The basis of existence of the inhabitants of Katy Rybackie is fishing, picking up the forest fruits, amber fishing and tourism. Their attention has always been drawn to water - the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. They spent most of their time on the water, living off what they "took away" from it: fish and amber. On land, they built houses, typical fishermen's farms.
They placed stones transported in boats from the Upland in the foundations of their houses, from the shore of the Lagoon they cut reeds, which they then used to cover the roofs. The fishermen’s houses faced south, so that the windows of the largest room looked out onto the Vistula Lagoon. In this way, while eating or resting, one could constantly observe the movements of ships and boats, predict the weather, and spy on rivals from the ports of the Upland. On the other side of the house, nets were woven and darned, and fish were sorted and salted.
Vistula Lagoon Museum, photo: Pomorskie Travel
Fisherman's bench, photo: Pomorskie Travel
The name of the village of Katy Rybackie reflects all the traditional occupations of the inhabitants, their entire small world full of fish smell, salt and wind from the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. However, Katy Rybackie is not only water. It is also beautiful forests, and the smell of mushrooms found in them can be felt throughout the village.
Every year on the feast of St. Peter and Paul, Katy organizes “Fisherman’s Day”, a religious celebration combined with an entertainment festival. The fishermen offer all those who come to the celebration smoked fish, which tastes nowhere better than here, and a boat ride on the waters of the Vistula Lagoon.
Read more about Landscape Park here
When in Katy Rybackie, it is worth visiting the Vistula Lagoon Museum, where you can see a former boatbuilding workshop, exhibitions on fishing and take lessons in tying fishing knots. The town is also home to the “Katy Rybackie” reserve, established in 1957 on an area of 10.8 ha. It is the largest ornithological reserve for the black cormorant and grey heron. Currently, there are 35-40 thousand cormorants here.
You can also spend time interestingly visiting the “Fisherman’s Bench”, a recent new symbol of Katy Rybackie, which honours the hard work of the fishermen. People who like to spend their free time actively can use the designated cycling routes or Nordic walking. Katy Rybackie is simply the sun, a high content of iodine in the air, the sound of waves emerging from the depths of the sea, a dreamlike view of the Vistula Lagoon, rich forests, a paradise for fish lovers. This is a place that will delight everyone.
