Gizycko

Gizycko sits on the isthmus between lakes Niegocin and Kisajno at the middle of the Great Masurian Lakes, which makes it the natural base for the sailing that dominates this region in summer - marinas, charter fleets, and a harbour that fills with masts from June. Two structures are worth seeing. The rotating bridge over the Luczanski canal, built in 1889, is a swing bridge turned by hand with a crank and a system of gears, and one person can move its hundred-tonne span; it still opens on a timetable, halting road traffic while boats pass. And Boyen Fortress, built 1844-1856, is a large Prussian earthwork fort in the shape of a six-pointed star with brick barracks and gates inside, largely intact and open, used now for events and a small museum. There is a water tower with a viewing platform and cafe in the town.

History

The missionary Bruno of Querfurt was killed near Lake Niegocin in 1009, and a cross was raised to him nearby in 1910. The Teutonic Knights built a castle called Lötzen on the isthmus between the two lakes in 1340, and the settlement beside it, known to its largely Polish population as Łuczany, received town rights in 1612; in 1844-1848 the Boyen Fortress, named after the Prussian minister Hermann von Boyen, was built on the land between lakes Mamry and Niegocin (Wikipedia, Giżycko).

Highlights

• A hand-cranked swing bridge - a hundred-tonne span of 1889, turned by one person.
• Boyen Fortress - a six-pointed Prussian star fort of the 1840s and 1850s.
• A harbour full of masts - the sailing base for the Great Masurian Lakes.
• A water tower viewpoint - with a platform and cafe over the town.

When to go

May to September. A day.

Before you go

July and August are extremely busy and accommodation is expensive. The bridge opens on a set timetable and holds up traffic. Parts of the fortress are unrestored. Outside the season the town is very quiet.

Nearby

Mikolajki is south; the lake route runs both ways from here.

Key facts