Brodnica

Brodnica, at the river Drwęca is a beautiful, medieval town (700 years old) with ruins of the old Teutonic castle, gothic cathedral and a small and original old town. The castle was built in XIV century and was the seat of “Komtur” (commander of Teutonic Knights). It was a stronghold with an imposing octagonal tower. This is where Komtur Baldwin Stahl arrived after the famous battle at Grunwald. Exhausted, he climbed the tower, announced the disastrous loss for Teutonic Knights and promptly died on the spot. Since then, on every anniversary of the battle, the tower is visited by his ghost.  The ghost announces the demise of the Teutonic power and disappears…

Another ghost visiting Brodnica is that of Anna Wazowna, sister of king Sigsmund the 3rd Waza. She often used to leave her main castle residence in Golub and stayed in her palace in Brodnica, where she pursued her passion for herbalism. She died suddenly and was buried in Brodnica castle. To this day her ghost visits the palace chambers and can be spotted on the castle tower…

Lakes and river Drwęca

In this relatively small district there are over 100 lakes and each will delight you with its individuality. On Bachotek lake you can visit the Treasure Island. Strazym lake is anglers’ paradise. Mieliwo looks as a little jewel surrounded by deep forests. All the lakes are very rich in fish. Pike and eels can be found here, also zander and whitefish are relatively common. The lake district is cut through by the river Drwęca which itself is the nature reserve and it is full of trout, salmon and Lampreys.  The most attractive section of Drwęca is between the town of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie and the mouth of Brynica river, where the Drwęca runs through a deep gorge. The upper section is a wild bird sanctuary and is included in the European Ecological Network – Nature 2000.

Nature

Canoeing, cycling or walking

Drwęca valley is not the only nature trail. There are many others, both for ramblers and cyclists, as well as recommended water routes for kayaking / canoeing enthusiast. That is why the Brodnica Lake District, although relatively unknown, is the favourite for many nature lovers, who come here to observe and admire the thriving nature. Water routes are not very hard, whilst the views are truly fascinating. You would need some 4-7 days to raw across this lake district (some 55 km). You can also discover it by cycling or walking. This would allow you to visit many attractive churches, renovated manor houses set in landscaped parks and picturesque remnants of the medieval settlements as well as nature monuments. There are also small regional museums such as the one in Brobrowo commemorating Jan Zumbach (fighter pilot in RAF Division 303) or the local museum with an authentic Dutch windmill in Lakorz.