June 28, 1998 No. 26 (505)

LAKE WIGRY

Welcome to Beaver County

Tourists find themselves in the grip of nature and history in Wigry National Park, centered around a deep and winding lake in Poland's far northeast corner.

Motorboats don't come here, it is too out-of-the-way. Divers, on the other hand, eagerly flock here because the water is clean and deep. Between Stary Folwark and Gawrych Ruda, along the shores of, and out on the surface of this winding lake, tourists may find themselves in the grip of nature and history.

Among sailboaters, Wigry enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a lake full of unexpected winds. Its name comes from the Lithuanian word vingrus, which means "winding" or "zigzagging." In his chronicles of 1418, Jan Długosz recorded the lake's original name, Wingry.

In the late Middle Ages, the Jadźwing tribes inhabited the surrounding areas. The Teutonic Knights drove them out, probably in the 13th century, and whatever natives still remained were resettled in the 15th century, when the forests, full of wild game, became a favorite spot for royal hunting expeditions. On a small 50-hectare peninsula, with only one access road, the royals constructed a grand hunting lodge of wood. In the second half of the 17th century, 1667 to be exact, King Jan Kazimierz permitted the Cameldolitean Order to build a monastery on the peninsula, giving the monks ownership of Lake Wigry and the two forest districts, while reserving the right to hunt in the forests surrounding the monastery. At first, the monks built a wooden monastery in the immediate vicinity of the hunting lodge, but a fire in 1671 gutted all the buildings. More than 10 years later, the monks began work on another, magnificent brick complex, complete with a late-Baroque church.

The Cameldolites, a contemplative Catholic order with strict rules of conduct, was established as a reformed faction of the Benedictine Order in Italy in the early 11th century. Cameldolite monks built their residences far from populated areas; they avoided unnecessary conversation, did not eat meat, and slept very few hours each day. They arrived in Poland around 1605, and first settled on Bielany Hill near Cracow. Later, they established new monasteries at Bieniszewo, Bielany near Warsaw, and Erem, at Lake Wigry. Erem, run by about a dozen Cameldolite brothers, quickly became the richest in Poland and one of the most affluent of the entire order. Local monks contributed to the economic development of the area, efficiently and skillfully handling water and forest management, and agriculture. They organized small industries: brick yards, mills, glassworks and a sawmill. They even secured privileges from the king to organize fairs and bazaars in Suwałki, which received a city charter in 1715.

In the late 18th century, before Wigry became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the holdings of the monastery encompassed several dozen villages, more than 10 farms, and even bodies of water and forests. After the second partition of Poland in 1793, Wigry became part of Prussia. The Prussian government immediately confiscated the monastery's possessions, and moved the monks, against their will, to Bielany near Warsaw in 1800. More than 100 years later, the Cameldolites expressed a desire to return to Wigry, but a lack of funds proved to be the greatest obstacle.

They left behind a rich architectural complex surrounded by defensive walls, including the church, a gatekeeper's house, the Royal Residence, chancellor's chapel and hermitages, or the small houses inhabited by monks. Each hermitage was separated by a brick fence and had its own garden. In the 1970s, the former Cameldolite dwellings were rebuilt. Part of the complex is run by the Ministry of Culture and Art as the Creative Work House.

Currently, the building has more than 100 beds; each house is equipped with a toilet and bathroom with hot water. Tourists may use the facilities all year round. In the stylish rooms of the former Royal Residence, there is a coffee shop and a canteen in which guests can count on tasty lunch at a good price. There is also a library on hand, a health and fitness club, and, in a nearby port, there are boats, water bicycles, sailboats and kayaks to rent.

The Wigry National Park, more than 15,000 hectares large, was established in 1989. The forests contain naturally formed lakes called suchary. There is also the crystal-clear Lake Białe, wholly located within the limits of the reserve. There are many beaver habitats where the Czarna Hańcza River empties into Lake Wigry. Here, beavers are a protected species. Lake Wigry, the largest lake in the park, and one of the largest in Poland at 2,991 hectares, has an unusual shoreline more than 72 km long, a large number of islands and a depth of as much as 73 meters in some places.

At the two extreme edges of the lake, in Stary Folwark and Gawrych Ruda, there are recreation centers and facilities for aquatic sports enthusiasts with rental shops offering sailing and aquatic equipment. In Gawrych Ruda, a company named M. Sail is especially well-stocked, offering tourists opportunities to rent different kinds of sailboats, including Mors, Aster and Omega brands. Equipment here is slightly cheaper to rent than in most places along the Great Mazurian Lakes trail. At the same time, it is in good repair and fit for immediate use, which is important because the lake poses considerable challenges to boaters and sportsmen.

On Wigry, strong winds may suddenly begin to blow. The lake's high shores and numerous bays can re-direct the wind, and it often blows from the least expected side, immediately changing direction. Moreover, the lake is full of shallow places which may pose an obstacle to navigation if they are not spotted ahead of time. However, the difficulties are fully compensated for by the clear waters and charming, almost deserted campsites and unusual peace and quiet along the trail.

For those who love hiking, eight main tourist trails have been charted through the Wigry National Park and along its edges. However, tourists hitting the trail should remember they may only move along marked routes and public roads. Bonfires may only be started in designated places, and all visitors must buy park admission cards.

The longest hiking trail, marked in green, is almost 49.3 kilometers long. It begins in Stary Folwark and leads around Lake Wigry via Cimochowizna, the former bed of the Czarna Hańcza River, Słupie, Gawrych Ruda, Bryzgiel, Krusznik, Czerwony Krzyż, Rosochaty Róg, Magdalenowo and back to Stary Folwark. A shorter black trail also starts in Stary Folwark and leads to the Cmentarzysko Jadźwingów reserve where the grave mounds of members of the Jadźwing tribe are located. From the village of Wysoki Most, which lies by Czarna Hańcza, a red trail winds, almost 14 km long. It is also worth trying a shorter (7 km) green route that begins in Krzywe and leads amidst the dystrophic forest lakes, or suchary.

For cycling enthusiasts, there are five bicycle routes, each between 14 to 39 km long. Some of them lead through wetlands, narrow forest paths and sandy dirt roads, so they may represent quite a challenge for less skillful cyclists. The picturesque rivers of Kamionka, Wiatrołuża, Czarna Hańcza and Manówka, with waters full of fish, and woods full of colorful and rare butterflies, numerous birds of prey, deer, elk, beavers and wolves, and Poland's cleanest Lake Białe-all this explains why the Wigry reserve is a must-see area.

In Stary Folwark and Gawrych Ruda, guests can find tourist-class accommodations. In the hermitages near the monastery, there are rooms with much higher standards. For the time being, the place is free from crowds of tourists. Fishing is allowed in lakes Wigry, Pierty, Królówek, Leszczewek, Omułuwek and Mulaczysko but only with a valid license.