Olsztyn is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and the largest city in Warmia. I come from here and I studied here too – at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Kortowo. Olsztyn received its town charter in 1353. There are a dozen or so lakes within the city limits, and the Łyna river flows right past the Old Town, so Gothic monuments, forest and beach are close to each other. In this post I have gathered places I photographed between 2019 and 2026: the Old Town, the castle where Nicolaus Copernicus lived, the Łyna valley, lakes Ukiel and Długie, the Kortowo campus and the December Christmas market.
Table of contents
- Old Town – the High Gate, Market Square and cathedral
- The Castle of the Warmian Chapter and Copernicus
- The Łyna valley – Central Park and the City Forest
- Lake Ukiel – beach and marinas
- Lake Długie – footbridges and a lakeside trail
- Kortowo – the UWM campus and Lake Kortowskie
- The Christmas market in the Old Town
- Practical information
Old Town – the High Gate, Market Square and cathedral
The way into the Old Town leads through the High Gate (Wysoka Brama), once called the Upper Gate. It is a Gothic brick building from the 14th century – the only one left of the three gates that led through the town walls. I took this photo on a June evening in 2023.
In 2012 archaeologists uncovered the remains of medieval fortifications just in front of the gate. In October 2020 the excavation with its stone walls was clearly visible at night under the street lamps. From the gate, Staromiejska Street leads towards the Market Square.
In the middle of the Market Square (Rynek) stands the Gothic Old Town Hall, which now houses the Voivodeship Public Library. The square is lined with arcaded town houses. I was here at sunset in August 2024.
Not far from the square stands St James’s Co-Cathedral Basilica. It is a Gothic church from the 14th century, the third largest in Warmia – after Frombork Cathedral and the collegiate church in Dobre Miasto. The naves are covered with crystal vaults. In August 2024 part of the walls was hidden behind scaffolding.
Outside the Old Town, on Jana Pawła II Square, stands the New Town Hall with its tall clock tower. It was built in 1912–1915, when the old town hall had become too small, and today it houses the city offices. In December 2021 the tower was lit in blue, and an illuminated “OLSZTYN” sign stood in front of the building.
The Castle of the Warmian Chapter and Copernicus
On the western edge of the Old Town, above the Łyna, stands the Castle of the Warmian Chapter. It was built in the second half of the 14th century, and today it houses the Museum of Warmia and Mazury. I looked into the courtyard in August 2024 – it is enclosed by the brick wings of the castle and a wall, and there is a well on the lawn.
In 1516–1519 and 1520–1521 the administrator of the chapter’s estates was Nicolaus Copernicus, and he lived in the castle. In 1521 he prepared the castle for defence against the Teutonic Knights. On the wall of the cloister you can still see an astronomical table that Copernicus made with his own hands – he used it to determine the moment of the equinox. By the castle there is a bench with a figure of Copernicus, and by the wall stands a stone Prussian “baba”, a figure from the time when the Old Prussians lived in these lands.
Below the castle walls lies the Czesław Niemen Amphitheatre, where concerts are held in summer. I photographed it at dusk in May 2023. In May 2025 we also set off from the castle on the WA-MA rally.
The Łyna valley – Central Park and the City Forest
The Łyna flows through Olsztyn from south to north. South-east of the Old Town it runs through Central Park (Park Centralny). In April 2026 daffodils were in bloom there, and the trees along the river were just coming into leaf.
In the south of the city, around Pozorty, the river flows between meadows and thickets. I was there on a July evening in 2023.
In the north of Olsztyn the Łyna flows through the City Forest (Las Miejski) – a forest of about 1,050 hectares within the city limits. Forest paths run along the river. In April 2026 the trees by the water were still bare.
The E11 trail runs through the forest. The PTTK signpost I photographed in October 2021 showed: Bukwałd station 12 km, Dobre Miasto 33 km and Lidzbark Warmiński 57 km. A little further on there was a signpost to “Osada Sundythen”, and a banner of the Pruthenia Scientific Society reading “Prusowie ze wsi Sędyty” (Prussians from the village of Sędyty) hung by the path.
In the northern part of the forest a small hydroelectric power station with a red roof stands on the Łyna. I took the photo in April 2026.
Lake Ukiel – beach and marinas
Ukiel, which locals call Krzywe (“Crooked Lake”), is the largest lake in Olsztyn – it covers 412 hectares and is up to 43 metres deep. On the city side there is a city beach with piers and lifeguard towers. In April 2026 it was still empty.
There are several marinas on the lake. On the western shore, at Słoneczna Polana, sailing boats and motorboats are moored at the piers. I was there in July 2023.
From the western shore you can see central Olsztyn and its church towers across the water. I took this photo in August 2025.
In July 2023 cormorants were perched on posts in the lake. In September 2022, by Lwia Paszcza bay, a sandy spit reached out into the water.
Lake Długie – footbridges and a lakeside trail
Lake Długie (“Long Lake”) is narrow and elongated – it stretches from south to north through the western part of the city, between housing estates. Paths run along the shore, and wooden footbridges cross the water. I took the photos in April 2026.
At the northern end of the lake there is a PTTK signpost: ul. Bałtycka (along Lake Długie) 2.3 km, Most Smętka 1.0 km and Jakubowo 2.4 km.
Kortowo – the UWM campus and Lake Kortowskie
Kortowo is a district in the south-west of Olsztyn and home to the main campus of the University of Warmia and Mazury (UWM). The university was founded on 1 September 1999 by merging the Agricultural and Technical Academy, the Higher School of Education and the Warmian Theological Institute. The oldest brick buildings on the campus were built for the Kortau psychiatric hospital, which opened in 1886. After the war they were taken over by an agricultural university.
In March 2019 I stood in a suit in front of the sign of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. The Graduates’ Promenade (Promenada Absolwentów) runs through the campus – in February 2026 I walked along it through the snow to the lake.
The campus lies on Lake Kortowskie, which has wooden jetties. In June 2025 I was here at sunset. The same evening, wild boars with piglets were foraging among the trees on the campus.
The Christmas market in the Old Town
In December a Christmas market is held in the Old Town. I went on Saturday 13 December 2025 in the evening – it was crowded between the stalls on the Market Square, and the town houses were lit up in pink and blue.
Near the High Gate there was a tunnel of lights, and in front of the Old Town Hall a large Christmas tree. I photographed the tree on 19 December 2025.
Illuminated little houses and Christmas decorations had been set up in the archaeological excavation in front of the High Gate. People looked at them from the railing above.
Practical information
- By train: the main station is Olsztyn Główny – the new station building opened in February 2025. Direct trains run here from Warsaw and Gdańsk, among other cities. In the western part of the city there is also Olsztyn Zachodni station.
- By bus and plane: long-distance buses stop at the main station. The nearest airport, Olsztyn-Mazury, is in Szymany, about 55 km south of the city.
- Getting around: trams returned to Olsztyn in December 2015, after a 50-year break. From the main station you can take a tram to Kortowo, among other places (Uniwersytet Prawocheńskiego stop), and the Wysoka Brama stop is right next to the Old Town. The Old Town is also about 2 km from the station on foot.
- On foot: the Old Town, the castle and Central Park are a few hundred metres apart. You can walk from the centre to Lake Długie and the City Forest; Lake Ukiel and Kortowo are easier to reach by transport.
- Swimming: in summer there is a lifeguarded bathing area at the city beach on Lake Ukiel. Swimming is sometimes banned because of cyanobacteria – you can check the current water status in the GIS bathing water service (Serwis Kąpieliskowy).
- Castle: the castle and the Museum of Warmia and Mazury are due for a major renovation, announced for 2026–2029 – check before your visit whether the museum is open.
- How much time: one day is enough for the Old Town, the castle and Central Park; the lakes, the City Forest and Kortowo are enough for a second day.
- More of Warmia and Masuria: the WA-MA rally, the hitchhiking rally to Święta Lipka and cycling to the pyramid in Rapa.
Photo gallery
