A visit to Olsztyn

Special for you guys :)

I'm having a hard time starting this thread. I'm sitting over the MacBook keyboard and I'm wondering what exactly I would like to tell you. It is difficult to write about the city where I was born, spent my childhood, experienced first loves, successes and failures, grew up and studied.

It's hard to write about the city that you love and which unfortunately had to be left behind for a while. Sometimes life gives us surprises, not always pleasant ones. So it was with me. Due to my husband's job, I had to move 600 kilometers from Olsztyn - actually to the other end of Poland. The first years were very difficult and sad. After some time, I got used to living in a smaller town. I gave birth to children. However, I never gave up the idea of leaving my beloved Olsztyn forever. Hence our common decision to build a house here. This is our main goal now…. And our dream.

It was because of these emotions that it was so hard for me to get on with this thread. Now it's high time to face emotions, feelings and reflections.

After the administrative reform, Olsztyn became a beautifully developing city, the capital of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship. There are several lakes within the city limits. Olsztyn is surrounded by lush forests with wild plants and animals. It is very close to Olsztynek from Olsztyn. There is a wonderful open-air museum, which I personally recommend visiting.

How far is it from Warsaw to Olsztyn?

The distance from Warsaw to Olsztyn is 220 km.

More information about Olsztyn, you can find on Wikipedia

The city offers the possibility of active recreation as well as cultural experiences.

In Olsztyn there are, among others, the Warmian-Masurian Philharmonic named after Feliks Nowowiejski, the Theatre named after Stefan Jaracz, several art galleries, the Olsztyn Puppet Theatre, the Olsztyn Astronomical Planetarium, the Museum of Warmia and Mazury, whose seat is located in the Castle of the Warmian Chapter, and a number of cultural institutions, such as the Polish-French Center Cotes-d'Armor - Warmia and Mazury.

Olsztyn is a city of many famous actors, writers, singers, but also Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived in the Olsztyn castle, where the amphitheater is now located. Olsztyn is a city of fantastic racers Marian Bublewicz and Krzysztof Hołowczyc, it is also the city of the first Polish woman in the MMA organization - Ultimate Fighting Championship Joanna Jędrzejczyk. 

This city is neither too small nor too big, for me it is great to live. What is the main reason for my love for this city? I think that Olsztyn wins thanks to its greenery. Olsztyn surprises, attracts and invites you to relax and explore. 

I invite you to see the rest of the photos from my hometown :)

The city beach in Olsztyn offers: equipment rental (kayaks, pedal boats, rowing boats, sailing boats). You can also rent a motorboat with a skipper, use a slide, 6 beach volleyball courts, a basketball court or a beach football field. There is a small gastronomy and a walk on the pier offers beautiful view of the lake. 

In July 2023, the "Beach Project" of the TVN station took place. The program was broadcast live on a nationwide television station.

The New Town Hall in Olsztyn was built in 1912-1915. Currently, the seat of the mayor of Olsztyn is located here.

We are in the Central Park which was created quite recently, in 2014. There are four bridges connecting the banks of the Łyna, a canoe marina, many paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and a fountain with a special night illumination. The park also has a small, covered amphitheater square, an open-air gym and a safe playground with elements of small recreational architecture.

On the way to the Cathedral.

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Jacob the Apostle in Olsztyn was built in the second half of the 14th century in the Gothic style. 

We are in the Old Town. Take a close look at this orange corner of the building. There is a carved picture!

Saint James is a patron of Olsztyn. Every year in Olsztyn there is a Jacob's Fair, during which there are stalls with regional food and artistic products in the picturesque streets of the Old Town.

In the years 1920-1939, the house of "Gazeta Olsztyńska" housed the editor, the printing house of "Gazeta Olsztyńska" and a bookshop. In November 1939 the building was razed to the ground. After reconstruction, the building was put back into use on September 1, 1989. Currently, the building houses a branch of the Museum of Warmia and Mazury.

And this is my favourite restaurant on the Łyna River where you can try traditional dishes such as regional cheeses, sausages, blood soup, sour soup, dumplings, roast duck with cherry or innkeeper pancakes. 

The Old Town Hall is located in the center of the Old Town Square and was established as the seat of Olsztyn's authorities. The Gothic part of the building, the present southern wing, is one of the oldest architectural monuments in the city. This part was erected around 1500. Currently, the entire building is occupied by the Provincial Public Library.

Chwacko - this was the slogan that accompanied the artistic summer of 2023 in Olsztyn. It was a time of dozens of performances, films, exhibitions, concerts, animations, open-air theaters and artistic picnics. More over a juicy and fresh strawberry was to become a symbol of great fun. 

The High Gate from the end of the 14th century is the most impressive remain of the medieval fortifications of the city and the only one preserved among the three gates that were part of them (the others were the Lower and Mill Gates). In the gate from the side of the Old Town there is a mosaic of Our Lady of Peace. The mosaic is a gift from Pope John Paul II.

In the "Museum of Modernity", which was established in the revitalized Raphaelsohn Sawmill.

The controversial monument of the Liberation of the Warmian-Masurian Land, which was previously called the Monument of Gratitude to the Soviet Army.

The building of the former regency was built in the years 1908-1911 in the historicist style. Currently, it houses the Marshal's Office of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and the Provincial Administrative Court in Olsztyn.

There are many churches in Olsztyn and the thread would be too monothematic if I only put pictures of churches. But I wanted to present, apart from the cathedral, at least one more church - the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There is an interesting story behind this magnificent building (below in the photo) and its owner. Otto Naujack was a butcher, then he made bricks, and finally he built tenement houses, which he then rented out. Some of the buildings on today's Dąbrowszczaków, Warmińska and Mickiewicza streets belonged to Naujack. During the war, many buildings that once belonged to Najack were destroyed. Only a few tenement houses at Warmińska and Mickiewicza streets have survived, as well as two beautiful villas - Fortuna and the Naujack's Willa presented below. 

Going from Naujack's Villa towards the center, you will see the monument of the Home Army unveiled in 2014.

The Old Town impresses me even in winter. 

How to get to Olsztyn?