Ełk County - The Best Parts of Mazury is a fascinating, still undiscovered Masurian corner where lakes, forests, hills and morainic valleys are entangled in a picturesque way, creating unique landscapes. Ełk County covers a large part of The Masurian Lake District. These parts are perfect for water sports, cross-country skiing, hiking and cycling excursions as well as mushrooming and fishing. Although the county’s forestation rate reaches 23%, the 88 lakes are the fundamental natural factor characterising the region as a tourists’ haven. The largest lakes: Great Selmęt (pol. Selmęt Wielki), Łaśmiady and Ełk Lake are excellent for sailing. The sailors are reminded though, that all the lakes apart from Ełk Lake and a part of Great Selmęt Lake are under no-noise restrictions due to landscape protection regulations. The majority of lakes are connected by rivers and streams which favours canoeing. The sequence of county’s largest rivers (Ełk river, Lega and Małkiń) creates an attractive canoeing route towards Biebrza and Narew.
The city of Ełk was built in 1425 as a small settlement surrounding the wooden castle built on an isle in the midst of Ełk Lake. The town privileges were later bestowed upon the city in 1435 by the command of Paul von Rusdorf, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. Situated by the Ełk lake and river, encircled by hills and forests it is a wonderful place to rest. Apart from natural qualities of the region, learning about its history and monuments will be worthwhile.
Some of the most important monuments are :
Lord Jesus Holiest Hart church (pol. Kościół Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa) 1847-50, St. Wojciech Bishop and Martyr’s Cathedral (pol. Katedra pw. Św. Wojciecha Biskupa i Męczennika ), Virgin Mary of Fatima’s Sanctuary (pol. Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Fatimskiej), historic rolling stock exposition and the roundhouse of Ełk’s narrow-gauge railway, recognized as a technological relic, a nineteenth century Masurian cottage in Stare Juchy, legendary stone sacrificial altar of Yotvingian people, a 1667 church in Ostrykół, and a border stone near village Prostki, which used to mark the place where The Crown of the Polish Kingdom, The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and The Dutchy of Prussia borders met. It is one of the oldest relics of its kind in Poland.
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