A Pleasure Ride In Masuria (not Warmia) or, "Go Ahead, No Worries, There Be Wild Boars!"
History section, you may skip it
I need to start with some history. The land northward of Mazovia, along the Baltic Sea, and including today's Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad (Królewiec, Königsberg) was populated by Baltic pagans (especially by the native or Old Prussians) in Middle Ages. That was the era of Crusades. That wretched Konrad I, Duke of Mazovia invited the German military Teutonic Order to help him fight the pagans in 1226, despite of the fact the Teutons had rather spotted reputation and were kicked out from Jerusalem and Hungary before. The Teutons fell in love with the land of lakes and forests. They colonised it, civilised it, exterminated the native population or made slaves out of them, and created a regional superpower state. They have always been enemies of Poland.
Teutonic Order State at the height of their power (by 1411).
After two hundred years, the military monastic state became an obsolete concept, especially as the role of the townspeople, or bourgeoisie increased. Newly created Union of Poland and (baptised) Lithuania was able to break the Teutonic power in the great battle of Grunwald/Tannenberg in 1410. The Prussian cities also mutinied against the Teutons (the process took more than 100 years). Since those already were the times of Reformation, a political genius, the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, one Albert (of
the von Hohenzollern) ostensibly surrendered to Poland in 1525, and created a Lutheran state of Ducal Prussia. The remaining Teutonic domain along the River Vistula fell to the Crown of Poland as the Royal Prussia.
Oh, that was a long one. The Royal Prussia became Catholic Warmia (Va
r-myah - with rolling "r") while the Polish part of the (Protestant) Ducal Prussia is Masuria today. Both Masuria and Warmia are now in one large Warmian-Masurian voivoidship, and it made me very confused on my Sunday's ride...
The Teutonic Castle of Nidzica (1370-1409). It is so huge (especially with the limited space inside its outer wall) that it is impossible to take a good picture without a professional camera/lens. (I took that photo by the end of my ride).
In Masuria, not Warmia
It was a long morning Sunday driving to Nidzica (Nibork, Neidenburg)
in Masuria because the Hwy #7 is under the reconstruction. It takes two and half hour to cover the distance of 165 km (around 100 mi) but it was worthwhile. And there was what I call "perfect cycling weather" on the ride (
@RabH might disagree...)
Nothing to complain about! Just to put the summary in advance: I rode for 87 km over pleasant rolling hills of Masuria.
"Go Ahead, No Worries, There Be Wild Boars!" or, My University Freshman Work-Camp Story
In 1980 (I was 19 at that time), I was admitted as a freshman to the Warsaw Technical University. The first thing to do was to spend some 3 weeks at a work-camp in September. We were paid dimes but the idea behind the work-camp was to integrate the fresh students. We went to Zimna Woda (Cold Water) in Masuria.
We all, boys and girls were living in that house (which looked far better 40 years ago anyway).
We were working with spades to prepare the soil for forest nurseries, similar to one seen in the photo. It was very light work. Once (on Sunday), a local farmer came to us and offered a job: digging potatoes. We took the offer with pleasure, especially as the man paid us handsomely for the work. During the lunch time, he brought true countryside food for us, more, it was served in the quaint way. And he brought beer, too. It was the first (and last) wheat ale I could taste in many years!
Poland is rich with bilberry. As I was explained, the bilberry is the European kind, while what is grown in Canada is called "wild blueberry". Right or wrong?
My sentimental journey made me ride for several kilometres to the village of Wały (Walls), at the end of civilisation. Masuria sports one of the nicest kind of bus shelters I could see in Poland so far. There, I had a long talk with a woman who must have already been in her 40's when I was a young man. We were chatting about them good olden days, the locals, etc.
"No off-road today, please!"
We needed to walk for 4 km each way to get to Wały from Zimna Woda. Believe or not, Wały had the only general store in the whole area, and it was located in that very wooden house! It was owned by Mrs. Mackowa who still lives there. No general store anymore, and the nearest one is in quite distant Napiwoda. The area is totally secluded... Some people long for such seclusion. Decidedly no tourists around!
The World's End (one of them). No civilisation past this point! Hardly any roads are plotted on the maps. Reason? The big area once belonged to the military, and a large training range was located there in the forest. I was there again, back in 1987 (age of 26) as an Officer Cadet. I was staying in that area in a large tent to learn my daughter Magda was born!
Anecdote
When we freshmen were working in the forest near the place shown, a tourist appeared. He asked if he could get to the village of Muszaki that way. Our foreman, Stanisław (a local) cheered him up, merrily shouting:
-- Go ahead! No worries!
There be wild boars!
The Lakeland
Masuria is the Poland's lakeland, called by travelling agencies "The Land of One Thousand Lakes". In all the honesty, Sweden must have at least three thousand of them... but there is nothing wrong with Masuria. It is a beautiful region, especially in the summer.
There was a car in Zimna Woda, in which a man was measuring the road traffic density. He was a local, and he told me: "Why don't you ride to the lake? It is so close..." He changed my way of thinking. Instead of riding the planned route, I went on a pleasure ride... Yes, the Vado could do fire-roads perfectly!
At the Trzcinowe (Reed) Lake. I took a rare opportunity to take a swim in the lake! I'm always forgetting to take swimming trunks on my rides... There was an elderly couple taking sunbath at a small, secluded pier at the lake. I asked them not to watch while I was swimming naked there Luckily, there were no minors around! What a pleasure... The water was crystal-clean with them little fish and very warm... (I'll spare you pictures of mine)
At Omulew, one of the Great Masurian Lakes.
Aeons ago, a glacier carved the lakes and rolling hills of Masuria.
At Lake Dłużek. I was spending holiday together with my Dad there when I was a young kid. We were kayaking, and else. Memories, memories!
On my return way. Only 28 km left to Nidzica!
You are only allowed to stop your car at the "forest parking lots" in the afforested areas in Poland. I replaced the battery there and could enjoy a Turbo ride back to Nidzica.
The taste of the few bilberries I ate in Zimna Woda was haunting me. Normally, I don't stop at road-side pedlars of fruit and fungi (because I have no way of transport these on my bike unscathed) but when I saw a young girl selling bilberries near to Napiwoda, I had to stop! "Oh, sir, it had to be a long trip? I seem to see you in the morning at the road?" -- "Indeed!" -- "How long the trip has been?" -- "I expect it would be over 80 km back in Nidzica" -- "That's a lot! I'm experiencing trouble to ride just for 6 km on my bike!" -- "Well, I'm electrically supported, making riding easier" -- "Right, still I admire you!" She was selling bilberries by glass jars. A large jar was PLN15 (less than US$4). I found space in my pannier! And started eating the fruit already in Napiwoda. When I reached home, only a third of the jar was left (Diabetes or no diabetes, I don't care!)
I have been to the less frequented part of Masuria. The time for the main Great Masurian Lakes ride will come!
A general map of Masurian Lakeland. Drawing the limits is hard, as regional borders are complex (outcome of the history). Note: A great part of these lands (including the Russian enclave) belonged to German East Prussia until 1945.
Nidzica within Europe.