Giżycko Travel Guide

Giżycko

Giżycko Travel Guide Giżycko in north western Poland in the province of Warmińsko-Mazurskie.

Giżycko is a town in north-eastern Poland in the Mazurian Great Lakes district with a population of about 31,000 inhabitants. It has been situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1 January 1999, having previously been in the Suwałki Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998 and is the seat of Giżycko County. Located on the Isthmus between the lakes Niegocin and Kisajno it is the largest town on the trail of the Great Mazurian Lakes.

Giżycko is one of Poland’s largest holiday and tourist resorts, and thanks to its popularity among German tourists, it is known as “the summer capital of Poland.” There are many restaurants and cafes and accommodation suited to every budget with hotels, guest houses, holiday centres, camp sites and holiday houses as well as a rich infrastructure regarding sports and leisure.

Giżycko has a river boatyard and port where boats can be repaired and also is involved in the food production industry. Known as a holiday centre providing facilities for water sports, including ice-boating in winter due to the towns position on the lakes. Accommodation in the area can provide up to 10,000 beds for visitors. The tourist season is however short from May to September with boats only sailing to a schedule during the months of July and August.

The editor visited this town in September 2010.

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Accommodation in Giżycko

You will find the full range of accommodation in this town from the most luxurious five star hotels with up to date and modern amenities to pensions (a type of guest house or boarding house) and rooms or apartments at very reasonable prices. Some of the larger towns and cities will also have hostels.

If you prefer to stay in a more rural location there are a number of “Agro” style of accommodation places on farms and in the countryside plus there may be camp sites nearby.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the accommodation directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

If you wish to advertise your accommodation on Giżycko Travel Guide please contact me.

Activities & Attractions in Giżycko

Neoclassical Protestant Church in Grunwaldzki Square A rectangular designed church built in 1827 with the altar and pulpit most likely designed by frederic Schinkel, one of the most famous German architects of the first half of the 19th Century.

Teutonic Castle located on Niegocin's lakeside the castle was built in the first half of the 14th century along the strategic canal which divides the town in two. It was inhabited by the Order’s local official, and after the secularisation of Prussia in 1525 and the establishment of a secular state known as The Duchy of Prussia, it became the seat of the Starost. In the 17th century, two lower wings, later consumed by fire in the 18th century, were added for utility purposes and a low cylindrical tower, which survived until 1945. In 1807, it served as the headquarters for General Dąbrowski and his staff. Until the end of World War II, the castle formed a defensive complex together with the fortress. After the war, the castle was converted into a hotel and is now a four-storey rectangular building.

Boyen Fortress this is a fortification overlooking the town built between 1844 48. A barrage and artillery fort having a plan of a star with six fronts.

Giżycko’s most interesting monument of historic value and tourist appeal is the Boyen Fortress. It is a rare example of a 19th century Prussian-school fortification and is one of the best preserved monuments of defensive architecture of the 19th century to be found in Poland. The foundation stone for the construction was laid on 4 September 1844, in honour of the services of the contemporary Prussian minister of war, General Hermana von Boyen, who was responsible for the promotion of the building of the fortress, on 24 December 1846. The fortress was named “Feste Boyen”.

The estate covers an area of nearly 100 hectares and has the shape of an irregular hexagram with a courtyard in the centre. The shape is determined by a five-metre 3.3 km long brick-and-stone wall, called Carnot’s Wall, a dry moat with inner and outer embankments. Each of the six corners of the star is a bastion and three of them where given names by General Boyen, i.e. Leopold, Ludwig and Herman, the others being the features of his coat of arms: Schwert (Sword), Recht (Law) and Licht (Light).

The entrance is secured by two gates with neo-gothic details. The main gate, called The Giżycka Gate being the most prominent. The water entrance from the side of Lake Niegocin was once secured by The Water Gate, which has been out of use since the railway line was opened and the canal was built. Inside the fort there was an arsenal, exercise buildings, stables, a blacksmith’s shop, workshops, two granaries and a carrier pigeon station capable of keeping up to 700 pigeons. 1855 is officially recognised as the date when the fortress was finally completed. It was updated at the end of the 19th Century and played an important role during the conflict of the advancing Russian army in 1914. It functioned as a military hospital in the Second World War.

The Boyen Fortress, which was never conquered, now serves as a summer entertainment centre, where, in the picturesque scenery of the amphitheatre, various concerts and festivals are held, such as the already renowned “Shanties in Giżycko” Sailing and Maritime Song Festival.

Swing Bridge built in 1860 and is a unique structure of it's kind in Poland and one of two examples bridges to be found in Europe. Situated on the Łuczański Canal, between two lakes and was designed to facilitate the communication of the Boyen Fortress with the town. The bridge’s moving span, which is 20 m long, 8 m wide and weighing over 100 tons, swings to the side rather than upwards. It has always been operated manually by just one person and takes only 5 minutes to open or close.

“Bruno's Cross” This is a commemorative memorial cross found on the hill at Lake Niegocin, erected in 1910. Known as St Bruno’s Hill it is the presumed position of a site where the missionary Bruno of Kwerfurt was martyred. The hill, which offers a magnificent view and panorama of the town and Lake Niegocin. In 2009 the town celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the death of the Prussian missionary and the town’s official patron saint. As a result Giżycko maintains a relationship with the city of Kwerfurt in Germany, the birth place of the monk.

Water Tower built in 1900 of red bricks in the neo-gothic style with external vaulting around its crown having two coats of arms over the entrance: one Mazurian and one municipal to emphasise it being a part of the region. The water tank reservoir in the tower distributed water to all the towns dwellings for 97 years and was designed by engineer Otto Intze made from zinc plate.

Nowadays, following the reconstruction of the interior and adding a dome and three additional floors. The viewing platform now has telescopes for added viewing and the tower has become one of Giżycko’s unique tourist attractions. To reach the top, you will have to climb 129 steps (or you can use the lift if you prefer). The highest floor of the tower is 162 m above sea level and houses a café. You can appreciate a panorama of the town and the surrounding areas including the lakes and forests which make up a typical Mazurian landscape. The inside of the tower houses the local museum and includes exhibits illustrating the past life of the local people.

Poland is a country with a large variety of landscapes, a place where you can experience all four seasons. This provides the visitor with many opportunities for adventure and different activities and visiting attractions, whether you enjoy the mountains, lakes, rivers or the beaches you will find something that suits you.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about the activity or attraction please contact the provider directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

What ever activity or attraction you run, if you wish to advertise on Giżycko Travel Guide please let me know.

Geography of Giżycko

Awaiting details.

History of Giżycko

Giżycko was Once a Prussian stronghold until conquered by the Teutonic Knights who built a castle in the middle of the 14th century. The first mention of the town dates back to 1340 and it received Municipal Rights in 1572.

Museums in Giżycko

Polska is full of history and the Polish are great lovers of knowledge of the past so you will find many museums in the country, whether it be a folk, military, science, skansen, transport or any other type.

Poland has a long history and has been an important trading route that has been invaded by many different groups over the past 1,000 years. Museums are a great way to explore the nations history about the inhabitants of the land in the past, their lives and customs.

Accept a free advert about your museum and include it below by writing an article about it here on David's Travel Guides. Follow the link for the article. For the rest, if you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the museum directly as I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

What ever museum you run, you can advertise it on Giżycko Travel Guide at no cost.

Places to Eat in Giżycko

There are many restaurants covering the usual pizza to those offering local Polish traditional and regional cuisine.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the place to eat directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

If you wish to advertise your cafe, restaurant or bar on Giżycko Travel Guide please advise me.

Tourist Information in Giżycko

David's Travel Guides This web site will eventually have tourist information on most of the places in Polska. Being a web site you will be able to access the information on most digital platforms, including your laptop, personal computer or a mobile phone.

Tourist organisations are welcome to contact me for details on how to display their information on Giżycko Travel Guide.

PTTK Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society is a non-profit organisation that you will find in many places in Poland.

It is one of the oldest tourist societies in Europe and was was created by the merger of two societies: Polish Tatry Society (1873) and Polish Country Lovers Society (1906).

Official Tourist Information Centres in Poland are divided into 1*, 2*, 3* and 4* Certified and Non-Certified. All Certified Tourist Centres provide information in one or more foreign languages and have an expanded range of services as compared to the Non-Certified.

Transport in Giżycko

As from 20 January 2016 Olsztyn Masuria Airport opened its doors with two flight destinations, Berlin and Krakow three times a week. The nearest other international airports serving the Warmińsko-Mazurskie region are Warsaw Chopin Airport, Gdańsk's Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN), and Bydgoszcz's Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport (BZG).

Websites of Giżycko

If you have a website that is an official one linked to this town, or you administer a local community or an important trade site please contact me here at Giżycko Travel Guide as I may be interested in including it.