Lake Snardva

Flying over Poland by plane, you can see that in the north the country is dotted with blue specks of lakes connected by thin strands of rivers. A small part of this reservoir system, stretching along the entire Baltic coast, is the Masurian Lakes. More than 2,000 lakes are interconnected by 12 channels, 8 rivers and 3 locks in a single network – and this is just one reason why these places are so popular with lovers of water walks.

The largest lake in the country, Lake Snardva, also belongs to the Masurian:

The length is 22 km.
The maximum width is 13 km.
The lake area is 113.8 km2.
The maximum depth is 23.4 m.
The average depth is 5.8 m.
Lake Mamry is the second largest: its surface area is more than 100 km2, and its depth reaches 40 m. And finally, Lake Negocin is the third largest: its area is only 26 km2 at a depth of about 40 m. Each of the three lakes has its own unique character and its own audience. So, the coast of Lake Snirdva is densely overgrown with reeds: because of this, it is quite difficult for a person to approach the water, but birds feel great here. In addition, the water in this lake is considered to be the cleanest in the whole of Poland. For these and other reasons, they are more likely to be of interest to scientists and animal rights activists than to beachgoers.

Lake Negocin is a completely different matter. All conditions for tourists are created here: an endless number of river trams, boats and yachts run along the water, and many different hotels and inns are built along the shores of the reservoir. Mamras are for extreme athletes. The lake with its complicated character flooded the surrounding villages several centuries ago, leaving dozens of houses, several churches and a cemetery under water. Since then, it has been considered that it is not very safe to build near it, but why not conquer its waters with kayaks and catamarans?

The Masurian Lakes will definitely not leave those who prefer to travel by water indifferent. There are an incredible number of ports here, in each of which you can rent a boat of any type – from a yacht to a kayak (a single-person sports boat). There are also quite a lot of routes along lakes, rivers and canals. One of the most popular "Gizhitsko-Vengorzhevo" originates from Negotsin and takes from 25 km to 80 km (depending on the traveler's desire). Having overcome this path, you can visit Mikolajki, which has become the capital of local yachtsmen, and then go even further south to the glacial lakes or set a course for the Baltic Sea, which many here call the Masurian Sea.

When you get tired of the water, you can hop on a bike and ride along lakes, rivers and canals, stopping at local towns and villages along the way. This is the only way to witness a medieval battle (various reconstructions are very popular in the area of the Masurian Lakes) or participate in the Shanti festival, where ancient sea songs are sung. And there are legends about how tourists who have visited the Masurian Lakes are treated in restaurants: the best of Polish, Lithuanian and German cuisine is collected here to satisfy the tastes of any gourmet.

By the way, in winter, life on the shores of Snardva, Negotsin and Mamra does not stop at all: it is at this time that spectacular competitions of boers start here, when boats with sails glide on ice distillations. Besides, the Templar castle in Ryn, the fortress in Gizhitsko or the N. Copernicus Observatory in Frombork are of interest at any time of the year.

You can visit the famous lake and other reservoirs around it in any convenient way. The airports closest to the Masurian Lakes are in Gdansk, Warsaw and Vilnius. In addition, Mikolajki and Gizhitsko are connected to the city of Elk by railway, and Elk, in turn, is connected to the railway stations of Gdansk, Warsaw and Vilnius. There is no need to talk about motorways: there are many of them here and they are of excellent quality.

The Polish Masurian Lakes are an excellent example of how, with a well–built infrastructure, tourists from all over the world can be welcomed all year round without any consequences for the ecosystem of the area. The members of the Association of Lake Regions will be able to get first-hand information on how to organize the work of a park or reserve at such a high level.