Warmia Mazury

Varmia and Masuria are as if a godsend bestowed on Warsaw. The Second World War treated Poland's capital very roughly indeed; so it was something of a surprise that it also granted this city a special boon ? thanks to the shift of borders ? the immediate vicinity of Varmia and Masuria, a land of great beauty. This country full of water, forests, ancient castles, churches, and guildhalls, fish and fowl, is simply a stone's throw away. So in summer swarms of holidaymakers head north. We all have our own, different idea of th is land of a thousand lakes. Some remember it as a place crammed with white sails; others recall the tug on the fishing-line they fe lt here; still others are fascinated by the cormorants and black storks which, along with the white flocks and the Masurian swans, l ive here in a phenomenal black-and-white bird sanctuary. An extraordinary vegetation and animal world may be encountered here on the marshes and peat-bogs; the fields full of flowers, the huge forests, and the aquatic world of the lakes are all so exciting. There' s something for everyone here. This region can rightly be called Poland's paradise for recreation, indeed there are very few places in Europe to match it for an unspoiled natural environment.

• author: Olgierd Budrewicz