Posts by Anja

Anja

16 Jun 2007

Travel / Vacation in Great Polish Masurian Lakes area (Mazury) [37]

Merged: Mazury in Poland: Mazurian Lakes District

Mazury – the name refers to the North Eastern region of Poland. We must stress, however, that the very name is not strict. In its broad meaning Mazury are the green lungs of Poland, covered with forest, with plenty of lakes and rivers. We will speak about Mazury as of a region called such name not purely for geographical but also landscape, historical and promotional reasons. One thing is certain beyond any doubt: Mazurian Lakes District is well known for its clean environment where lots of places still bewilder us with their wilderness and picturesqueness.

It has been estimated that there are over 2000 lakes in the region of surface of over 1 ha, many rivers and man made canals. The biggest lakes are Śniardwy (109.7 km2), Mamry (102.3 km2), Jeziorak (34.5 km2), Niegocin (26 km2), Roś (18.9 km2) and Drużno (12.9 km2).

Canals play an important role in Mazurian water network of hundreds of kilometers. Canals make the area more attractive from the point of view of sailing and canoeing. They link various lakes and, thanks to the length of their network, Mazurian Lakes District with Vistula river. Among the most famous canals there are: Augustowski Canal, linking rivers of Biebrza and Niemen (102 km in length, with around 80 km on Polish territory) and Elbląski Canal.

Mazurian Lakes District is a paradise for those who enjoy sailing and canoeing. As far as canoeing is concerned we may recommend Augustowski Canal, Elbląski Canal and Krutynia river. The latter is especially worth seeing. It is 107 km long and constitutes the most popular canoeing trail in Mazury and one of the most beautiful trails in the whole Europe. To complete the journey we must count 10 days off while being able to enjoy the beauty of pure, untouched nature. Along the trail we might find all necessary tourist facilities such as camping sites, hotels, restaurants and water equipment rentals. We may also have the whole canoeing event professionally organized. Thanks to numerous canals linking the lakes and enabling us to get almost everywhere by yacht, Mazurian Lakes District is also perfect for sailors.

There is also a very efficient and extremely well organized network of tourist farms in the district. They offer services of various profile and range. We may spend our holidays close to nature surrounded by clean environment. Thanks to delicious food, hospitality of the locals and beauty of landscape as well as competitive prices this can be an interesting way of spending our free time. We may enjoy fishing, bonfires, riding a bike, mushroom and berries picking, horse riding and all sorts of water sports.

However, Mazurian tourist attractions are not restricted to lakes and forests. It is also a region of a turbulent history with plenty of medieval castles. Over 30 of them have remained until present times, and most in quite good shape. The most famous and well known is Malbork castle, medieval seat of Teutonic Knights Order, and since 1997 “0” class monument listed by UNESCO, and one of the biggest structures of the kind in the world. It is the biggest brick structure in Europe. Mazurian Lakes District is called the green lungs of Poland and the name is not coincidental. Dense forests, thousands of lakes, low density of population and urbanization make the region unique. We can still find places untouched by human activity there. The most famous sites of landscape protection are: Biebrza National Park – wild fowl sanctuary (the biggest Polish national park), Narew National Park, called Polish Amazonia, and Białowieża National Park known for its bison population. Białowieża Forest is among few European woodlands which remain in their primal form. There is also, well known for its unique beauty, Mazurian Lakes Landscape Park.

Anja

29 Nov 2006

Travel / Storks - the Symbol of Poland [59]

Every fourth stork in the world comes from Poland. There is no other country which can boast nesting of so many birds of this species. It is estimated that recently there have been around 40 900 pairs of storks nesting on the Polish territory. However, their habitat is not evenly distributed due to various factors such as human activity: development of agriculture and industry, destroying wetlands; existence of forest complexes and unpolluted environment. The biggest density of stork nests is observed in the North- Eastern and Eastern part of Poland. The average density for Poland is 13,1 of pairs per 100 square kilometers.

Storks rebuild their nests each year. The key role is played by the male, which brings all building material, and female is arranging it properly. The basis of construction material consists of sticks and branches and inner part of a nest is lined with earth, hay, bits of paper, rugs and sometimes nylon ropes which can present a significant threat to nestlings. The nest, seen from above, has an oval or elliptic shape with up to 200 cm in diameter and is constructed above the ground, on poles, very often in close proximity of human settlements: on the tops of barns and houses.

Storks begin to lay eggs in the second part of April. The female broods the eggs for 33-34 days. The first nestlings hatch around the 20th of May and they usually leave a nest at the end of July. Storks are carnivores, they eat small invertebrates and tiny mammals as well. They also hunt for rodents, moles, nestling of other bird species, fish and other amphibians. The structure of food depends mainly on spatial and periodical diversity of a specific food type.

Storks leave Poland at the end of August. Before they set off for Africa, they gather at so called gaggles, that is huge flocks consisting of tens and hundreds of birds, which prey and rest together. The spectacular gaggles bring attention of observers because they announce the end of summer.

Storks have been present in the Polish folk culture for centuries. There are a lot of superstitions and beliefs which are strictly connected with the birds and the role they play in our lives. Among the most common ones there is of course the superstition about storks bringing babies. Constructing of stork nest in a particular household is believed to bring its owner good luck and prosperity. It is also believed to protect a house from thunder strikes. Storks are also appreciated for their role as beneficial animals: they feed on species considered to be pests, such as rodents. There is also a belief the stork couples stick together all their lives as well as very often people would say that the same couple visits them every year. The latter is possible to verify only provided the birds have been marked with rings. The birds tend to divide the nests into better or worse situated rather than into our and strange. In case storks came back to their own nest every year, no frequent fights would occur. People also think that frogs constitute main food of the birds. Stork is a carnivore and thus it preys practically for every animal it is able to swallow.

Storks, being constantly present in Polish landscape, remain its vivid symbol and have found their place in our folktales, proverbial sayings, superstitions thus entering Polish culture as its inseparable symbol.

Anja

Polish Storks: