Thus far we have enjoyed many picturesque scenes in Poland, but today’s ride took it to a whole new level as we rode into the heart of the Masurian Lakes, undeniably one of the most beautiful regions of Poland. Unfortunately, despite a forecast of only a 50% chance of rain starting at noon, we experienced showers, and thunderstorms, the ENTIRE day (okay, only after the first 14 miles, which quickly seemed a distant memory).
Reszel to Gizycko
DAY #25 of 35Poland1,522 miles total
Once more we stayed away from the busier roads and weaved our way through the stunning surroundings, cycling alongside numerous lakes with sailboats, marinas, wildlife and tourists.
Trivia Fact: Masurian Lake District contains more than 2,000 lakes. Here is it on a sunnier day.
Although only 20 miles from Reszel as the crow flies, our route of winding country roads curling around the lakes resulted in the day’s journey being more than three times that distance. RideAndSeek does a great job of route planning to avoid busy highways, see historic and interesting sites, and submerse riders in beautiful countryside, even it if means zig-zagging a bit.
Great route planning for both the scenery and to take us past Wolfsschanze (see below). The day started out so innocently, with a promising forecast and partially blue skies when we exited the castle gate. One last look back to Reszel Castle.
About to leave Reszel for Gizychol when somebody mentioned that we were very close to Kaliningrad, Russia. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea – Stalin made a land grab for this area at the close of WW2. Previously, it was a part of Germany. Approaching a highway, Keith and Ruth (who are much stronger riders than we) were sweet to stay with us for awhile so they could sandwich us when we turned onto the busier road. At a crossing, we watched a train of Polish armored vehicles heading east. Toward the Russian border.
First Video of the Day: This was kinda eerie while riding through Poland 🇵🇱 today…
Second Video of the Day: A big tractor was moving down the highway at about 25 miles per hour. Led by the Aussies, some members of our group had been “drafting” a ride for a few miles already when they passed us.
We joined in and hitched a ride for about 5 miles or so. Was fun to go that fast at half the effort.
And Then The Rains Came
Just after the tractor turned off, the rains came … … and came … We took cover under this bus stop for a while. We waited for nearly 30 minutes. And then decided to hoof it – rain or no rain. Shall we say that our friend Chris isn’t super excited about riding in the rain. Many of even our most veteran riders had packed no rain gear at all due to the mis-firing weather forecasts from all sources. We basically got caught in this storm. We had it off/on for most of the day from about 9:00am. Given that the weather was warm, (and no one actually got struck by lightning even though it was thundering all around us), we suffered no hardships. We are at the coffee shop at the Wolf’s Lair. A wee bit wet (ok, very wet and having coffee to warm up), but happy and having a good time. After Shauna goes around the counter to grab a little more milk for her coffee, the shopkeeper threatens to put her to work making military soup with this “super ladle”. All in good fun, he had spent a year in the States and spoke great English.
The Wolf’s Lair
Today’s ride took us past Wolfsschanze, Adolf Hitler’s first military headquarters on the Eastern Front. This top secret, high security site was in the Masurian woods about 5 miles from the small town of Ketrzyn. Built in 1941 at the start of Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union – the complex would eventually become one of several Führerhauptquartiere (Führer Headquarters) located in various parts of occupied Europe.
Hitler first arrived at the headquarters on 23 June 1941. In total, he spent more than 800 days at the Wolf’s Lair during the 3½ year period until his final departure on 20 November 1944. In January 1945, the complex was blown up and abandoned 48 hours before the arrival of Soviet forces. Quite a sobering sight as we roll through centuries of warfare zone.
The Wolf’s Lair
Trivia Fact: Despite its secret location and high security, the Wolf’s Lair was the site of an assassination attempt in 1944. Unfortunately Hitler survived the bomb blast with only minor injuries due to sheer luck. Known as the 20 July Plot, this failed attempt was portrayed in the 2008 movie Valkyrie staring Tom Cruise.
After the war the entire area was cleaned of landmines and then left to decay, however in the 1990s the Wolf’s Lair was developed into a tourist attraction.
Our coffee break destination was the famous Wolf’s Lair – Adolf Hitler’s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The complex of bunkers and building was built for the start of Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union – in 1941. See #13. Hitler spent about 800 days in the Wolf’s Lair complex. In July 1944, an attempt was made to kill Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair which became known as the 20 July plot. Staff officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg would carry a briefcase bomb into a daily conference meeting and place it just a few feet away from Hitler. Stauffenberg’s assassination attempt was unsuccessful because of a change in venue, along with several other factors, such as Hitler unexpectedly calling the meeting earlier than anticipated. The bomb exploded at 12:43 pm; the interior of the building was devastated, but Hitler was only slightly injured. Four people died from their wounds a few days later. We almost got in the support van at the coffee stop, but it did stop raining VERY briefly. About 20 minutes after leaving the Wolf’s Lair complex, Mark’s seat snapped in two (it is about 15 years old after all). The Ride & Seek support van pulled up about 10 minutes later and provided a suitable replacement.
And then again, rain, rain, rain…..
Video: Rain at our lunch spot, complete with our very own waterfall!
A drone shot of our lunch spot … it cleared up nicely for the tail-enders about 2 hours after we passed through. We were quite happy to get to our hotel room, shed our wet clothes and get to dinner.
Welcome to Gizycko
Sandwiched in between Lake Mamry and Lake Niegocin, Gizycko is a popular summer tourist destination with numerous historical buildings and monuments, the most popular of which is undeniably the 14th century Giżycko Castle. We didn’t stay the night at the castle, but to be honest, we didn’t care. A hot shower, a hearty meal and a good night’s sleep were all we wanted after the rainy day. Here, Gizycko on a sunnier afternoon.
And the late afternoon sun on the sailboats. Such a peaceful setting.
Trivia Fact: Between 1709-10, the plague claimed victim to nearly 90% of the town. Only 119 inhabitants survived!
