The Mazurian Lake District is a vast expanse of interconnected waterways that lie to the northeast of Warsaw. Lakes Sniardwy, Mamry, and Niegocin are famed for sailing, while Krutynia River has one of the most scenic lowland kayaking routes in Poland. Several organizers run multi-day sail, bicycle, and paddle (kayak) trips covering much of the region. For aqua adventurers, days can be spent out on lakes and rivers, and nights on boats or in simple bunks along the way. Cycling routes are often designed to fit in pit stops at the Wolf's Lair (the site of a 1944 attempt on Hitler's life) and a monastery in Wojnowo. Though it is now largely an outdoor sports center, during the medieval period, it was the roaming grounds of the Teutonic Knights. Some original Gothic outposts are now museums and hotels that you can work into your itinerary. Dotted with resort towns and agro-tourist farms, you can basically set up camp anywhere, depending on your raison d'état.
Gizycko and Mikoajki, only 35km (22 miles) apart, are the common entry points to the Mazurian Lake District. The former was founded by Teutonic Knights but severely damaged in World War II. In a strategic location on the northern shore of Lake Niegocin, it's the largest sailing center in the Mazurian Lakes, where folks come to hire yachts and load up on supplies. Mikoajki, dubbed the Mazurian Venice, is in the middle of watersports traffic between Mamry and Sniardwy lakes, the two biggest lakes in the region. It has a fair share of blinged-out holidaymakers. Both locations have scores of sailing, canoeing, and biking outfitters.
