Ostróda. Attractions worth visiting
- Ostróda is a picturesque town in Masuria, located on Drwęcki Lake.
- On Lake Drwęckie you will find a pier, a city beach and a water ski lift.
- The castle in Ostróda is a 14th-century Teutonic stronghold, where a museum and a cultural center operate.
- The Elbląg Canal is a unique waterway with ramps, connecting Ostróda with Elbląg. Cruises start at the marina, parking is available on site.
Ostróda is a pearl of the Western Masuria, beautifully located among lakes, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It is located about 40 km from Olsztyn and 28 km from Grunwald, on the Drwęca River, which is a nature reserve. Significantly, it is surrounded by as many as five picturesque lakes. The largest and most significant is Lake Drwęckie, because it cuts into the development of the city, with a beautifully landscaped shore.
Ostroda is a very old town, founded in 1329, but the Soviet Army destroyed it in 1945. Fortunately, some of the monuments have been rebuilt. Today Ostróda is a great place to relax. Everyone will find something for themselves, especially as the city is constantly developing and becoming more attractive and friendly to tourists.
Experiences in Ostróda
Ostróda is very popular and eagerly visited by tourists, and yet not as crowded as the most popular Masurian resorts, e.g. Mikołajki. See what attractions this city has to offer and what attracts tourists.
1. Drwęckie Lake in Ostróda
A beautiful lake with an impressive pier, a famous amphitheater overlooking the lake, a water ski lift, a city beach and, of course, marinas. At the pier there is the Ostróda Elbląg Shipping Pier, with which you can set off on a cruise. Short on Drwęckie Lake or a little longer to Stare Jabłonki or Miłomłyn. The well-developed shore of the lake allows for active leisure or romantic walks. Of course, the most visited place here is the L-shaped pier, very nice, especially at sunset.
2. Family Activity Zone in Ostróda
At the marina, behind the Tavern at Zdzich, on the premises of the KS Sokół Campsite, there is a nice family attraction waiting for you. There is a playground, mini rope parks and a kayak rental service available on Lake Drwęckie. This is an EU project, so you can still use the experience for free.
Campsite KS Sokół, ul. Słowackiego 40, Ostróda
3. Ostróda Castle
Did you know that the castle of Ostróda was once the center of Europe? It was here that Napoleon Bonaparte once stayed and from this castle he ruled Europe for about 40 days, from February 1807. The castle in Ostróda, a Teutonic trace of the city, stands to this day, although the tower and one of the wings have not survived to our times. There is not much left of Ostróda after the Red Army entered the city in 1945. At that time, Ostróda, not very destroyed during the war, suffered enormous damage, almost the entire old town was burned down along with its monuments. That is why there are not many of them here today. It is definitely worth visiting the castle, the courtyard is available free of charge, you should buy a ticket for exhibitions (normal PLN 10, reduced PLN 8).
ul. Adama Mickiewicza 22, Ostróda
http://muzeumwostrodzie.pl
4. Gothic Church of St. Dominic Savio in Ostróda
Near the castle you will see a Gothic church from the 14th century, where in 1410 King Władysław Jagiełło thanked God for the victory over the Teutonic Knights in the battle of nearby Grunwald. Today, the church tower is impressively painted, I must admit that I have not yet seen a gothic building painted in this way.
5. The Evangelical Methodist Church of Divine Grace in Ostróda
A neo-Gothic temple with a characteristic double tower. This tall tower is open to tourists during their holidays and offers a magnificent panorama of the city. We managed to enter the interior of the temple, but only into the nave, because the tower is open only from the second half of June. The church with great acoustics can be visited as part of the free guided walks that take place in Ostróda every Saturday during the holidays. The walks start in the castle courtyard.
6. Aqua Ostróda
Aqua Ostróda is an indoor water park with many attractions. In addition to the sports pool, you will find a swimming pool for adults, an attractive paddling pool for children or a rushing river. There is also a jacuzzi, a salt cave and a sauna area. Interestingly, guests of the nearby Ostróda Apartments can enter the facility free of charge via an underground passage. Aqua Ostróda is located in the city center, next to Galeria Mazurska. It offers several free parking spaces, and there is an underground car park in the gallery.
7. Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ostróda
A neo-Gothic, Catholic temple with a high tower, visible from many places in the city. It is located on Sienkiewicza Street, a significant Ostróda Street, which also hides an interesting building with symbols of the Masonic Lodge.
8. Czarnieckiego Street in Ostróda
Ostróda boasts an unusual center at Czarnieckiego Street, where stylized buildings were created, reminiscent of historic tenement houses. Interestingly, this fragment of Ostróda was put into use in 2002. It will be decorated with a fountain and a lot of greenery around it.
9. Lake Sajmino in Ostróda
Sajmino is one of the Ostróda lakes over which a city beach has been created. It spills over the south-eastern part of the city, and the beach welcomes you on the northern shore of the lake.
10. Bicycle routes in Ostróda
Bicycles are always a good idea, and there are many opportunities to do so in Ostróda, because well-prepared cycling routes have been created, e.g. along Lake Drwęckie. You can also see the Elbląg Canal from the saddle position. A well-marked cycling trail along the canal leads from Ostróda to Elbląg (85 km).
11. Elbląg Canal
The Elbląg Canal is a masterpiece of technology. A real, over 150-year-old miracle, designed by George Steenke, which in the past allowed ships to cover the route from Ostróda to Elbląg, where the difference in water levels is close to 100 meters. Overcoming it takes place with the use of special trolleys, in which ships are transported through grassy ramps. Currently, tourist cruises take place on 5 ramps – Buczniec, Kąty, Oleśnica, Jelenia and Całuny. Further, sailing through the nature reserve of Lake Duzno, you can reach Elbląg. Many tourists are currently leaving Buczyniec. Before the cruise, it is worth visiting the Elbląg Canal History Chamber located at this ramp.
Buczyniec slipway 1a, Buczyniec
https://zegluga.com.pl/
12. Bismarck Tower in Ostróda
At the Drwęckie Lake, behind the amphitheater and near the city beach, there is the historic Bismarck Tower. It was built in 1902 as the first building of this type in East Prussia. On the 87th birthday of Otto von Bismarck. Formerly, on his birthday, a fire was lit in a bowl at the top of the tower. The height of the Bismarck Tower in Ostróda is 21 meters. Renovated in 2021, it has been made available to tourists and is a lookout point for Lake Drwęckie.
13. Water Tower in Ostróda
The Municipal Water Tower is located at Drwęcka Street. It was built in 1904, along with water supply. The entire complex was under the responsibility of the Berlin company Grove. The tower is round, three-quarters brick made of red brick. The roof is conical.
14. Ostróda Reggae Festival
Ostróda Reggae Festival is the largest event of its kind in Poland. It has been held in Ostróda in the summer of 2001, so for 20 years now. It is the leading Polish event presenting music and culture originating from Jamaica.
15. Monument to European Unity in Ostróda
The Monument to European Unity stands on the 1000th anniversary square, in front of the town hall, which is a modern building. This monument has an interesting history, before World War II it was the so-called Fountain of the Three Emperors, unveiled in 1907. It was dedicated to three Prussian emperors - Wilhelm I, Frederick III and Wilhelm III. They ruled in 1888, from which the term "Year of the Three Emperors" came. Originally, the fountain had the shape of a granite obelisk with portraits of three emperors of Prussia. At the beginning of 1945, the images of emperors were removed, and in the 1960s The characteristic spire was replaced by a sculpture of three mermaids. On May 1, 2004, as a result of Poland's accession to the European Union, the original obelisk was restored. The spinning sirens, on the other hand, were moved to the promenade at Lake Drwęckie, right next to one of the marinas.
Attractions Ostróda on the map
For better orientation in the field, we have marked the best attractions of Ostróda for you on the map. You will also find the marked café Kawa na Ława and Apartamenty Ostróda.
Guided walks around Ostróda
Throughout the year, Ostróda can be visited with a guide, who will show the city and its attractions in a very interesting way. On holiday, you can also visit the attractions of Ostróda as part of free guided walks. In 2022, they will take place every holiday Saturday at 11:45 and 13:00. Free guided walks start in the castle courtyard. You can then, for example, enter the tower of the Evangelical church.
Where to eat in Ostróda?
We had meals provided in the Ostróda Apartments, so we did not use any restaurants in Ostróda itself. However, we can recommend the Coffee Cafe on the Bench, which is located at Czarnieckiego Street. This is where the nice, stylized buildings that I mentioned earlier in this guide were created. In the cafe, you will not only drink coffee from the regional coffee roaster and eat delicious cakes from your own bakery, but also bagels, salads, toast or baguettes. You won't get out of here hungry, and it's nice and cozy inside🙂
https://kawanalawe.com.pl/
Accommodation in Ostróda
In Ostróda, we slept in the Ostróda Apartments, which have a hotel standard and are located in the city center, near Lake Drwęckie. They offer a buffet breakfast as well as a salad buffet and a light sports diet in special packages. Guests of the apartments can use the Aqua Ostróda zone with a sports and recreational pool, jacuzzi, saunas and a salt cave. The Aqua Ostróda facility is connected to the hotel by an underground passage.
More accommodation in Ostróda, in different standards, can be found at the following link
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Getting to Ostróda
Ostróda can be reached in several ways. You can get here by car from Silesia initially on the A1 motorway, and later from Łódź on the E30 and then on the E77 road. From Toruń, road No. 15 leads to Ostróda. From the north, from Gdańsk, there is the S7 road.
You can easily and quickly reach Iława by pendolino train and from here it is close to Ostróda. You can still drive up by train or road No. 16.
Did we like Ostróda?
Ostróda greeted us with the setting sun on the pier by Drwęckie Lake. This was our first meeting with this city, so it is obvious that it immediately charmed us🙂 The city itself has less and more interesting corners, regretting that the historic buildings have not survived. It is definitely worth visiting the castle, the Evangelical church and Czarnieckiego Street. However, the best place for tourists is the shore of Lake Drwęckie. It is a very pleasant place for walks and rest, as well as water pleasures. In addition, Ostróda is much quieter than other Masurian resorts, such as Mikołajki, for example. And there are plenty of lakes around Ostróda, so I definitely recommend this place!
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What's worth seeing in the area?
If you are looking for more ideas for interesting places to visit, we have it for you some options in the area. There are several attractions within a radius of 100 kilometers, that are worth adding to your travel plan.
- Western Masuria, distance: 0.1 km
- Iława, distance: 28.8 km
- Warmia, distance: 34.9 km
- Olsztyn, distance: 34.9 km
- Elbląg, distance: 62.7 km
- Kwidzyn, distance: 68.4 km
- Malbork, distance: 71.6 km
- Malbork Castle, distance: 71.6 km
- Frombork, distance: 75.1 km
- Grudziądz, distance: 83.3 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"!