Mazury Lake Region, 1500km trough Poland

Plan to discover Mazury lakes region in Poland appeared in my head in November, when I received an invitation to a religoious ceremony of

Holy Communion of my Goddaughter.
hmm, how shall I shoot three birds with one stone?
Beginnig of the motorcycle season for China Motorcycle Club (KCM) in Poland in Brok 1-4 May and a week later communion.
Distance from Brok to Mazury region only 160km.

I have studied Uncle'a Google Mapsevery day,maybe this way, perhaps through the park Kampinoski. And maybe, maybe maybe.
One moth later i had Vacation request signed by the proxy in my hands. Yupii.

4 Days before my planned Vacation my request was revoked. I had to go to KCM meeteing 600km one way, than 600km home.
To bee 4 days later back in the saddle.

With additional "help" came into my wife's boss who wanted to give her vacation only for a day of communion.
So i can go by bike... my wife will stay home (otherwise i must go by car ;-( )

I was already packed on Wednesday 8 May to start right after work. The the destinantion was Sochaczew.
I have there i friend with i have studied.

I was Convinced that the road by Kluczbork and Praszka is smooth as a table, therfore i was not in a hurry.
I saw this road a year earlier, in June, they where renovating it. i doubtet that they do not finished it yet.

But instead of a new smooth road i encountered several miles of the same milled asphalt.

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As ussually in Zduńska Wola i stopped for junk food in McDonalds.

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I did not want to go through the traffic jammed city of Lodz. So i asked the natives which way is the best to avoid jamm.
The proposed route i can recommend to all who want to bypass Pabianice and Lodz. Zduńska Wola, Szadek, Łęczyca (founded in the ninth
century, has plenty of sights to see), Piatek (geometric center of Poland), Łowicz, Sochaczew.

I was already quite late,and the friend of mine was waiting for me at work to hide the motorcycle in company garage.
I decided to explore these attractions at the way home. Going this route are you have beutifull sights.

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About 7 PM i was at place. We went out for Pizza, some beers and wine.

Next day in the morning i had to pull off from the bed by 7 AM.
After drinking coffee,maybe two i went "gently" on.

Without a breathalyzer i moved first in the direction of less frequented roads.
The first goal was to visit the Żelazowa Wola.

In Zelazowa Wola is a branch of the Museum of Frederick Chopin, of course admission is paid, to see is an EMPTY palace of Skarbek family
where father of Frederick was a tutor.

In the palace are a few manuscripts of Chopin on the walls. In fact, it is not worth paying admission, unless you like to sit in a
beautifully decorated park and listen to the music of this composer (for exapmle with a pipe and god tabacco).
A year ago, I managed to sneak in there for free. This year I decided to just sip a pic.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...D_10-05-13.JPG

The next accommodation I had in Nidzica, but I hate the number 7 road and on the road number 50 there plenty of trucks covering the views I decided to continue the journey by using, where possible, provincial or municipal roads.
It was a god choice: Road no. 705 was empty(!) and smooth as the skin of a baby.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w...8_10-05-13.JPG

The same goes for the National Park in Kampinos

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A bit further, surfaces were significantly worn and had a considerable amount of repairs. (Provincial road no. 575)

I would not recommend this road to drive by car. With a motorcycle you can safely drive 70-90km/h.
At this area captivated me meadows and woods and wayside chapels.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8...5_10-05-13.JPG


to be continued...

By gum that was quick Ben , thanks for posting good to read RR from other parts of the world
Keep up the post the more the better Ben

Hi Beniamin! greetimgs!
do you know Martin? from Poland, check out : roads2go
maybe you can post there also, that would be great!

I do not know Martin and i do not know a lot people who rides motorbikes with 1200ccm engines.
I mean BMW R1200 is a beutifull bike, but there is no need to have such to travel.
In the oposite ,for this amount of cash which you must spend to buy it, you can make a tour around the world with one (or two, when the first is broken) chineese moto.

I know it is maybe strange thinking, but i will never buy not a chinese motorcycle, i love them.

In our Chineese Motorcycle Club are most often people who started with an Chineese bike and than buy a bigger japaneese or german bike, or people who rides Chineese bike and don't even thing to change to another.

Quote:

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In our Chineese Motorcycle Club are most often people who started with an Chineese bike and than buy a bigger japaneese or german bike, or people who rides Chineese bike and don't even thing to change to another.

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Hi Ben
How many members do you have in your Chinese motorbike club ?. At the next meet up take some pictures of the other members bikes and post them here on MCM . It would be nice to see what people in Poland consider to be a good Chinese made bike .

I wanted to see the Polish biggest river, Vistula. The road led me along the river, but if you will see the river you must geto on the

embarkment. Often you will see trees in water and junk... But at least i found a place to take some photos (Dobrzykowo).


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The weather was not very pleasant, but it was not cold.


In Plock i chosen route 560 and got to Sierpiec (They produce there quite tasty beer), and then road 541 and 563 in the direction of

Mlawa. The quality of roads are from satisfactory to good, when it comes to class provincial roads.

Most provincial roads, unfortunately, does not have parkings. So it's hard to stop to eat and take a break. There are only

gasstations,which also usually has no benches.

In this region you can often meet the giant windmills that produce electricity. A clever motorcycle rider knows how to use them ...

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In the village Kuczbork, I found a church. It was not open (?), it is for me strange, how can a church be closed at day time.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_...D_10-05-13.JPG


On the occasion of visiting the church, I looked at the map I founded shortcut to Dzialdowo.
I love to travel with side roads the are barerly wisible on map. As you can see you can find there not very common views:

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Tha last two photos are taken in the middle of nowhere. This was just in a middle of a meadow. It's a the old type
domestic cellar . Interesting is the fact that I have not found traces of the foundations of houses.
A friend of mine, Solist of the Vinyl Music Band, described this thing as a "classic refrigerator unplugged"

And this is marketplace in Dzialdowo

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-e...2_10-05-13.JPG

Teutonic Castle in Dzialdowo, I could not enter the courtyard - Not allowed traffic in both directions except for employees of the Office

Municipal.
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Finally I got to the place of accommodation in Nidzica. Saturday and Sunday I spent on the celebrations for First-Communion. Gala Dinner

took place at the resort "Mazury Marzenie" on the peninsula Lemany. Unfortunately, it was cold, and I had only suit.
Here some pics:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g...0_11-05-13.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8...4_11-05-13.JPG
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On Monday, I planned a trip to Grunwald, where Lithuanian-Polish Army in 1410 defeated the Teutonic Knights, but this time we took the can (car). From Nidzica to the Champs Grunwald is about 30km.
In fact, I was not expecting to find something different than I saw:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c...o/DSCN0612.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_...o/DSCN0606.JPG
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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/DSCN0629.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/DSCN0642.JPG

On Tuesday I went on my way. This time I wanted to see Wolf's Lair - The ruins of Adolf Hilter's war headquarters, a hidden town in the woods consisting of 200 buildings: shelters, barracks, two airports, and power station, a railway station, air-conditioners, water supplies, heat-generating plants and two teleprinters.

In 1944 more than 2,000 people lived here. On July 20, 1944 Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg made a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler.

From Nidzica to Szczytno road no. 545 and 58:
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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...2_14-05-13.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c...2_14-05-13.JPG

Asphalt surface almost perfect, the views also. Unfortunately, even though the sun was shining it was quite chilly.
I rode in a jacket with liner against cold, but at home I forgot scarve around the neck, which was shortly to take revenge ...

In Szczytno time for refueling and a smile on my face, fuel consumption again under 2.5 l/100km.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B...7_14-05-13.JPG

From Szczytno to Mragowo I was going by road 58, 601 and 59, however, I found it difficult to resist the impression that the so-called provincial roads have much better surface than national roads. On the photos below you will see the fence of a military unit in Stare Kiejkuty where supposedly the CIA interrogated terrorists from Al Qaeda.

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I had some concerns before shooting the fence, but no one saw me so ...
Despite this, the next kilometer carefully watched in the mirrors do not appear a military vehicle to confiscate the camera.
There was only a military tank, overtaken me and I calmly drove away.



And that's the way 59 to Mrągowo:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...5_14-05-13.JPG

However, this view looks much better from this perspective:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r...D_14-05-13.JPG

Memorial photo at the entrance to Mrągowom Polish capital city of country music, and up the road road 591 to Kętrzyn:

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And that's a castle in Kętrzyn. Admission to the museum castle only 6zł.
But Wolf's Lair in Gierłoż is waiting, so only a few pics from the outside:

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In Kętrzyn I have not seen any road signs how to get to the Wolf's Lair. two times got lost, I finally asked for directions and got lost again. I did further 15km wandering around. Finaly and get to the Wolf's Lair.

Wolf's Lair is a private museum, there is no state museum. There is parking for motorcycles, right at gatehouse. Bodyguard Mr. Mietek said that I can leave helmet in a visible place he'll have an eye on him.

15PLN admission ticket,
Parking motorcycle 5PLN,
Guide 50PLN-70PLN. (optional)

Visiting Wolf's Lair without a guide is a bad idea, because there are only remains of the former headquarters of Hitler.
I "hooked" to the junior high school trip, I asked one of the teachers if I could also listen.

Guide told the story of the attempt on Hitler also spoke about the construction of bunkers and underground storage facilities, which are only one floor underground. There's no multilevel structure known from the popular PC game "Wolfenstein 3D" (1992).

All the bunkers were destroyed from the inside because at that time there was no conventional bomb capable to destroy them from the air.(unless the A-bomb).

Guide also took us through some of the bunkers where the subtitles informed that the entrance to them is dangerous.

However, I was delighted because I could see for myself the scene of action a great book: Soldiers' Revolt by Hans Helmut Kirst.


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Better preserved bunkers are protected, are wintering grounds for bats (bats in Poland are protected by state).

Leaving Wolf's Lair I met an Elk. He ran out onto the road, I was lucky that he was away for some 4m.
Fortunately, he managed to get away before I had time to stop the vehicle.

The next stop was St. Lipka.

Prices for parking in front of the shrine did not say anything about motorcycles, so I could park my bike for free.

Marian Shrine in St. Lipka is run by the Jesuit Fathers.
With one of them I talked for a while. He explained to me the meaning of my name, which he read from my club shirt.
This priest also once rode a motorcycle to get to the churches in other places.

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Shrine of St. Lipka was recently renovated thanks to the support of the Helsinki Foundation for the Preservation of Monuments.
I can imagine how the church has made impression, in the Baroque period, to the pilgrims of simple peasants. The name of the village comes from the linden tree that does not lose leaves in the winter. The leaves withering but not falling from the tree.
Unfortunately, the tree was burned during the Reformation.
Around the linden the first chapel was built by the Teutonic Knights.
The following picture shows the statue of St.Linden.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1...2_14-05-13.JPG

When I came out of the church was at 4:05 p.m.. I went to the motorcycle.
I had to overcome over 100km to Ostroda, for the next rest.

Parking Warden advised me to wait until 16:30 because the presentation of the church organ.

While chatting with Parking Warden I learned that the pipes are made of tin and the biggest of them weights over 2.5 tons. A pink color of the facade was discovered by conservators as the first layer. The whole building was plastered over which technique from the Baroque period. Supposedly plaster applied with a hand.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-J...0_14-05-13.JPG

Been following along... :popcorn:nice photos and English very easy for me to understand... and good history lesson too!
:thumbsup:

And...'Wolfenstein 3D' now that brings back memories. so if there are no levels, we got bargain for price of the game...
:lol8:

Concert was worth hearing, that sound makes an impression even on those who like organ music.
Additionally those organs have moving sculptures depicting the scene of the Annunciation.

The next stop was to be Dobre Miasto.
It became humid and unpleasant, I began to regret that I have no scarf on my neck. Wind has been cooled my neck.

They road 593 has were nice curves, but the road itself was a nightmare, no markings, no signs, holes like after bomb explosion, curves covered with sand and broken asphalt surface.

From the dual road was a single and the cars did not care about a motorcyclist and passed me "on the mirror"

Collegiate Basilica in Dobre Miasto:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...8_14-05-13.JPG

In Dobre Miasto lives a forum member of China MOtorcycle Club,he invited me for a cup of cofee and cake.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8...0_14-05-13.JPG

After coffee, I went in the direction of Ostróda, through road 530 and after a while I wondered if I was not moving in the mountains. Beautifully contoured curves, marks a steep uphill or downhill. I was delighted. Asphalt was also not the worst.

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I got to Ostroda about 8 P.M. My throat was begining to hurt, but I thought it was the cigarettes that I smoked quite a lot during the week. Now it's time to rehab, my wife will not let me smoke ...

The next day, about 11 A.M. I started to look for a gift for my wife, she finally let me on this trip. I visited the gift shop but at the end i have choosen silver earrings from the jeweler.
Before leaving the Masuria, I made a photo of lake Drwęckie.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d...8_15-05-13.JPG


The next part on monday...

Nice trip. I love that region. Ive never done any riding in Poland but Ive hitchhiked all around when I was in high school and at Uni. Mazury and Podlasie are definitely some of the most interesting places to visit in Poland. I agree with prince saying that you should post pick of all the bikes in your club. Damn, Im polish and have china bike, maybe I can get an invite to the club hah

˙˙˙˙˙

Quote:

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Originally Posted by modron

, Im polish and have china bike, maybe I can get an invite to the club hah

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You dont need any invitation. Just register on klub-chinskich-motocykli.pl
Than you will be a forum member. To be candidate is a littel bit tricky, because you must be on two events organized by Klub Chinskich Motocykli, and you must be on forum at least 3 months and be active on forum.
Then you can aply to be an candidate. The next step is that and the sezon end in Septmber is voting time.

As a forum member you can read and write in 90% of topics, but you can not wear any club clothes or signs.

read here for more:
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...0644#post70644

I went on a further trip around noon, originally I had a plan to see on the way back home some atractions, but I already started to feel sick. I chose the road from Ostróda to Lubawa, national road 15, and then encouraged with good quality of the regional roads, I chose the road number 541 to Żuromin.

As it turned out, this road was under repair. As soon as they finish the overhaul I will higly recommend this road because of the beauty of nature.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z...9_15-05-13.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z...1_15-05-13.JPG

The pendulum in Zuromin:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...1_15-05-13.JPG

I headed for accommodation in Sochaczew, at my friend again, I chose the road that I traveled previously. After Plock I turned towards Kamion and continue along the river Vistula. In the Meantime, this friend called me that I should not to hurry because he has something to do.

Going road between the forest and the embankments of the Vistula River, I saw a sign "observation deck 1.5 km". Mark was intended for cyclists, but I thought that a light bike can also enter. Unfortunately, there was non further marking, I drove 4km and have not found any observation decks, but I rode roads which my map does not even mention.

The roads were narrow for one car but new. I totally got lost, however, I asked a passing boy which way to the main road, he said that i should drive straight 4km, but the road is a bit twisty. The road was twisty, and full of sand. Once i drove straight on a meadow instead of take the curve...

Wandering in that area, I found such gate:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Q...9_15-05-13.JPG


inscription in German proclaims

"Christus ist Auferstehung und Leben"

this means
"Christ is the resurrection and the life

I think it was the gate of the cemetery. It is interesting that the gate has inscribed date of 1937. World War II began in 1939. It is in the midlle of Poland, why i can found there a german cementery?

I did a little reserch and found that in these areas since 50's of the eighteenth century Mennonites settled, they are a Christian group based around the church communities of Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496-1561). They came from the German-Dutch border and quickly adapted to live in the floodplain of the river Vistula. Their buildings were so constructed that the spring flood eluted animals excrements and fertilized their fields.

Their descendants lived in the surrounding villages to the beginning of the Second World War. The German soldiers kill them all in the WW II...


To my friend i got about 6 P.M., after which we drank two bottles of Italian wine and eaten a pot spagetii bolognese.

In that night I had a fever again. After a sleepless night, in the morning I set off for home. On the way I stopped for a red bul drink.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...5_15-05-13.JPG

I started to feel sick again, so I chose the fastest route, highway A2 to Strykow.

In Zduńska Wola I eaten again at Mc Donald's.

This time I was accompanied by bikers on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P...4_16-05-13.JPG

On the way home I stopped for a regulation of the chain and straight home with the national roads. Some 100km from home I had fever again.

This trip was successful,I drove more than 1500km on roads with great views. And I learned some history. Another week instead of riding a motorcycle, I had to stay in bed treating the common cold.