Giżycko (0.0 km) • Wilkasy (7.2 km) • Giżycko (12.4 km)
The route offers a variety of attractions. In Giżycko, it runs along the Łuczański Canal. The town’s main landmark is Boyen Fortress, which was the last and most modern Prussian fort to be built. Great places to relax along the route include the beach in Giżycko and the harbor in Wilkasy, near which you’ll find the Mazury Parrot House—where you can stroll among flying parrots.
The route begins next to the Tourist Promotion and Information Center in Giżycko, at 2 Zajączka Street. From there, head toward the nearby Wodnik Hotel, then turn left onto 3 Maja Street to reach the Łuczański Canal, along which a walking and biking path runs. Turn right. On the right side of the route are the Wojciech Kętrzyński Allotment Gardens. We reach the bridge over the canal—here, you can use the stairs or turn right and, after a few dozen meters, enter Wojska Polskiego Avenue. Turning left, we cross the bridge and head toward the barracks of the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade, which we’ll see on our left. At the roundabout, continue straight ahead, staying on Wojska Polskiego Avenue. On the right are public housing buildings from the 1930s; on the left, you’ll first pass the headquarters of Żegluga Mazurska, and then the modern Church of the Holy Spirit, Comforter. We turn right toward Boyen Fortress, around which a project to build bike paths is underway (as of November 2020). Before reaching Lake Popówka Mała, we pass a World War I military cemetery on the right. Nearby, on the lake, a Wake Park has been built, followed by a rope park. The fortress’s outer rampart stretches out ahead of us. The road continues to the right, between the rampart and the Carnot Wall—with the bastion’s corners clearly visible—to the Kętrzyn Gate.
Next, we follow the paved road to the right, toward National Road No. 59. The Masurian Cycling Loop trail runs along this road. After 160 m, we enter the forest onto a gravel road, which has a rougher surface in places. On this section, we also encounter concrete-paved sections. We reach a cobblestone road running along the Niegociński Canal. We are now on the so-called Giżycko Island, situated between two canals. We cross the canal via the pedestrian and bike path toward Wilkasy. At the roundabout, we turn left toward the Wilkasy harbor. Here, you can stop to rest on the beach and enjoy the food and drink options available. Leaving the port in Wilkasy, we turn left onto the bike path and pass the Mazury Parrot House on our left. Upon reaching the Tabat harbor, head left toward National Road No. 59. Here, turn right onto the bike path to Giżycko. After crossing the Niegociński Canal, turn right again toward St. Bruno’s Hill. Next, we pass some barracks on the left, beyond which the bike path turns left toward Roger Goemaere Park. We, however, turn right toward the Teutonic Castle—whose main building is now part of a hotel—and the swing bridge.
The final section of the route leads to the other side of the Łuczański Canal, to Olsztyńska Street, but not directly—instead, via a pedestrian and bike bridge that has been aesthetically integrated into the landscape. At night, it is beautifully illuminated with multicolored LED lights. The footbridge was recognized as the “Top Municipal Investment of 2020.”
This recreational route has a very good surface. Riding road bikes on the forest section is not recommended, but you can bypass it by taking the Masurian Cycling Loop path to the Niegociński Canal.
Regional trains running on the Olsztyn–Ełk route pass through Giżycko. There are also several long-distance connections.
St. Bruno’s Cross
The cross stands on a hill offering a panoramic view of Lake Niegocin. It was erected in 1909 to commemorate the missionary Bruno of Querfurt, who was martyred in 1009. The exact location of his death has not been historically confirmed, but the city of Querfurt is currently a sister city of Giżycko. Stone Stations of the Cross line the road leading up the hill.
Roger Goemaere
A French politician who was active in the resistance during the war. In the 1990s, he served as president of the general council of the French department of Loir-et-Cher and was a strong advocate for that department’s partnership with Giżycko and Masuria. He died in 2000. He frequently visited Giżycko in the 1990s. A local park was named after him.
The Łuczański Canal
The canal connecting Lakes Niegocin and Kisajno was dug between 1765 and 1772. It was one of the first canals in Masuria. It is 2,130 meters long, and its depth reaches 1.9 meters.
Boyen Fortress
Boyen Fortress, ul. Turystyczna 1, 11-500 Giżycko, www.twierdza.gizycko.pl, is located west of Giżycko, on a narrow isthmus between the large lakes Niegocin and Kisajno. It is commonly referred to as a fortress, although in reality it is an artillery fort with space for approximately 80 cannons. It was named to honor General Hermann von Boyen, who initiated its construction. Three of the six bastions were named after him—Leopold, Ludwig, and Hermann—while the remaining three were named after the words of his family motto: Recht (Law), Schwert (Sword), and Licht (Light). The fortress is a fine example of the Prussian school of fortification. It served as the central link in a chain of fortifications sealing off the eastern entrance to Prussian territory. It was built between 1844 and 1856 on an area of approximately 100 hectares, and its ramparts reached a height of nearly 30 meters. To cross the outer rampart—known as the counter-rampart—one passed through a curved, brick-lined outer postern (an underground passage). This design was intended to prevent the enemy from firing on the main entrance. In front of the potern is a small window of a projecting guardhouse; from here, one can see the Giżycko Gate. This is the main and most prominent entrance from the town side. A dry moat runs along the left and right sides. On the crest of the counter-rampart is a parapet, which provided cover for soldiers on the so-called firing bench. On the left, you can see the Carnot brick wall—approximately 2.3 km long—with embrasures, which surrounds the entire fortress, and on the right—a caponier (a structure projecting from the walls, used for active defense, from which machine-gun fire could be directed not only toward the entrance but also toward the dry moat, in the event that the rampart was breached by the enemy). In August 1914, the Russians unsuccessfully attempted to encircle and capture the fortress. During World War II, it no longer served a defensive function but still held military significance. It housed an intelligence outpost, and Russian prisoners of war were held there to extract information from them. Looted works of art were also stored in the fortress. Some believe that the legendary Amber Room may have ended up here. Currently, the barracks building houses a gallery featuring, among other things, a large model of the Boyen Fortress, a soldiers’ hall, uniforms of Russian and Prussian soldiers from World War I, an exhibition dedicated to the history of Giżycko, a regional hall, an exhibition of handicrafts (tapestries), and a hall dedicated to the Solidarity trade union in Giżycko. The gunpowder laboratory houses a weapons exhibition. Here, visitors can see, among other things, black-powder firearms, hunting weapons and ammunition, as well as examples of 20th-century firearms—Mosin and Mauser rifles, the PPSz submachine gun, bayonets, and period military equipment, along with dioramas. The stable and coach house feature a permanent exhibition focused primarily on the purpose and function of this building, while the armorer’s workshop houses an exhibition on the building’s historical function, showcasing the equipment of a blacksmith’s forge. Restoration work on the Carnot Wall is currently underway (as of November 2020).
The Teutonic Castle in Giżycko
Built around the mid-14th century, the castle is one of Giżycko’s most valuable historical monuments. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style as a hunting lodge, and in the mid-19th century, it was partially converted to serve the needs of the officers of the Boyen Fortress. It was abandoned in 1945. After renovations carried out in the 1960s, it was converted into a hotel. In 2011, the preserved part of the castle was restored, and new structures were added to it. The original main building of the castle now forms the central part of the expanded St. Bruno Hotel.
Swing Bridge
The bridge was built in 1898. It was intended to connect Giżycko with Boyen Fortress. Its span swings to the side rather than lifting up, as is the case with drawbridges. The bridge is rotated manually by a single person, and the entire opening operation takes about 5 minutes. In the 1990s, an electric drive was installed, but it proved unsuccessful because the bridge struck the canal wall with excessive force.
