Discover Elbing: Old Town, Bażantarnia and the Canal

Old Town: urban layout, Gothic architecture and archaeology

Elbląg’s Old Town has a historic urban layout, a reconstructed row of houses and the Kościelna Path, characteristic of Elbing. Its Gothic sights include St Nicholas Cathedral, the Galeria EL Art Centre and the Market Gate. The Old Town therefore offers more than individual landmarks: it is also a historic urban space with its own layout and distinctive routes.

An archaeological perspective adds another dimension: the Archaeological and Historical Museum’s collection includes finds from 30 years of excavations in the Old Town and is considered the richest of its kind in Poland. The buildings and the collection highlight different aspects, from the visible shape of the city to finds from its past. If you are interested in history, you can take both into account when planning your stay in Elbing.

Bażantarnia: forest trails and a destination by the stream

Bażantarnia is a 369-hectare forest park on the edge of the Elbląg Upland. Marked trails invite you to hike, and the park is also suitable for horse riding and cycling. In winter, cross-country skiing is another option on the forest trails. Bażantarnia thus offers different ways to spend time in the forest, depending on the season.

A specific destination for a walk lies in the Srebrny Potok valley: the route leads to Diabelski Kamień, which lies in the stream bed. According to local legend, the devil dropped the stone. The walk therefore combines a route along the stream valley with a named natural landmark and a local legend.

Routes and waterways for planning your trip

The blue St Adalbert’s Way begins at Elbląg Zdrój railway station and is 42 kilometres long. It connects Elbing with Święty Gaj, where St Adalbert died. Unlike the walk in the Srebrny Potok valley, this route connects the city with a destination outside Elbing. The named destinations and stated distance help distinguish this route from a walk within Bażantarnia.

You can also include the waterway in your plans: a trip on the Elbląg Canal can begin in Elbing’s Old Town. Check current services and timetables for your trip. The canal is a waterway of scenic and technical interest. It is 129.8 kilometres long in total; the Ostróda–Elbląg section measures 80.4 kilometres. This comparison makes clear that the total length and the length of this section refer to different distances.

Additional highlights in Elbląg County

In the wider travel area of Elbląg County, the five ship lifts at Buczyniec, Kąty, Oleśnica, Jelenie and Całuny on the Elbląg Canal are among the tourist attractions. Ships travel two kilometres over dry land using them. This technical feature adds another specific regional attraction to the perspective of the canal as a waterway.

The Mennonite settlement heritage in Elbląg County includes arcaded houses, Dutch farmsteads, churches and other religious buildings, as well as former Mennonite cemeteries. Mennonites, members of an Anabaptist religious movement, came from the Netherlands to the Żuławy at the beginning of the 16th century. The heritage ranges from residential and farm buildings to religious structures and cemeteries; its historical background reaches back to the early settlement history of the Żuławy. These regional themes complement the impressions of the Old Town and Bażantarnia without being conflated with them as a single destination.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Bogaczewo, Rychliki, Tolkmicko, Elbing, Oleśno, Pasłęk, Gronowo Górne, Kazimierzowo, Godkowo, Sałkowice, Wopity, Komorowo Żuławskie, Kadyny, Łęcze, Plajny, Bogdaniec, Pilona, Szymbory.

For the overview of the wider travel area: Warmia-Masuria.