Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship - Województwo warmińsko-mazurskie

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is located in the north-eastern part of Poland. It consists of the historical lands of Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle. Due to its natural values, it is considered one of the most beautiful regions of Poland.

Characteristic

The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is the fourth largest region in Poland with an area of ​​over 24 thousand. square kilometers. Administrative divisions: 116 communes, 19 counties. The capital of the region is a city Olsztyn.

Geography

The landscape of the Masurian Lake District is the result of the activity of the glacier and post-glacial waters that once occupied this area. The landscape features particularly undulating glacial hills, terminal moraine hills, a large number of ribbon and moraine lakes, as well as valleys where fluvioglacial waters used to flow. Such a landscape is complemented by hills of kemes, drumlins, eschins and dead ice moraines. The northern part of the Lake District is a vast, flat area covered with silts and silts. On the other hand, the southernmost part of the Lake District can be found extending over a large area of ​​flat sandy surfaces called sanders - in the form of inflow cones brought by the waters flowing from under the melting glacier.

Climate

The climate in the Masurian Lake District is quite harsh and thus makes it the coldest lowland area in our country. And the north-eastern areas of the Lake District are particularly cold. In the vicinity of Olecko and Gołdap, the average annual air temperature drops below 6 ° C. It is warmer in the Iława Lake District and the Vistula Lagoon and the temperatures are slightly higher here, which is due to the soothing influence of the sea. In the coldest month of the year - January, average temperatures range from –2.5 ° C in the western part of the Lake District to –4.8 ° C in the eastern part. However, in the warmest month - July, they range from 17.6 ° C in the west to 17.8 ° C in the eastern part. Thus, it can be noticed that the influence of the continental air masses on the climate is increasing towards the east. The period when it rains the most is June - August.

History

The land includes the Olsztyn Lake District, the Mrągowo Lake District, the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes, the Land of Węgorapa, the Szeskie Hills, the Ełk Lakeland and the Masurian Plain. The Germans described this area as Masurenland (Masuria) and such a term appeared in the nineteenth century, it was aimed at artificially separating the Protestant religion of Masuria as a completely separate nationality. The population of Polish origin predominated in Masuria until the epidemic in 1708–1711. Then the German population started to flow into the almost completely depopulated areas, while the settlement of Poles was then administratively prohibited. Despite this, until the end of the 18th century, Polish was used in the Masurian Lake District. From the nineteenth century, the fight against Polishness was only in offices.

Economy

108,910 business entities were registered in the REGON system in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodship. The private sector dominates among them - 94%. Sold industrial production in the region amounted to PLN 15.8 billion, which gives it 11th place among 16 voivodships. The share of the private sector in sold industrial production is 86%. Among the total number of business entities, 76.3% of establishments are run by natural persons, 0.7% by cooperatives, and 10.9% by commercial companies. Only 0.056% of all enterprises are state-owned enterprises.

Drive

By train

By car

By bus

By plane

By ship

Counties

The Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodship consists of the following poviats:

Town poviats

• 1 – Elblag
• 2 – Olsztyn

Land counties

• 3 – Bartoszyce district
• 4 – Braniewo poviat
• 5 – Działdowo poviat
• 6 – Elbląg district
• 7 – Ełk poviat
• 8 – Giżycko poviat
• 9 – Gołdap County
• 10 – Iława poviat
• 11 – Kętrzyn poviat
• 12 – Lidzbark district
• 13 – Mragowski poviat
• 14 – Nidzica poviat
• 15 – New Town district
• 16 – Olecki poviat
• 17 – Olsztyn poviat
• 18 – Ostróda poviat
• 19 – Pisz district
• 20 – Szczycieński poviat
• 21 – Węgorzewo district

Worth seeing

• masuria - the largest Polish lakes connected by a network of canals:
  • Elk - in the city, it is worth seeing historic buildings and taking a ride on the Ełk Narrow-Gauge Railway.
  • Gierloz - Wolf's Lair, Hitler's former headquarters
  • Giżycko - Prussian fortress Boyen
  • Sztynort on Lake Sztynorckie - the port and the Lehndorff Palace
  • Popielno - tarpans
  • Saint Nicholas' Day - a famous sailing center

• Frombork - a town on the Vistula Lagoon with the historic Cathedral Hill and the last resting place of Nicolaus Copernicus
• The Elbląg Canal - a unique technical monument, which are the ramps still in operation, has no equivalent in Europe
• The Augustowski Canal - a wonderful work of water engineering from the first half of the 19th century
• Krutynia - popular canoe trail
• Lidzbark Warmiński - not often associated with Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived here longer than in Olsztyn (where he was the manager of the Warmia Chapter Castle for 5 years). After returning from studies in Italy, he gained medical practice there, but also helped his uncle in administrative and court matters. Here he wrote an introduction to the work of his life. Another resident is also famous, Ignacy Krasicki, a bishop, but known more for his fairy tales than for his pastoral activity. Today it is the patron of a luxury hotel in Podzamcze. For sightseeing there are, among others The Castle of Warmia Bishops, defensive walls and urban layout, High Gate, churches (Church of the Exaltation of the Cross - baroque, late Gothic Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Paul with a monastery and vicar's house, Church of Saints Peter and Paul Apostles), Krasicki Orangery, Railway water tower, historic houses in several streets.
• Orzysz
• Raczki Elbląskie - the lowest depression in Poland 1.8 m below sea level
• Lake Druzno - unique in the country, and perhaps in Europe (sometimes it is called the "Polish Amazon"), its appearance does not resemble most of the lakes in Poland. The vast majority of the lake's surface is covered with nymfeids, i.e. plants with floating leaves: water lilies, water lily, and a very rare mushroom (it is the northernmost position of this plant in Europe, a plant under strict species protection in Poland). The beauty of the mushroom is best admired from afar. During flowering, it turns the lake from green to yellow.

The whole lake is there nature reserveYou can only swim on the lake along the Elbląg Canal route, and watch from the tower at the end of the educational trail.

It is worth a try

Warmia and Mazury cuisine mainly uses easily available fish, forest products and agricultural products. This tasty variety, based on German cuisine, cannot do without smoked lard in paprika, cream, fresh butter and spices such as; marjoram, cumin and cardamom. The Masurian taste is also freshly smoked fish, the most famous of which are eels and sea trout. The region's specialty is fish and crayfish soup with herbs and birch bark. It is also worth trying pike casserole and porridge (a kind of goulash soup).

Gastronomy

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