Poland Masurian Lake District

Poland Masurian Lake District
Clear Lakes and Dark Alleys
Beratung & Buchung
Kristof Halasz
Poland
Inklusivleistungen
7 nights incl. breakfast
6 multi-course dinners
All entry fees as mentioned in the tour description
Entrance and guided visit of the Wolfsschanze
All visitors and tourist taxes
All interim shuttles as mentioned in the tour description
3 boat tours, 1 canoeing
Rotalis guide during the whole tour
Additional city tours in Warsaw and Ketrzyn
Rotalis service bus during the whole tour
Rotalis luggage service
Rotalis touring bike (excluded electric bikes)
Tagesablauf
Arrival: Saturday
The easiest way to reach Warsaw is by plane. From the airport you reach the Hotel Royal Meridien Bristol
by taxi in 25 to 30 minutes (around 60 PLN / 15 USD, not included in the tour package). Please note that
your return flight on Saturday should not leave before 3 p.m. Your hotel room will be available at 2 p.m. at
the very comfortable Hotel Bristol, the city’s leading hotel, located a few minutes on foot from the city castle
and the old town.
The night from Saturday to Sunday incl. breakfast is included in the tour package.
At 5.15 p.m. we will meet in the hotel lounge for an expert guided tour of historic Warsaw.
1st Day Sunday: Warsaw– Rudczanny (16 km / 10 miles)
In the morning the bus takes us to Popielno, located on a peninsula of Lake Sniardwy, the largest of the
Masurian lakes. We will visit a research station where wild horses (Tarpans) are being bred in order to raise
a new breed of workhorses. We start our bike tour on a nice route through one of the largest Polish
woodlands, the Puszcza Piska. With some luck, we may see one of the Tarpan herds. In bad weather, the
bus will take us from Warsaw directly to the day’s destination, the Hotel Nidzki, nicely located at a wooded
lake.
2nd Day Monday: Rudczanny – Sensburg (36 km / 23 miles)
The first highlight of the trip is a two-hour canoe tour on the Kruttina river, for some Europe’s most beautiful
paddling route. Regardless of your paddling experience, or lack thereof, you will enjoy floating down this
gently flowing river beneath a beautiful crown of trees. On our way to the launching spot, we traverse
Eckertsdorf, a hamlet of Russian architecture where, over 150 years ago, a monastery was founded by Old
Ritualists who fled the Russian Orthodoxy. Later on at a clearing, we cycle past the birthplace of the poet
Ernst Wiechert. Lakes and ponds characterize our further route across a wide agricultural area. High above
Lake Czos, we are welcomed at the very comfortable Hotel Mercure Mragowo (swimming pool).
3rd Day Tuesday: Sensburg - Ketrzyn (48 km / 30 miles)
Our cycle route leads through a pristine landscape with a sleepy village now and then. Vast rich farmland
sometimes extends beyond the Russian border. Before noon, we reach one of Poland’s most important
pilgrimage destinations, Swieta Lipka, the site of a splendid Baroque church. The stylistic elements reveal
the Tyrolean origin of its builder. Half a century ago, it was the only Catholic church in then Protestant
Masuria. Our destination is Ketrzyn, one of former East Prussia‘s greater cities. We are accommodated at
the friendly Hotel Koch and will enjoy its excellent cuisine.
4th Day Wednesday: Ketrzyn - Gizycko (37 km / 23 miles)
About 30 cycle minutes from Ketryn lies the most sad attraction of the area: the Wolfsschanze, Adolf
Hitler’s bunker-fortress where he spent nearly 800 days between 1941 and 1944. It was here that he
planned and directed a large part of his war of destruction. The only serious assassination attempt on Hitler
also took place at the Wolfsschanze. No one can evade the oppressive feeling of the place while wandering
through the dense woods amongst the huge cement remains.
Along a quiet route we get to a lovely picnic spot with a bathing beach. Around 4 p.m. we reach Gizycko in
heart of the Masurian lake district. For two nights we will be hosted at the very comfortable Hotel St. Bruno,
located in a lovingly restored castle of the 13th century, built by the Teutonic Knights.
5th Day Thursday: Gizycko - Szyntort - Gizycko (24 km / 15 miles)
On a comfortable ship, we’ll cross Lake Dargin and circle an island, the nesting place of over 700
cormorants. Their overpopulation has led to a defoliation of the trees, creating a seemingly surreal bird
preserve. Our bikes will be awaiting us in Sztynort, for over 500 years the ancestral seat of the Earls of
Lehndorff, today only a ruin of morbid grandeur. On our return ride, we will again be treated to beautiful
panoramic views over lake landscapes teeming with bird-life. With luck, we may even see a white-tailed
eagle. Dinner tonight is on-board a cozy private boat which will take us through the island world of southern
Lake Kisajano. (2nd night Hotel St. Bruno).
6th Day Friday: Gizycko - Mikolajki (41 km / 26 miles)
In order to avoid a stretch of heavy traffic, our chartered boat will take us on a half-hour ride across Lake
Niegocin. Today’s cycle route once again reveals the full glory of the natural beauty of Masuria in all of its
variety. We’ll see lakes and canals, moors and woods, the incredible spectrum of the avian world, and then
more lakes. Our final stop is Mikolajki, often referred to as the Venice of Masuria. There will be enough time
to walk around this atmospheric little town. We are going to spend our last night at the Mazurski Dworek, a
comfortable hotel with a private beach.
7th Day Saturday: Mikolajki - Warsaw
This morning, a bus will bring us back to Warsaw. Our arrival around noon provides plenty of time to make
connections by train or plane to major European cities and beyond. Those wishing to spend extra time in
this bustling metropolis, can benefit from a preferential rate at the five-star Hotel Royal Meridien Bristol for
reservations made by Rotalis.
Termine und Preise
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