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| Ełk | ||
| Voivodeship | Warmia-Masuria | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 62.006 (2019) | |
| height | 147 m | |
| Tourist info web | www.elk.pl | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Ełk (German: Elk) is a city of 56,000 inhabitants in Poland, more precisely in the east Masuria. Ełk is 200 km from Warsaw away.
background
The place was first mentioned in 1343 as Luk. At that time it was a fishing village in the territory of the Teutonic Order. Lyck Castle was heavily fortified by the Teutonic Order at the end of the 15th century to ensure its independence from Poland. In 1669 Lyck received city rights from the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg.
Already at the end of the 16th century there was a princely school in Lyck, from which the Royal High School Lyck was established in 1812. The city was considered a spiritual center and was sometimes called the unofficial "capital of Masuria". Lyck was a district town, seat of a regional court, district court and labor court, a main customs and tax office and a chief forester. The connection to the railroad in 1868 gave the city an economic boost.
According to the Versailles Treaty, the citizens voted unanimously to remain with the German Empire in 1920. The population was around 15,000 in the period between the world wars. Towards the end of the Second World War, almost all German residents fled or were subsequently expelled from the advancing Red Army. With the southern half of what was then East Prussia, Lyck was also placed under Polish administration and new Polish residents were settled.
One of the city's most important sons is the writer Siegfried Lenz (1926–2014), who was born and grew up in Lyck. He continued in works like Suleyken was so tender and Local museum his Masurian homeland and its dialect a literary monument.
Largest city in the region, Ełk is also the birthplace of Siegfried Lenz. However, the house where he was born no longer exists. The city with a population of 60,000 was badly damaged in the war, but is now very attractive again. A promenade was laid out on the banks of Lake Ełckie. The foundation walls of a knight's castle are still on a small island. The main attraction of Ełk is the Narrow gauge railway, about which Siegfried Lenz already wrote. The old steam locomotive is still on the road in the summer season and needs a good hour to cover the 20 km route from Ełk to Zawady Tworki. A 30 km long tour leads to Turowo, through forests, small villages and past crystal clear lakes. The railway was originally put into operation between 1910 and 1917. The tours start at Ełk train station, built in 1913, which is now also used as a railway museum.
getting there
By plane
The airport Olsztyn-Mazury is 130 km away. Warsaw Airport is further away (250 km), but has significantly more connections. By taxi, the fare from Warsaw to Ełk is around € 120 (as of 2012).
By train
At the 1 Ełk Railway Station
Trains arrive twice a day from Warsaw: a TLK (corresponds to Interregio) during the day and an IC in the evening. The journey takes around four hours. Incidentally, you have to come in from the south Białystok change. Eight trains (IC, TLK and regional trains) run from there to Ełk every day, the journey takes about 1½ hours. Seven trains a day come from the west Olsztyn (Travel time 2: 15–2: 40 hours), two per day Elbląg (4 hours) and Danzig (5 hours), one off Poses (6½ hours) and Wroclaw (9 hours). Coming from Germany, you usually drive via Poznan.
In the street
The city is best over Olsztyn to be reached via the S16 expressway.
mobility
The road network around Ełk is quite good, but there are no motorways.
Thanks to its central location, the city is a suitable starting point for a vacation in Masuria. The historical sites of the former East Prussia and the sights are easy to reach within a radius of 50 km. Driving a taxi is relatively inexpensive and the connections by bus and train also offer holidaymakers the opportunity to be mobile without a car.
Tourist Attractions
Churches
- 1 St. Adalbert's Cathedral (Katedra św. Wojciecha).
1893–95 built as a Catholic parish church in neo-Gothic style. At that time, Catholics were still a relatively small minority here. Since 1992 it has been the cathedral of the Catholic diocese of Ełk.
- 2 Sacred Heart Church (Kościół Najświętszego Serca Jezusowego).1920–25 built neo-Gothic brick church, the style of which is based on the buildings of the Teutonic Order. Protestant parish church until 1945, since then rededicated to Catholicism.
- Parafia Weangelicko-Metodystyczna Miłości Bożej w Ełku, ul.Słowackiego 26. Tel.: 48 87 621 41 26. A Methodist Church.Open: Fair: 10 a.m.
Buildings
- Residential houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries, e.g. E.g. at ul. Armii Krajowej, ul. 3 Maja and ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki.
- 3 Water tower (Wieża ciśnień), ul. 11 Listopada (Corner of Michała Kajki Street).Striking water tower in neo-Gothic style, built in 1895. Since 1995 it has served as a meeting place for the Society of the German Minority Masuria in Lyck. They also run a museum here, in which historical objects such as furniture, porcelain, flax fabrics, traditional costumes, glass products, a wooden chest from 1729 and other everyday objects can be seen. There is also a collection of historical cityscapes and a library with German-language literature.
various
- 4 Jezioro Ełckie (Lycker See) in the west of the city with the castle island on which the ruins of the 5 Lock, emerged from the former Teutonic Order Castle.
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- 6 Municipal cemetery (Cmentarz Komunalny i Wojskowy).Municipal cemetery and war cemetery for Polish, Russian, German and French soldiers, inaugurated in 1788.
- 7 German war cemetery Bartossen (Cmentarz Żołnierzy Niemieckich Bartosze) (6 km west of the city center, on National Road 16).84 German soldiers from the First World War and 20,000 dead from the Second World War rest here.
activities
- Along the 1 Lake promenade(Promenada Ełcka) you can go for a walk, jog, cycle or inline skate.
- 2 Ełcka Kolej Wąskotorowa (Lycker small railways).27 km long narrow-gauge railway (gauge 750 mm) between Ełk and Sypitki. Departure from Ełk Wąskotorowy Railway Station (ul. Wąski Gate 1).
- There are boat rentals in the vicinity, where you can rent kayaks or canoes and go on long tours.
shop
The city has a diverse range of retail outlets and covers the needs of its residents. Visitors can also find high-quality, fashionable clothing and everyday items for low prices. A visit to the bazaar on Sunday mornings near Kaufland is an absolute must for every market lover. Everything that can be sold is traded here, whether new or used, from cars from Germany to cigarettes from Russia.
kitchen
To the chagrin of many visitors, Polish cuisine has almost completely abandoned domestic gastronomy. Mostly pizza, Italian and Greek cuisine is offered. But if you are looking, you will often find bigos and other specialties from Polish cookbooks in unexpected places. It is to be hoped that increasing tourism will increase the demand for these typical dishes.
nightlife
Although the city has a large number of young people and good pubs and restaurants, there is hardly any nightlife. Most of the time it closes at midnight and most pubs close.
accommodation
- Pension Grażyna. The Pension Grażyna is located in the city center by the lake, a family-run business with very good facilities and pleasant room prices.Feature: pension.
- Masurenhof. It is rural on the Masurenhof, whether overnight in the hayloft, in the farmhouse or in a tent or mobile home you have brought with you, nothing is impossible.
- 1 Hotel HOREKA, ul. Pułaskiego 11. Tel.: 48 (0)87 621 37 67, Email: [email protected]. Check-in: 4 a.m.Check-out: noon.Price: single room from 130 PLN. Double rooms from 160 PLN (as of 2002).
Practical advice
Even with little knowledge of the Polish language, it is not difficult to live in this city. A decidedly open and uncomplicated nature of the residents make even a visit to a restaurant a pleasure. With a bit of luck you can also find help with shopping in the form of German-speaking Masuria. The warmth and hospitality in Masuria is even more pronounced than in the places close to the border or the tourist strongholds such as Gdansk or Warsaw. It is probably a different people who live in Masuria.
trips
Web links
- http://www.elk.pl/ - Official website of Ełk
