1805, thewre were plans to demolish the Market Gate. But it was rescued by local people who demanded the city authorities to preserve the building because of its public clock, which could be seen from far away, as well as the important observation point of the fire brigade.

The Pheasantry

The Pheasantry is a monumental forest part in Elblag. It became a popular resting place for local people in the early 18th century. The park was originally divided into two areas – the protected area and the usable area. Thansk to that, the forest didn’t only serve for recreational purposes, but was also functioning as an economic base of Elblag back then. In 1913, the park was included within the administrative borders of the city. After World War II, the park became known among local people as „Bazantarnia” („The Pheasantry”), because of the large number of this type of bird in the forest.

The „Nowa Holandia” Amusement Park

The „Nowa Holandia” Amusement Park is a gastronomic and recreational complex located by the road S7 on the route between Gdansk and Warsaw. The park itself occupies the surface of roughly 22 hectares and is an excellent attraction for families with children and school trips.

At the area of the park there is a rope park with two routes – the medium route (15 obstacles, 4-5 meters above the ground) and the kids’ route (11 obstacles, roughly 1.5 meters above the ground). You can also have fun on 5 trampolines. In the future, the „Nowa Holandia” park will gain many more attractions.

The Elblag Channel

The Elblag Channel is a navigable waterway in the warminsko-mazurskie region. In 1978, a fragment of the channel was considered a technological monument. In the 19th century, industry began to develop in Mazury. This development recquired the creation of a communication network between Prussia and the Baltic Sea. The development of the channel began in 1837, and the construction began on October 28th 1844. The first four ramps called Buczyniec, Katy, Olesnica and Jelenie were put to use in 1860. The Elblag Channel was designed and created by Georg Jacob Steenke.

Stutthof Concentration Camp

Stutthof is a German Nazi concentration camp created in the village of Sztutowo, 36 kilometers away from Gdansk. It was the first and longest-functioning camp of its type in the area that is currently part of Poland. During that time, the camp had roughly 110.000 of prisoners from 28 countries. Most of the prisoners were Jews.

The construction of the actual camp began on September 2nd 1939, when the first prisoners were brought here. Between September 2nd and May of 1940, 10 barracks were created at the surface of roughly 4 hectares, which later became known as the Old Camp.

The Vistula Lagoon Museum

The Vistula Lagoon Museum, located in the village of Katy Rybackie, is a division of the National Marine Museum in Gdansk. Visitors of this museum can see an exhibit associated with the history of fishing at the area of the Vistula Lagoon.

Some of the artefacts in the exhibit room include a wel-equipped boatbuilding workshop from the nearby village of Laszka, boatbuilding tools from the late 19th and early 20th century, fishing boats and many more. In the Vistula Lagoon Museum you can learn about the life and works of fishermen in the past, as well as see boats, which used to sail through the Vistula Lagoon.

The „Katy Rybackie” nature reserve

The „Katy Rybackie” nature reserve is located at the area of the Sztutowo community, which is part of the Vistula Spit. It was established in 1957 and originally occupied the surface oif 10.79 hectares. Some of the elements protected in this nature reserve include the breeding colonies of cormorants and gray herons. The „Katy Rybackie” nature reserve is created from a stand of pine trees, most of which are between 120 and 160 years old. In the oldest part of the reserve, new pine trees are planted after the devastation made by cormorants.