Region

Warmia and Masuria

Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) is where the Polish state began, a region of gentle farmland and old towns centred on Poznan. It is less visited than the south, which is part of its appeal.

Poznan is the hub: a colourful Renaissance market square where mechanical goats butt heads on the town hall at noon, a cathedral island that holds the tombs of Poland's first rulers, and a lively student and trade-fair scene. It sits conveniently on the line between Berlin and Warsaw.

The surrounding region carries the founding story of the country. Gniezno, the first capital, and the island stronghold of Ostrow Lednicki lie within reach, and the Piast Route links the earliest sites of the medieval state. Poznan's own tradition is edible: the rogal swietomarcinski, a rich croissant with EU protected status.

Poznan makes the natural base, with an airport and fast trains east and west. A day or two covers the city, with time for a run out along the Piast Route.

Destinations

Olsztyn

The capital of Warmia and Masuria and the gateway to the Land of a Thousand Lakes, with a castle that Copernicus once defended.

Places to see

Nature

Masurian Lakes

A glacial maze of interconnected lakes and forest in the northeast, Poland's prime region for sailing, kayaking and slow summers on the water.

Castle

Olsztyn Castle (Castle of the Warmian Cathedral Chapter)

The 14th-century Gothic castle where Nicolaus Copernicus lived, worked and left behind the only astronomical instrument of his that survives.

Attraction

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St James in Olsztyn

A red-brick Gothic hall church at the centre of Olsztyn's Old Town, raised for a Latin greeting.

Attraction

High Gate (Wysoka Brama)

The last of Olsztyn's three medieval gates and the most striking surviving piece of the old city walls.

Attraction

Olsztyn Old Town

A compact market square of gabled burgher houses, ringed by fragments of the medieval walls.

Museum

Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory

A Copernicus-themed planetarium under a 15-metre dome, paired with an observatory set inside a 19th-century water tower.

Nature

Lake Ukiel (Jezioro Krzywe)

The biggest lake inside the city itself, with a 22 km shoreline of beaches, marinas and water sports.

Restaurant

Cudne Manowce

A Warmian and Masurian kitchen set on the Old Town walls, with a terrace above the Lyna river.

Restaurant

Restauracja Przystan

A large two-level restaurant built out over the docks of Lake Ukiel, leaning on regional and freshwater dishes.

Frequently asked questions

The Land of a Thousand Lakes, a glacial landscape of interlinked lakes, rivers and canals. It is Poland's great outdoor playground for sailing and kayaking, with the open water of Sniardwy and Mamry at its core.

The resort towns of Mikolajki and Gizycko as bases, the Krutynia canoe trail, and Olsztyn, the regional capital with a Warmian castle that Copernicus once administered.

Summer, roughly June to August, for sailing and kayaking. It is built for slow, warm-weather holidays.