Vacation in Great Polish Masurian Lakes area (Mazury)

I plan on a trip to this region as well. It is a pilgrimage of a trip for me. My father was born in Szklarnia (Glashütte) . I am in search of family History & graves , war history etc....Szklarnia is just a little south of Mragowo..(sensburg)Oddly enough "Szklarnia" is a homosexual bar in Warsaw) so i better be careful if someone asks me where i am going !

I am curious how Polish people react to Germans or people of German Heritage that visit the area. warmly greeted? None of my family ever visited there after the war so i really don't know what to expect.

i would like to rent a place for a couple weeks and just hang out in the place where my immediate family come from.

Merged: Masurian Lakes Holiday in Poland This Summer!

We are intending to go to the lakes this summer for 1 or 2 weeks, I've never been before and my wife has when she was little (she thinks)!

We have a small baby (will be about 1 year old when we go) and will also be going with a group of friends, say 2-5 additional people (so between 4-8, with one of those being a small baby)!

We haven't decided whether we're going to do self catering or not yet, but firstly what area should we stay in?

Ideally we'd like somewhere that has plenty of activities, so a resort would be nice, but not essential, so long as we are close to somewhere that has watersports facilities.

Ideally my wife would like a hotel which has a small beach and preferably a swimming pool.

I'm keen on somewhere that has some or all of the following:

Jet skis
Powerboats
Sailing boats and/or dinghies
Windsurfing

I have done the relevant RYA courses in the UK to hire a small powerboat or sailing yacht, but have never windsurfed, is there anywhere that would do beginner sessions?

Also, is it possible to hire jet skis without a licence and/or is there anywhere that does courses if not?

In terms of being near a town, what area(s) is/are the most interesting for a group of 30 somethings (with 1 baby on-board) and also any hotel/accommodation recommendations nearby?

We'll be flying from London, so presumably Warsaw or Gdansk are the easiest airports (I appreciate the nearest geographical airport may not be the quickest and of course it depends which town we end up staying nearby)?

I appreciate that's really vague, but if anyone has any suggestions that would be great (if it makes a difference my wife speaks fluent Polish, but everyone else in the group is English)!

The most extensive water sports base in Masuria is in towns Mikołajki, Rydzewo and Giżycko.

Yes, you can buy individual courses - you will find suitable points in locations that I gave above.


In Poland to drive a jet ski, or other motor yacht with an engine capacity of more than 10hp (ok.13hp), qualifications certified by the appropriate patent are required, however Polish legislation does not say anything about the authorization or prohibition of sailing or driving motorboats by foreigners. There are only some guidelines. According to the instructions foreigner can:


So without any certification from RYA it may be a problem with this, although I'm not sure whether the rules are strictly enforced.
If you would like to get the appropriate permissions to operate a larger units or with stronger engines, you would have to undergo training and pass an examination.



The largest concentration of jet skis enthusiasts in Masuria is in the town Rydzewo near. Giżycko.
A good place for motorboat sports (no speed limits and no prohibition of doing the waves) are big lakes: Niegocin, Śniardwy Dargin and Mamry.
One more note: towing eg. a wheel or skier etc. in Masuria is allowed only in designated areas. Such an area is designated, eg. on the Niegocin lake near the town Wilkasy.

I'd stick with Mikołajki, then.

Great thank you for your help, I have documentation (i.e. a photo-licence) for Sailing and Powerboating so that should be okay (the qualifications I have, RYA Dayskipper and RYA Intermediate Powerboat are recognised across virtually all of Europe and I've used them in Turkey and even Tahiti so hopefully Poland accepts them too)!

In the UK a jet-skiing licence can be gained by doing a one day course, I was hoping the same may be possible in Poland (not a big deal if not of course, I can always do one here before we come)!

Does anyone know of any maps or marine charts that show where all the various restrictions are, that would be quite useful?

Also are there any recommendations on companies that hire out watersports equipment?

Merged:

Base for trips in Mazury lakes

Hi all
My family and I would like to visit the Mazury lakes next summer for 10 days : 2 seniors (my parents), and 2 families with 2 adults and 2 kids each (ages 9,12,13,18)

We are looking for a place that will be our "base" for day trip and activities in this area : horseback riding, adventure parks, kayaking, swimming, and explore castles and old towns.

We will rent cars so getting to places is not an issue but we really don't want it to be long rides, 1 hour top.

I thought about staying in Rydzewo which is close enough to touristic facilities (such as restaurants) but far enough to be quiet and relaxing.
Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance,
Dana

Giżycko is pleasant. It's big enough to have good infrastructure and small enough to be peaceful. Some of the smaller resort towns are by the way not so quiet or relaxing, since in summer there's not much apart from tourists having (often loud) fun.

The centre of Giżycko is also fairly compact and there's plenty to do and see, plus some decent places to eat. The ferries on the lakes that depart from Giżycko are also very worth using.