The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland is a lake district in northeastern Poland containing more than 2,000 lakes. It extends roughly 290 km eastwards from the lower Vistula River to the Poland-Lithuania border and occupies an area of roughly 52,000 square kilometers. The lake district was shaped by the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes. Sailing on Lake Mikołajki.
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland (Polish: Pojezierze Mazurskie; German: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland containing more than 2,000 lakes. It extends roughly 290 km (180 mi) eastwards from the lower Vistula River to the Poland-Lithuania border and occupies an area of roughly 52,000 km² (20,000 sq mi). Administratively, the lake district lies within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Small parts of the district lie within the Masovian and Podlaskie Voivodeships.
The lake district was shaped by the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes. The lakeland was successively part of the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights, the Duchy of Prussia, and the Prussian province of East Prussia. While part of the German Empire, it was the location of the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1914) and the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1915) during World War I. In 1945 after World War II, it was placed under Polish administration according to the Potsdam Agreement and since then remains as part of Poland.
The lake district was shaped by the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes. The lakeland was successively part of the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights, the Duchy of Prussia, and the Prussian province of East Prussia. While part of the German Empire, it was the location of the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1914) and the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1915) during World War I. In 1945 after World War II, it was placed under Polish administration according to the Potsdam Agreement and since then remains as part of Poland.
The Great Masurian Lake District is one of the finest regions in Poland in terms of its natural beauty and the tourist potential. It’s there where nature reveals its full beauty, and the clean water and air invite you to spend your free time in the wilderness. It is also the largest in-land lake district in Poland , with many canals and rivers that forms an extraordinary N-S river route from Wegorzewo to Pisz and Ruciane Nida. The Gizycko District is the center of this land, with 110 lakes, including the famous Niegocin and Kisajno lakes. In the summer, it is an oasis for those who enjoy water sports. The ‘white fleet’ cruises give the participants the unique opportunity to get familiar with the beauty of the ‘swan route’, or the Island of Cormorants . This traditional route is also an interesting thing for the fans of canoeing who travel on the historic route of the Teutonic Knights from Ryn to Gizycko. One should go to Gizycko not only in the summer season. The fall is also a very good time for fishing, and for mushroom picking. It’s not difficult to find boletus, leccinum, suillus or rovellon. For many tourists the forest is the most beautiful and picturesque in early fall when the leaves rustle under your feet. However, the Great Masurian Lake District is also great in winter. A stroll on a frozen lake is an unforgettable experience and the fresh air invites you to visit. It is the time of the unforgettable sleigh rides and snow fights followed by bonfires, picnics and evenings spent by the fireplace.
Masuria (məzʊ'rēə) , Ger. Masurenland, Pol. Mazury, region, N Poland. It is a low-lying area covered by large lakes and forests and drained by many small rivers. The original population of the region was expelled by the Teutonic Knights and replaced (14th cent.) with Polish settlers. Masuria later became part of East Prussia and was largely Germanized by the early 20th cent. After Masuria passed to Poland in 1945, most of the German-speaking population was expelled and replaced by Poles. The Masurian Lakes region, where more than 2,700 lakes are located, was the scene of heavy fighting early in World War I. Two Russian armies, commanded by generals Samsonov and Rennenkampf, were defeated in the region—Samsonov by Hindenburg at Tannenburg (Aug., 1914) and Rennenkampf by Mackensen in the lake country (Sept., 1914). The Russians were also repulsed (Feb., 1915) in Masuria in the so-called Winter Battle.
