Maria Braun

Masuria from a Different Perspective

This season, the weather behaves like a moody artist — impossible to predict what it will come up with next. On top of that, the river water levels are calling for commentary… so I decided to change direction and head somewhere where there’s still enough water to move. I escaped to Masuria for five days — to places I know by heart. As a child, I used to spend two summer weeks here sailing with my parents, so this landscape lives in my body and muscles — I know how the forest smells after rain, how the halyards sound tapping against the mast, and how tea tastes by the campfire.

This time, though, it wasn’t a sailing trip. It was a mix of remote work and several hours of rowing each day. A perfect balance — a few hours of movement, a few hours of work. Not a bad combination at all.

Is Masuria a paradise for rowers?

Not exactly. Or rather — it depends on what you’re looking for. For me, Masuria is still beautiful and close, just three hours by car from home, with enough water not to worry about damaging the gear. But the number of jet skis and motorboats zipping by at Formula 1 speeds can effectively kill any contemplative mood.

I started on Lake Bełdany near Guzianka, rowed through Mikołajki to Ryn, then slipped through the canals to Jagodne and Boczne. I didn’t go as far as Niegocin — storms and strong winds took care of that. The weather was typically “sailor-friendly,” which, for a rower… is not exactly ideal.

When I had one day left, I passed through the new Guzianka lock and headed for Lake Nidzkie. Beyond the high-voltage line begins the quiet zone — at least in theory. In practice, there are always a few brave motorboat enthusiasts who seem to think that silence is a relative concept. It’s sad, but since I was rowing alone, reason won over the urge to say something.

Lake Nidzkie — a journey back in time

It was worth the effort. Around Zamordeje there are still two campgrounds where time seems to have stopped some twenty years ago — and that’s precisely their charm. Beyond Zamordeje, the lake narrows, becomes more peaceful, more intimate. From a rower’s perspective, it’s pure pleasure — the rhythm of the oars, the scent of water, and absolute quiet. If I were to recommend a route, I’d say: go straight to Nidzkie. There’s no point heading for the main waterways if what you crave is peace.

What has changed over the years?

Whenever I return to childhood places, I can’t help but compare the images in my memory with what I see now. And yes — a lot has changed:

• There are far more motorboats now, and far fewer sailboats.

• Knowledge of boating rules and general water etiquette has clearly declined.

• The water level has dropped — you used to be able to row right up to the grassy shore, now there’s a meter or two of sand before you reach it.

• The canals have been renovated — concrete walls top-notch, solid enough that you could almost try hauling a boat along them like the old barge haulers once did.

Reflections

Despite all these observations — it was wonderful to be back. Masuria still has something magnetic about it, even if it’s a bit louder and busier today. It was a sentimental, refreshing, and surprisingly productive trip.

Sometimes it’s truly worth returning to the places we knew as children — but with the eyes of who we are now. Because then, you don’t just see what has changed around you, but also what within you has stayed exactly the same.

Adres

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00-123 Warszawa

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