Bike & Boat: Natural paradise of the Masurian Lake District

After breakfast, the tour briefing and bike handover will take place. In the morning you will go on an exploratory tour of Nikolaiken. The small town is considered the most beautiful and popular holiday resort in Masuria. From the market square you can see Nikolaiken's heraldic animal, the legendary "Stin thengst", which lies chained in the water under a bridge. In the afternoon we go to Luck nainer See. The small lake, which is located in the Masurian Biosphere Reserve, is a breeding ground for many rare waterfowl and is especially known for the large flocks of mute swans. From a vantage point you can enjoy the view of this bird paradise in an untouched natural landscape.

Overnight place: Nikolaiken

In the morning, take a short bike ride to the Wierzba ferry station and continue cycling on the other side. In nearby Popiellnen there is a biological station that was set up to breed back the primeval tarpan horse. The animals are released into the wild on the surrounding peninsula, so that with a bit of luck you can spot a small herd in the sparse forests. The journey continues to Kamien via Wejsuny [Weissuhnen], an old East Prussian village with a pretty church in the style of the order and beautiful old wooden houses, some of which are over 100 years old. Past the Guzianka lock, continue the cycle tour around the Beldahnsee to Kamien, where the MS CLASSIC LADY is already waiting for you. A boat trip to Nikolaiken completes the day.

Overnight place: Nikolaiken

The day begins with a boat trip towards the Rhine [Ryn]. You then cycle to the former sheep farm and on to the Wolfsschanze, where the remains of the former Führer headquarters are located and a memorial stone commemorates Count von Stauffenberg and the resistance fighters of July 20, 1944. If you don't want to visit the Wolfsschanze, you have time for a detour (plus 17 km) to Rastenburg [Ketrzyn]. Worth seeing are the Ordensburg and the fortified church of St. Georg, which houses a picture from the school of Lukas Cranach. Through meadows, fields and lonely villages, you head to Wilkasy, where the MS CLASSIC LADY awaits you again.

Overnight place: Wilkas

The bike tour starts in the morning and leads via Gizycko to Lake Goldapgar. First you take a tour of Lötzen, the water sports center of Masuria, and see a hand-operated swing bridge that is still in use and represents a rare technical monument. We continue to the church built according to the plans of the court architect Schinkel, in which German-speaking services are now held again. Outside of Lötzen, it is also worth visiting the Boyen Fortress from the mid-19th century, which was built on an area of ​​100 hectares between Löwentinsee and Mauersee. The journey continues to Lake Goldapgar, then around the lake and via Possessern to Wilkasy back to the ship.

Overnight place: Wilkas

Today begins with an atmospheric boat trip on the beautiful "Five Lakes Route" to Szymonka. The first stop on the bike tour is the Rhine with its 14th-century Ordensburg. The castle was redesigned in the Baroque style and was used as a prison for a while. Today a sophisticated hotel is housed here. In the inner courtyard you can see a glass-covered knight's grave with grave goods. Then the tour continues to Zonder. In a 200-year-old farmhouse, the Dickti family has set up a local history museum with lots of old household appliances and typical Masurian furniture. In the barn next door there are old agricultural tools and machines. From the museum, the path leads to the Talter waters and along it to Nikolaiken to the pier of the MS CLASSIC LADY.

After a short boat trip, the cycling stage begins in Kamien and leads via Eckertsdorf to Kruttinnen. In Eckertsdorf [Wojnowo] lies the Russian-Orthodox monastery of the Philippons in the midst of a beautiful natural landscape. The so-called Old Believers settled here in 1825. Their houses and the wooden church with its golden onion dome refer to the Russian heritage of the religious refugees. The extensive forest area of ​​the Johannisburger Heide is traversed by a crystal-clear river that is rich in fish and crabs. The punting trip on the Kruttinna is considered the highlight of every trip to Masuria. Unwind while the boat glides almost silently through the crystal-clear water, which is teeming with fish. The starting point is the village of Kruttinnen, where you can buy, among other things, Masurian handicrafts, souvenirs and handicrafts. A stop at a restaurant with a terrace directly on the river, where freshly caught fish is served, is particularly attractive. Via Galkowo with the Gut Ferenstein riding stables and the forester's lodge, which today houses a nostalgic restaurant, the bike tour leads back to the jetty in Nikolaiken.

Transfer to Warsaw (arrival Warszawa Centralna approx. 11:45 am, arrival airport approx. 12:20 pm). At the beginning or end of the trip, we recommend additional nights in Warsaw, a vibrant metropolis with numerous sights and an interesting cultural program.