Mazury Sports & Outdoors

3 more images

There used to be a chance to take horseriding lessons at Babieta but no more. The grass in the meadows has grown and the horses are no longer there. But there are other places in Mazury where you can learn to ride a horse, like Piecki or Galkowo, which we visited on our last trip to Mazury this year (2009). The stables at Galkowo are owned by the Ferenstein family and offer horseriding lessons at various levels as well as rides in horse-drawn carts or, in winter, sleighs. Right across the street stands a 19th century Hunter's Lodge, formerly the property of the Lenhndorff family, moved here from the village of Sztynort. The lodge now houses a restaurant and the neighbouring farmhouses have been turned into a hotel, visited by guests from home and abroad.
The village is surrounded by forest and seems to be an oasis of peace and quiet, but we visited it in June, just as the season was about to start so cannot say if it is the same later in the summer. Not far from it, in Kadzidlowo, you can visit a park of wild animals.

Equipment: Obviously, you don't have to bring your own horse. They also have ponies for children.

Great place for summer holidays, i was there in 2003 with my friend from my study. We enjoyed a beautiful wild landscape! There are 1000 lakes, most of them are conected with chanels, so You can realy enjoy kayaking. Or sailing, it depends on You :)

Becises You can try horse riding in Reszel, there is a big stamble, if You can't ride a horse, don't worry, You can take some classes (20zl/1h).

It is also a nice place for cycling, You can borrow a bike (10zl/day).

You should go to Mrągowo, Węgorzewo, Giżycko - nice towns with polish cultur and folk festivals :)

Don't forget to try fried local fish - węgorze - they taste delicious!

Enjoy :)

4 more images

With so many lakes, Mazury is an ideal place for sailing and yachting. There are some sailing clubs in the area and a few marinas, for instance, in Ruciane-Nida, Mikolajki and Gizycko. Only some lakes are accessible to motor-boats, however, the others are part of protected zones, where wildlife has priority over engine-powered vehicles, which make too much noise.

Equipment: There are many firms offering yachts for charter. You can find their addresses and other data at the address given below.

2 more images

The Mazury region offers wonderful opportunities for bikers. We have seen whole families travelling from campsite to campsite in this way. Get a good map that will show you also the dirt roads, where there is little traffic and that can take you to places of great natural beauty. Explore the forests and discover the lakes in their middle. There will be a little of going uphill but that will be balanced by the rides downhill. Avoid the main roads - Polish drivers are reckless and the roads are pretty winding, so cycling there may be dangerous.

Equipment: Mountain bikes are a must - you will be riding on all kinds of road surfaces. Bicycles for shorter trips can sometimes be hired on campsites, but their technical condition is not always good. You may bring your bike on a train, e.g. to Szczytno or to Ruciane-Nida, which would be good starting points for such a trip.

Kayak-tour on the maybe most beautiful and interesting river of Europe, the Krutynia river. The Krutynia winds its way through the land of a Thousand Lakes and links several lakes of various sizes, flowing amidst meadows and forests. The waterway is 105 kilometres long and it usually takes 9 days to cover it. It is divided into sections of a few or several kilometres each. Participants can put up for the night in numerous riverside hostels, offering accommodation in well equipped camping cottages or tents. Camping grounds often have a store or cafeteria offering warm meals.
The Krutynia River is always a wonderful experience, a close encounter with lush nature, beautiful lakes and the wildlife of the Pisz Forest.