Gołdap attractions. Visit the only spa in Masuria!
Gołdap - how beautifully located city, on the very edge of Poland, in its north-east corner. This is where Europe starts! It's extremely quiet and green here. Although it is Masuria, you will not see as many lakes here as in the heart of the Great Masurian Lakes. In Gołdap and its surroundings, small lakes are picturesquely integrated into the luscious green, hilly scenery of the Garbaty Masuria.
Attractions Gołdapi
Gołdap and its surroundings is a very attractive city, where you will be surprised by many unusual objects and places that you will not find in many corners of our country. We spent some really wonderful days here so we could create this guide. See the best attractions of Gołdap and Mazury Garbatych!
Graduation towers in Gołdap
The graduation towers in Gołdap are the fourth largest brine graduation towers in Poland. They are 220 meters long and offer a paid viewpoint at the top, at a height of about 8 meters. It was established in 2012.
Curative water full of micronutrients, beneficial for our body, flows down the branches of sloe. This brine is extracted from a depth of over 600 meters.
Viewing point: PLN 5 and 3
Gołdap Lake with Sunny Corner Beach
The picturesque Gołdap Lake is a border lake. A significant part is located on the Polish side and offers summer relaxation by the water. A sandy town beach called Słoneczny Zakątek (Sunny Corner) with a swimming pool was created here.
There is also a bar and water equipment rental. Anyone can take a catamaran cruise on the lake after an appointment. There is also a campsite with summer cottages.
OSiR, 796-595-828 http://osirgoldap.pl/
Free parking
Water Pump Room in Gołdap
The Mineral and Medicinal Waters Pump Room in Gołdap offers mineral and medicinal waters for a fee, useful in treatments. You can sit inside or outside. Inside, there is also a Salt Cave. Here you can buy a magnet, a souvenir and tickets to the lookout point on the graduation towers.
Open: daily 10.00-18.00, VII and VIII 9.00-19.00
Water: PLN 2.50
Mini Golf in Gołdap
Mini golf stretches along the shore of Lake Gołdap, by the graduation towers and the water pump room. It is payable and sticks are available in the pump room. It's a fun family game.
Piękna Góra
Piękna Góra is a peak with a height of 272 m above sea level. It may not be impressive, but it's very interesting. A beautiful view of the area allows you to notice where the name of this region - Masuria Garbate came from. Numerous hills and humps create a picturesque landscape. The place is in private hands.
There is a large rope park with three routes, a ski lift with downhill slopes and a snowpark and a toboggan run. This last summer, you can easily climb to the top of the hill. It's a walk of about 15-20 minutes and you arrive at the revolving café. Down by the pond there is an inn with a seasonal fish frying room.
https://www.zajazd-rudziewicz.pl/
Rotary cafe in Gołdap
At the top of Piękna Góra, there is the only revolving cafe in the area! The full rotation takes about 50 minutes and allows you to admire the beautiful panorama of Gołdap, humps and the Romincka Forest.
We visited a similar revolving café in Kołobrzeg. Piękna Góra is located about 3 km south of the centre of Gołdap.
Water tower in Gołdap
The water tower in Gołdap is one of the few monuments preserved in the city. The rest were destroyed during World War II, after the march of the Red Army. The building dates back to 1905. Beautifully restored in 2008, it now houses a café at the top and an interesting vantage point. It operates during the tourist season.
The tower has a height of over 46 meters and 7 floors. They can be overcome on foot or by elevator. If you go on foot, you will see a small gallery along the way. The viewpoint consists of two parts - a lower and wider terrace and a higher narrow one, which you have to enter with metal stairs outside the building. It's such a peculiar challenge! We had seen the water tower of the same owner a year earlier in Giżycko.
https://www.wieza-goldap.pl/
Co-Cathedral in Gołdapie
The co-cathedral is the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of the Church. It is another of the few preserved monuments of Gołdap, although during the war it was almost completely destroyed and rebuilt only in the 1980s.
The temple originally dates back to 1570, it was built as a Gothic brick building, with a massive tower with a wall thickness of up to 3 meters. Today, this tower is still visible, but the stylish features have been lost, the interior is contemporary.
Church of St. Leon and St. Boniface in Gołdap
The church of St. Leo and St. Boniface is another monument of the city. This neo-Gothic temple was built at the end of the 19th century and consecrated on June 25, 1894. It was the first permanent Catholic church in Gołdap.
Gołdap Tourist Information Market
The market square in Gołdap is very green, so it is sometimes called a park by residents. Formerly, there were historic houses here, destroyed during the war. You will see some of them on the board showing the market from the 1930s. Today, buildings from the central point of the market can barely be seen, there are so many trees and quite large ones. And in the middle of the square there is a beautiful, powerful fountain and a charming bridge connecting the two edges of the slab. It looks very interesting.
At one of the frontages of the market square, it is worth visiting the Tourist Information Center in Gołdap. It is a place prepared for richness, with a lot of materials and souvenirs and very helpful and well-oriented employees.
Bicycle trails in Gołdap
Gołdap is a paradise for cyclists. 260 km of marked bike trails have been prepared here, including 80 km of Green Velo. For example, in the Romincka Forest, there is a red bicycle loop with a length of 95 km. It is called "In the Footsteps of Romincki Deer", i.e. boulders commemorating the largest deer specimens hunted by the German Emperor William II.
Bunkers in the Kumeta Forest
Kumiecie Forest is a living witness to the dark events of World War II. This was the headquarters of the Luftwaffe commanded by Herman Goring. The bunker complex is called Robinson. Probably, research on the engine for V-2 missiles was carried out here and the experimental jet engine dynamometer worked.
To this day, the former quarters have left their traces scattered in the forest. To find the remains of the bunkers, take the "Robinson" trail. This area is a little to the west of Lake Gołdap.
Bridges in Stańczyki
These are the highest railway bridges in Poland! Famous all over the country. They refer to the Roman aqueducts in Pont du Gard, because they were inspired by German engineers. Hence the name "Aqueducts of the Rominca Forest". It is an element of the already closed Gołdap - Żytkiejmy railway line. Once intensively used, today they are a tourist attraction, available for a fee.
The bridges in Stańczyki are 200 meters longand 36 meters high. The architecture is perfectly proportioned, and the view of the bridges is impressive! Similar, but smaller bridges can also be found in two other towns of the Romincka Forest, in the nearby Botkunach and Kiepojcie.
Ticket for bridges: PLN 10 and 7
Observation tower in Stańczyki
The observation tower in Stańczyki is a relatively new tourist attraction. Available free of charge, it stood near the bridges, giving a view not only of them, but also of the beautiful postglacial landscape, with two small lakes with interesting names - Dobellus the Big and Small (there is also the name written by "T" - Tobellus the Big and Small). This small lake last erupted during a storm in 1926!
Swedish grouse avenue in Stańczyki
Under the tower in Stańczyki you will see one more curiosity - a monumental avenue of Swedish rowan trees. The alley is a two-kilometer road from the village of Stańczyki to the village of Błąkały. These trees are amazing, not too big, they have very interesting trunks.
Pyramid of Rap
It is the only such facility in Poland. The pyramid dates back to the early 19th century and is today the tomb of the Farenheid family. Initially, it was thought that 5 people were buried here, today, after DNA testing, the presence of 7 people was discovered. According to the latest theory, the building was created as a refrigerator, only later it became a family mausoleum. Similar glaciers were created in German estates at that time.
Naturally mummified bodies have been available in coffins for years, making them desecrated and stripped of their fragments. It was only after years that they were secured, and the entire facility was renovated and closed. Currently, you can only look inside through small windows. The pyramid in Rapa is located about 30 km from Gołdap
Tricontact Limits Wiisztyniec
This is where the borders of three countries meet - Poland, Lithuania and Russia. Trójstyk Wisztyniec is also the border of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Podlaskie voivodships as well as Masuria and Suwałki region. It is a kind of cold pole in Poland, although Gołdap, located about 40 km from here, welcomed us very warmly 🙂 A characteristic border pole stood on the Triangle.
You can move freely on the Polish and Lithuanian sides, but it is definitely forbidden on the Russian side. This limit cannot be crossed even by foot. In the village of Bolta at Trójstyk, there is MOR on the Green Velo trail.
Map of Goldap with attractions
Below you will find a map highlighting the attractions of this beautiful city and surrounding area. The restaurants and cafes we recommend are also marked.
Gołdap health resort
Gołdap is the only health resort in Masuria. Even in Warmia, there is no other, although Lidzbark Warminski aspires to the name. Gołdap Mazurski Zdrój is a unique place for tourists and patients. You will find the cleanest air in all of Poland and white wealth - mineral and medicinal waters. In the spa part of Gołdap, on the picturesque lake Gołdap, there is the Water Pump Room and the Graduation Tower, which have been operating since 2012.
Gołdap has had the status of a health resort since 2000! The local sanatorium is conducive to the treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract, musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, as well as obesity.
Where to eat in Gołdap
In Gołdap, with a pure heart, I can recommend you the delicious and cheap Matrioszka Restaurant. It is located in the city center, at 27A Partyzantów Street, about 300 meters from the market square. You will taste fantastic, albeit heavy borderland cuisine, with kartaczach, čburek, kiszska and delicious potato pancakes.
I recommend a great cooler with soups, but also a traditional brine. Here, not fish, but meat. And drink all this with tasty bread acid. It tastes a bit like dark beer, and without percentages 😉
The second restaurant in Gołdap, which I recommend to you, is Endorfina in the Ventus hotel. Here it is beautifully served and also delicious, but it is not cheap. Here you will taste fish brine, although I was captivated by the Lithuanian cooler, delicious.
A large selection of dishes also allows you to get to know the border cuisine and taste delicious desserts. Sweets can also be found in cafes - the revolving one on Piękna Góra and on the water tower.
Accommodations in Gołdap
We spent very pleasant moments in Gołdap in the Ventus hotel, in the spa district. At the very lake Gołdap, which you can reach in 2 minutes. Peace, quiet and beautiful surroundings. In the restaurant, you will find delicious food and local, homely products to buy. In the spa area there is a swimming pool and saunas, and in the garden there are hammocks and beautiful sun loungers. Full of luxury. We know that some have been coming here every year for many years.
And if you prefer cheaper accommodation, I suggest Osirowskie camping cottages on the Gołdap lake by the Sunny Corner beach, or cottages of various standards by the Forest Corner beach.
Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.
Getting to Gołdap
- By car - from Silesia you can get here on the A1 motorway to Piotrków Trybunalski, where we turn onto the S8 expressway through Warsaw to the town of Ostrów Mazowiecka. From here, S61 and 61 to Gracewa, where we enter the road No. 65 and through Ełk we will reach Gołdapia itself.
- By bus - DUET Plus buses run from Olsztyn to Gołdap, the journey takes just over 3 hours and costs about PLN 50
Gołdap - the city of Cittaslow
Gołdap is ideal for slow travel, i.e. slow sightseeing interspersed with rest. It is even affiliated with Cittaslow. It is both a movement and a non-profit organization, established in Italy in 1999. Cittaslow's main goal is to resist globalization and homogenization of cities. It values and supports cultural diversity, the promotion of traditional, local products and the overall improvement of the quality of life, also through the protection of the natural environment. Among other Polish cities of Cittaslow, i.e. slow cities, you will find Ryn, Nidzica and Kalety in Silesia.
Gołdap - interesting facts
- The name Gołdapi comes from the Old Prussian "gelde" (basin) and "ape" (river)
- Previously, this area was inhabited by a Prussian tribe called Yatswings
- In the vicinity of Gołdap, in the forests of the Romincka Forest, you will meet the so-called "Wilhelm's Deer". These are the Boulders of Emperor William II, commemorating the fact that at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the forest was the hunting ground of this German emperor. The boulders mark the places where he shot the largest specimens. There are 14, 8 stones on the Polish side. Among them is the red cycling trail "In the footsteps of Romincki Deer". It is a 95 km long loop
- In Stańczyki, under the observation tower, there is a small lake - Dobellus Mały (Tobellus Mały). Where is the curiosity here? Yes, it is an explosive lake🙂 In 1926, during a violent storm, the lake really exploded, throwing up a fountain of water and mud lumps several meters high. For 2 months, the lake disappeared from the surface of the earth, after which a clean sheet of water appeared again. Scientists have determined that there was a methane explosion in the peat bottom of the lake
- Gołdap is considered the world capital of kartacz - a delicacy of these areas. In August, the Kartaczewo Borderland Festival takes place here
- The Sękacz Festival is celebrated in the nearby Żytkie Mountains on August 15.
- The only Scream Competition in Poland is held in Gołdap
Our video about Gołdap
I invite you to our video about Gołdap and its surroundings
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What's worth seeing in the area?
You don't have to travel far to find more interesting places. Within a radius of 100 kilometers, there are many attractions waiting for you that will certainly enrich your stay Your trip with additional memories.
- Suwałki, distance: 46.3 km
- Wigry National Park, distance: 56.9 km
- Masuria, distance: 74.5 km
- Mikołajki, distance: 76.8 km
- National parks in Poland, distance: 95.1 km
- Podlasie, distance: 96.2 km
- Biebrza National Park, distance: 97.2 km
Hi! My name is Anna Piernikarczyk. We have been blogging and wandering around Poland since 2005. We bring back a lot of wonderful memories and experiences from family trips, which I am happy to share with you. Today it is more than just a passion, Our mission is to debunk the myth "You praise other people's things, but you don't know your own"!