Situated on the east coast Powisle is at the bored of two vaivodeships: Pomeranian and Warmian-Mazurian. Luckily for the Pomeranian, in its borders there are many lakes, rivers and forests full of beautiful walking paths. Those who love history and architecture will come to Powisle to visit the castles, fortresses and crypts, which there are quite a lot of them.
Powisle is situated in the area of Lower Vistula , which is the land of beautiful landscapes and quite complicated history. This land changed its nationality many times and finally became part of Pomerania and Poland.
This is how Powiśle tastes
Powisle is rich with lakes and rivers. There are also forests here, which are an excellent palace for strolling and active way of spending time. There are also quite a lot of farming areas, which especially in the Spring time create charming panoramas and orchards with apples, pears and plumps.
Those are the plumps that locals farmers are so proud of. The plump of Powisle is a rarity and the good of the region. The most famous plump is from the Neborowo Wielkie.
It is used for a classical plump jam and the tincture, which is the hallmark of the region.
Products from the Nebrowska plum, photo: promotional materials
Powisle is appreciated not only for its geographical location and features. This is the land where there are two artefacts from the Teutonic times.
Kwidzyn
First, let’s go to Kwidzyn, called the capital of the Lower Powisle. Over the city, situated at the Liwa river, there is a castle of the wormer chapter house of the Pomesanians. The castle was modelled on the other Teutonic castles from the region.
The castle was built in XIII/XIV c. and during its golden age it was the centre of the religious and political – administrative life. The most characteristical feature of the castell in, so called “Gdanisko”, the tower emerging form the castle walls. It was connected with the rest of the castle with the corridor supported on brick arcades.
It looks really spectacular and visiting Kwidzyn You have to drive down Gdanska Street, beneath the arcades. Visiting the city, it is worth looking at the former. Medieval, brick city walls from XIV c. , four-storey granary, brick granary from XVIII and the crypt of the three Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order in the St. John Evangelist Cathedral.
Kwidzyn Castle, photo: Pomorskie Travel
Sztum
Sztum, situated at the two lakes: Sztumskie and Barlewickie is another stop while visiting the region. Sztum is famous not only due to its beautiful location at the two lakes but because of its history so much joined with the Teutonic Order. This was the place where in XIV c. Teutons built the defensive fortress, which became the sit of the mayor. The fortress was built from the field stones and the bricks, due to that it lasted till today. Now, it is a part of the Castle Museum in Malbork. There is also a Sztum Land Gild, so the knight tradition is still alive in the city.
Branch of the "Museum of Noble Tradition" in Waplewo Wielki, photo: © National Museum in Gdańsk
Waplewo Wielkie
Driving around Sztum, it is worth to see Waplewo Wielkie, to see the Sierakowski Palace. This place, during the difficult times of XIX c. was the centre where Polish tradition, culture and language was cultivated. There were many Polish aristocrats, artists, poets and writers coming here.
Prabuty
In Prabuty, on the other hand, almost at the border of the Pomeranian and the Warmian-Mazurian vaivodeships, it is worth visiting the underground waterworks route. The corridors under the Old Town were built around XVIII due to many dangerous fires.
Powisle, during the day full of charm, in the evenings, mysterious. Who knows, maybe in the former Teutonic castle, there are still some ghosts of the Grand Masters?
View of the Castle in Sztum, photo by M. Ochocki
