The Great Masurian Lakes Trail is one of the most remarkable water systems in Poland. It allows you to sail across a vast part of the region without ever carrying your boat overland.
The route combines natural lakes and short canals built from the 18th century onwards. It makes it possible to travel by water for over a hundred kilometres.
In the past, the trail had economic and transport significance. Today it is associated mainly with sailing, houseboats and a leisurely exploration of the region.
As far back as the 19th century, the steamship Masovia was already operating on the lakes, connecting Ryn, Mikołajki and Pisz, among other places.
This shows that water communication was at work here long before mass tourism. The lakes were part of the everyday functioning of the region.
Today the whole system is a little like a living museum. The infrastructure still functions, but its role has shifted from a working route to a route of leisure.
A voyage between the lakes is at the same time a journey through history and through a post-glacial landscape. The water leads you through the different eras of Masuria.
That is why many people feel that Masuria is best discovered from the level of the lake.