Wandering around Mazury Garbate

One of the most beautiful corners of Warmia and Masuria region is the highly uneven terrain called Mazury Garbate. They cover the contractual area between Gołdap and Olecko, and between Kruklanki and the eastern border of the voivodeship.

From the south to the north there is a range of Szeskie Wzgórza with the highest Szeska Góra (309 m above sea level), the second highest (after Góra Dylewska) hill in the region. There are also two forests within Mazury Garbate area: Borecka and Romincka Forests. Interestingly, they are natural habitats for bisons nowadays.

We can admire the charming, “humped” landscapes from Piękna Góra, located near Gołdap. [‘garbaty’ means ‘humped’] Every day in the summer and winter seasons, we can get to the top using a chairlift. Apart from the panorama of the surrounding area, there is a cafe with a revolving floor  here.

These attractions can make you feel dizzy, and this is just the beginning of what tourists can experience in Mazury Garbate.

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Ecological Farm in Zatyki offers an unforgettable experience at the bloodless safari. It is an amazing off-road ride on a vast area where various species of deer, fallow deer, moufflons and other animals live freely. We can also take a ride on an amphibious vehicle across the ponds or a gondola cruise.

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Being in Olecko, which takes pride in having the largest market in Europe, you should take a walking and cycling trip using the “Squirrel path” nature trail. It covers almost 13 km and runs around Oleckie Wielki Lake. We will reach the beautiful beaches of Szyjka and Skocznia as well as other sports and tourist facilities.

Protected plant species grow along the route and there are also breeding grounds for water birds.

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We can also find unusual historic buildings in Mazury Garbate region. They include the Railway Viaducts in Stańczyki, one of the highest (36.5 m) historic bridges in the country. The two constructions made from concrete, each of them having five fifteen-meter long arches, are supported by massive pillars.

One of the viaducts was built in 1912-1914 (trains ran on it from 1927 to 1944), the other was built in 1923-1926 (but no tracks were placed on it). Another of the intriguing buildings is the pyramide in Rapa, which is nearly 16 m high and has a square base with 10 m on a side. This tomb of the von Fahrenheid family was built at the beginning of the 19th century.

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