region


		statistical data


	The region of Pisz encompasses the following towns and communes: Biała Piska Orzysz Pisz Ruciane-Nida. Northern and eastern parts of the region has a varied post-glacial relief, and is a part of Kraina Wielkich Jezior (The Great Lakes Land) and Pojezierze Ełckie (Ełk Lake District) while the south-eastern part is a part of washout Równina Mazurska (Mazury Plain). It is the most afforested part of the province (the Piska forest, the forests among Biała Piska and Orzysz), forests occupy 47% of the region, which is considered as having one of the richest stocks of game in Poland. The undergrowth of the forests is also very rich (berries, mushrooms, etc.). Waters occupy more than 12% of the area of the region (this is the richest in waters area of the province, next to the areas of Giżycko and Węgorzewo). The lake of Śniardwy (11,383 ha) is sometimes called ?the sea of Mazury?. It has a number of branches, like the lakes of Bełdany, Seksty, Warnołty, or Mikołajskie. Particularly attractive are also the lakes: Roś, Nidzkie, Tałty, Orzysz, Łukajno, Pogobie Wielkie. A very attractive water trail in terms of tourism is the river of Pisa, which connect the Great Lakes of Mazury with the Narew and the Vistula, while Kanał Jegliński (the Jegliński Channel) adjusts the water level in the basin of the lakes. The most beautiful canoeing trail in Mazury is Krutynia. The most attractive tourist places in the commune of Pisz are the villages of: Jabłoń, Kwik, Kociołek Szlachecki, Zdory, Mały Wiertel, Karwik, Rybitwy, Wiartel, Łupki, Hejdyk, Turośl, Pilchy, Wilcze Bagno, and Jeże, and the town of Pisz. The fauna reserve "Jezioro Pogobie Wielkie" ("The lake Pogobie the Great") is situated in the commune. The reserve occupies the area of 692 ha and is a place of hatch of rare species of birds. JABŁOŃ - a tourist place situated in the Piska forest at the lake Brzozolasek, 4 km south-west from Pisz. A lake campsite of the PTTK (Polish Tourist and Country-Lovers Association) , a camping site, 200 places (beds) to spend the night, a tent ground, a restaurant, a café, lending of tourist equipment. Very good conditions for rest and for water sports. Bus communication with Pisz. KARWIK - a village, set up in the year 1804, situated at the lake of Seksty and the Jegliński Channel, 7 km from Pisz. It is a summer holiday resort, five historical cabins (No 5, 10, 29, 33, and 48), a forester's lodge "Leszczyna" ("The Hazel"), a grocery, a lock on the Jegliński Channel. The village has a population of 120 and is connected with Pisz by bus communication. There is a possibility of hiring a horse and taking a chaise ride. KWIK - the village was set up in the year 1434 by the law of Chełm by a Pole Spędek from Mazowsze. The local school was set up in 1745. The village is situated at the north shore of the lake Białoławki, 16 km from Pisz, at the canoeing trail from the lake Roś. In the village are situated a grocery and a bus stop. POGOBIE ŚREDNIE - a village situated among forests, meadows, swamps, ant the lake Pogobie Wielkie, 9 km south from Pisz; set up in the year 1708. The local school was set up between the year 1805 and 1840. The historical cabins of numbers 16 and 46. The lake Pogobie Wielkie is an ornithological reserve saving rare species of water and mud birds. There is a grocery in the village, the place is connected with Pisz by bus communication. WĄDOŁEK - once a village, nowadays a place situated among forests, 25 km south from Pisz. The nearest bus stop is situated in Jeże (7 km away). In the neighbourhood three little lakes and the river of Rybnica are situated, the river creating interesting forest ranges. Iron was made here of the meadow ore, present I the surrounding areas. The local ironworks produces pots, farming tools, grates etc. The products of the ironworks was sell all over Mazury and even in the neighbouring Mazowsze. Nice places for camping and recreation are here; a backwater pond nearby creates a waterfall, where a turbine of the ironworks used to be situated. WIARTEL- a village consisting of two parts: Duży Wiartel and Mały Wiartel (the Big and the Small Wiartel). It is situated between the Nidzkie and Wiartel lakes, 11 km from Pisz, and was set up in the years 1699 ? 1700. A primitive metallurgic industry existed here in the 16th century, based on iron making from the meadow ore, and production of simple tools and house equipment. Exist here: a large fur animal farm, a restaurant, a school, a post office, a health centre with a pharmacy, and a bus stop on the line connecting Pisz with Nowy Bór. At south east also a bus stop at the road-crossing to Uściany, and Karwica and Turośla. Nowadays, the village has 317 residents. ZDORY - previously called Wilkusy. The village is situated 19 km from Pisz, at a peninsula dividing the lakes Białoławki and Seksty. It was set up on the law of Chełm by the brothers Jan and Marek Stawiski, who had came here from the land of Łomża. A grocery, 317 residents. PISA - a river flowing from the lake Roś to the river of Narew in Nowogród, 80,4 km long. It is deep up to 2 metres, it is sloping about 25 cm each kilometre. It connects the Great Lakes with the Vistula. With a plenty of meanders if requires from salesmen full concentration. It flows through lowland, marshy areas and is a navigable trail full length. Satisfactory number of camping places along the banks. At the west bank the Piska forest is situated. The name of the river originates from the word ?pisa?, which in the language of the ancient Prussians meant mud, swamp. The Germans used to call it Galindia (by the tribe Galind, which used to live here in the past). KANAŁ JEGLIŃSKI - (the Jegliński Channel), built in the years 1845 ? 49 (5.5 km long), connects the lakes of Roś and Seksty. It is an important sailing trail, connecting the Mazurian Great Lakes, via the lake of Roś , with Warsaw. At the outlet of the channel, in the summer resort Karwik, a lock is situated. The difference of levels between the lakes of Roś and Seksty is 1 metre. The banks of the channel are grown with trees, which enables leisure walks. ROŚ - S-shaped glacial lake, up to 31 metres deep, of the area of 1890 ha, situated north-east from Pisz. Its shores are mainly muddy and hard to approach. Only the southern part of the lake, around the village of Ruda, has a high, tree-grown shore with a good approach to the water. There are two peninsulas on the lake: one is called Czarny Róg (The Black Horn), with a village of the same name, the other one has no name and is occupied by the village of Pilchy. The river Pilkus, flowing from the lake of Kocioł, comes into the northern part of the lake. Two other rivers flow into the western bay: the Konopka, coming through the village of Ruda and, further to the north, the Swięcek, coming from the lake of Borowe. Below the Czarny Róg peninsula is situated the outlet of Kanał Jegliński; from the southern corner of the lake the river Pisa flows out. This is a lake of the Vandace kind. POGOBIE WIELKIE - an oval-shaped lake, area of 679 ha, 0.9 metre deep, with the island Ostrów Wielki; the shores are hardly approachable, swampy. The entire lake is an ornithological reserve. About one kilometre away from the village Pogobie Średnie. Bus communication with Pisz. Lake of the tench-pike type. ŚNIARDWY -the lake situated in the area of four communes: Pisz, Ruciane-Nida, Mikołajki, and Orzysz. The greatest lake in Poland: with its bays (Seksty, Kaczerajno, Tuchlin, Warnołty) more than 13,000 ha of the area; the main basin of 10,600 ha. Its depth, compared to the area, is not imposing: from a few to 23 metres. The shore line is vary varied, with numerous bays and peninsulas; the length of the lake: 17 kilometres, the width: 13 kilometres. There are four islands on the lake: the largest one is Szeroki Ostrów (the Wide Island), connected to Zdory with a dike; the isle of Kaczor is situated among the lakes Śniardwy, Kaczerajno, and Seksty. Another two islands are situated west from Szeroki Ostrów: these are Pajęcza and Czarci Ostrów (the Spider Island and the Devil Island). The latter was once a place of cult of the ancient Prussian tribe of Galind. Sailing on Śniardwy is a very emotional experience, but is dangerous and requires taking up maximum of means of safety. If canoeing, one must remember not to depart away from the shores to the open waters ? even when the weather is calm and the surface of the lake perfectly smooth. Śniardwy is a very capricious and variable place. Smooth, calm water can get cover with short, high weaves within minutes. The weaves can be 1.5 metre and more high. By no means should sail Śniardwy tourists who do not have a lot of experience or are not strong swimmers. Should the lake be troubled, one should wait in a secure, sheltered place for water to calm down. The relatively least dangerous is the southern shore. Śniardwy are also dangerous due to a large number of underwater rocks. these are dangerous not only to sailing boats, but also to canoes or kayaks, as some of them are situated just 20 centimetres below the water surface. The rocks are not marked. On the like, there are islands of Czarci Ostrów, Pajęcza, Szeroki Ostrów (connected with the mainland with a dike). Kaczor ceased being an island for a few years, as due to natural overgrowing the island become connected to the mainland. Nearly half of the lakes shore is low and marshy. All along the shore from Kwik to Nowe Guty is situated a zone of water plants, mainly common reed. WIARTEL - the lake consists of two parts: eastern, being the main basin, and the northern, called the lake Przylasek. The area of the Wiertel lake I 178.6 ha, its depth ? up to 29 metres. There are four islands on the lake of total area of 1.2 ha, the largest of them of 0.8 ha. The shores are rather low. SEKSTY - this lake is situated north-west from Pisz, at the water trail leading to the Great Mazurian Lakes. This is the greatest bay of the lake Śniardwy, situated at its south-east part. The lake of the area of 780 ha is connected with the lake of Roś with Kanał Jagieliński. The isle of Kaczor is situated on the lake. Two villages are situated at its shores: the summer resort of Karwik at the north shore, and Zdory at the north of the lake. The lake is of the bream kind. The Piska forest is the greatest forest land in Mazury, one of the greatest in Poland tight forests; its forest area is 86,000 ha and its total area (with the lakes, meadows, and forest settlements) about 105,000 ha. The area is 40 kilometres long and more than 35 kilometres wide. Besides forest, there are lakes there ? including the largest in Poland lake Ś Śniardwy and the magnificent lake Nidzkie, and rivers ? among them the famous for its charm Krutynia, and the meandering Pisa of the swift current. The Piska forest is mainly a uniform forest with a tinge of spruce and deciduous trees. The richest parts of the forest are pine-spruce or spruce-pine forests. Next to the pine and the spruce, there are the trees like: durmast, hornbeam, lime, Norway maple, birches (e.g. European white birch), black and grey alders, and ash. The forests are inhabited by the wild boar, red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, fox, hare, badger, ermine, wolf. The world of birds is very rich, the number of species existing here is estimated for about 200. In the lakes and in the shore thicket live seagull and tern, wild duck and goose, grebe, loon, also swan is more and more often present here. The forests are inhabited by crane, heron, also birds of prey like eagles, ospreys, owls, eagle owls, kites, and falcons. There are also some nests of black storks. There is a number of glacial lakes in the forest, connected with charming streams and the river Krutynia.

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