Holidays in Poland

Holidays in Poland is a great idea. It doesn’t matter if you plan to rest only for a weekend or a week, or maybe even longer. Holidays and recreation in Poland both at the lakes and near the sea are perfect for those looking for quality rest at a cheaper price. It‘s also a very good fit for those who want to try a vacation outside of Lithuania, but don’t want to go or fly somewhere far away.

Holidays in Poland: Mikolajki, Gizycko, Elk, Augustow, Suwalki, and the Polish border with Lithuania – they’re all favorites of Agne, one of the founders of “Travel 4 kids”. Agne, her family, children and even grandparents often go here to have fun and relax. This place is chosen for its very beautiful nature, wide range of entertainment, interesting places to visit and very good prices.

In this article, we want to share with you cheaper alternatives for recreation in Poland near the lakes than in Lithuania. Vacationing in Poland with children is a great choice for those looking for a cheap, fun and interesting vacation not far from Lithuania.

Why Choose Holidays in Poland?

The territory of Poland immediately beyond the Lithuanian border is very lakey and green. The area is full of forests, lakes, camps, and recreation areas. The land of Masuria is also called the land of a thousand lakes and that’s for a reason. In our opinion, lakes are more developed in Poland than in Lithuania. Recreational infrastructure is better here – all lake shores by the city are very well maintained. Lifeguards are on duty everywhere, there are changing cabins, toilets, and usually cafes or eateries nearby. The biggest plus for us is that the shores of the lakes are sandy, everywhere there is a sloping entrance to the water. Swimming areas are fenced off for children to prevent them from going too deep. There are also pantone steps for those who want to swim deeper. Such excellent lakes for recreation are located in Augustow, Mikolajki, Gizycko and Elk.

Also, unlike in Lithuania, there are many excellent hotels near the lakes – near them are private beaches, outdoor and indoor pools and even catering.

Where plan Holidays in Poland?

Holidays in Poland with children – which town to choose? We like the towns of Augustow, Mikolajki and Gizycko the most. Although Elk has two great beaches (the old and the new), it reminds us more of a bigger city. We would recommend Augustow, Mikolajki and Gizycko for your holidays.

Augustow is the town closest to the Lithuanian border. Although small, it is very cozy and full of entertainment for children. Mikolajki is a small resort town, but it’s very beautiful. It has many good hotels for recreation, and also a water park.

Gizycko is probably the least known, but a very nice town nonetheless. In our opinion, it’s a real resort where you will find everything. There is also a perfect beach and many interesting attractions, as well as a lot of entertainment for children and adults.

How Much Does a Holiday in Poland Cost?

When it comes to holidays, the prices compared to Lithuania are lower. Starting with the price of accommodation, entertainment and ending with food in cafes. Fuel prices are slightly lower compared to Lithuania too. Therefore, a vacation in Poland is perfect for those who want to save money.

In our favorite Suwalki water park 2 hours of entertainment for an adult costs 36 zlotys (about 7.5 euros). If you want to rent a boat for 3 hours, you would need to pay 400 zlotys (85 euros), trampolines for children for 30 minutes cost about 2-4 euros depending on the location.

We, two adults and one child, can have a great meal with drinks and desserts for 120-150 zlotys (25-30 euros). In Lithuania, a visit to a cafe usually costs us about 40 euros.

It’s great that in touristic places and beach cafes, ice cream or other treats for children cost is relatively cheap compared to non-touristic places. Let’s say our favorite ice cream from the machine: the ice cream costs 8 zlotys (1.7 euros).

Since the Polish themselves like to relax by the lakes, the prices of accommodation rise during the season, but still do not reach the prices of Lithuania. However, if you want to go during the season on a weekend, you will have a hard time looking for accomodation. So we recommend planning in advance.

Mikolajki for Vacation

Mikolajki is a very popular and favorite resort of the Polish themselves. The town of Mikolajki itself is very small, but there is definitely something to do. A very nice, albeit small town. It has a beach with a sandy, extremely shallow shore, which is perfect for swimming with children. It has small slides for children which are free of charge. Water trampolines are also available during the season.

Along the lake there is a large promenade with many cafes and restaurants. Lots of small shops, shows and music. Boats can be rented too.

Prices are slightly higher than in Augustow, but lower than in Lithuania. From the port, there are large boats to other cities, excursion boats. The greatest fun for us is to rent a boat and sail by ourselves. These boats do not require the rights of a skipper (the rental price is about 200 zlotys per hour, but it can be easily negotiated.) We highly recommend sailing in the evening when the sun is setting. It is very beautiful.

If you plan to stay not in a hotel, but in an apartment and cook for yourself, there is a large Biedrionka store. Trampolines are available for children during the season, and bicycles can be rented in many places.

Where to Stay in Mikolajki

There are a lot of good hotels in Mikolajki, as the Polish themselves often choose to vacation here. That means that you will find inexpensive accommodation in the private sector and hotels where a night costs several hundred euros.

If possible, choose Golebiewski Hotel Hotel Gołębiewski w Mikołajkach, which contains a Water Park. The hotel is very large and often sells accommodation and meal packages. When staying at the hotel, visiting the water park is free. The hotel has a wonderful private beach by the lake. It is especially fun to live here during the summer, because the hotel has many outdoor pools, as well as various entertainment for children.

We have stayed overnight more than once in the Hotel Roberts Port Lake Resort & Spa, about 10 km from the town of Mikolajki. It has a great private beach for swimming, with free sunbeds, boat rentals, an indoor pool, and concerts in the evenings. You can also order meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). The price hovers around 100 euros per night, but it’s definitely worth it.

There is also a great 5* hotel called Mikołajki Leisure & SPA Hotel Mikołajki Leisure & SPA, but the prices are really high. It is located right on the lake shore in the city center, right next to the beach.

We also recommend Lawendowe wzgórze villa. It has a wonderful terrace with a great view of the lake. The villa itself is very modern, contemporary. The pedestrian promenade to the city center is only ten minutes away.

A very large supply of accommodation is in the private sector. If you are choosing accommodation, we recommend searching through Booking.com.

Booking.com

Mikolajki Water Park

Although the water park is old enough and not big, we still enjoy visiting it. Located near the Golebiewski Hotel, the visit is free for hotel guests. The water park is fun in the summer, there are many outdoor pools and a playground, so you can spend the whole day here. There is a bar outside, and if you are a hotel guest you can order food to your room, but if you are only visiting the water park, there’s no such option. The water park provides towels even if you are not a hotel guest, so there is no need to bring your own. It’s very nice indoor children’s pool with slides and entertainment for smaller children.

Gizycko is a Perfect Resort for a Family Vacation or Weekend

Although we don’t know much about this town, it can make a great vacation or weekend getaway destination. The town has a wonderful extremely large lake shore with sand, the resort comes with changing cabins and many cafes and restaurants nearby. Like Mikolajki or Augustow, it is perfectly suited for families with children.

Everything is here – from a small amusement park (attractions) to bicycle and scooter rentals. There are also many trading points with summer attributes (various toys, inflatable water products, snacks). Boats can be rented right next to the shore of the lake, just like in Mikolajki. We highly recommend swimming in the lake on your own. Or with excursion boats on the lake or canals.

Entertainment for Children

Very close to the city center, we have a wonderful climbing park for children. The park has many attractions. There are also harnesses for smaller children without carabiners. Very nice place and with really friendly prices. If you like water fun – the Boyen wake park is suitable for you. Not far from the climbing park by a small lake there is a wake park, bandens trampolines, and a cafe.

There is also an amusement park by the beach. Great entertainment for younger children.

What is Interesting to See

We would highly recommend visiting and seeing the Gizycko’s landmark – the revolving bridge. Yes, not a lifting bridge, but a revolving bridge, of which there are only two left in Europe. This eight-meter bridge rotates according to a schedule. We highly recommend going up the water tower. From the observation deck of this water tower, a great panorama of the city and its surroundings opens up. There is also a small cafe upstairs. Take a walk around the town itself and you will see that it’s very small and cozy. Visit the six-pointed star shape as well – it’s called the fortress Bojen.

Where to Stay and Where to Eat

Food portions in Poland are significantly larger than in Lithuania in at least 80 percent of cafes and restaurants – keep that in mind when ordering food. If you are looking for more traditional food, look for Karczma. In Gizycko, we really like the Browar Chmury cafe. It’s on the shore of the lake, near the beach, and it also has a wonderful terrace.

For the night, we can recommend a place that we have tried ourselves. This is St. Bruno Hotel. The hotel is really impressive – it is located in a castle and has a swimming pool. The price is not very low, but the place is really impressive for the night. It’s located right next to the main canal. The hotel has a great games room. There is a campsite on the other side of the swing bridge and we’ve heard great reviews about it.

Search for more great deals based on your needs, budget and dates.

Booking.com

Augustow – a Great Vacation Destination in Poland

The beach of the city of Augustow is really wonderful. We really like to rest there in the summer. The shore of the lake is sandy, and it can only be described as a very, very slowly deepening shore. Part of the beach is surrounded by a wooden bridge, so it is ideal for your children because they will not swim deep into the lake. Lifeguards are on duty during the season. There are a lot of cafes, eateries, and ice cream parlors.

You can find a video overview of Augustow on our Facebook account.

Read the article on where to eat and shop in Augustow in our article Entertainment and shopping in Augustow in Poland.

Things To Do in Augustow

One of the main entertainments is sailing on the lakes and the canals connecting them. There are longer and shorter cruises, and you can sail in large or smaller boats. Private sailings can also be booked. There is also a themed Viking ship. Prices are not high. Boats sail all year round, except when it is very cold and the lake freezes. During the season, the choice of boats is very large.

Next to the city beach, there is a swimming pool park during the season. In the off-season, it is perfect for smaller children to try the lowest track without carabiners and guards.

As Augustow is located next to many lakes, kayaking is very popular here. There are also great bike paths. There is a decent playground for children by the harbor.

The beach of the city of Augustow is really wonderful. We really like to rest there in the summer. Lifeguards are on duty during the season and there are a lot of cafes, eateries, and ice cream parlors.

Where to Stay in Augustow

We love Augustow very much. We can recommend the Hotel Warszawa SPA & Resort as it’s a great 4* hotel on the shore of the lake. It has two children’s playrooms, a very nice spa with a pool, and is especially suitable for small children. Traditional regional dishes are served at breakfast, and the buffet is truly impressive. The hotel itself also has an excellent restaurant, boats, and water bikes for rent. The hotel is about 2 km away from the city. But there is a nice walking path along the lake to get to town. The price for 2 adults and a child is around 450 zlotys (100 euros). During the summer, accommodation is more expensive, but the hotel is always full of guests.

The neighboring Sanatorium Uzdrowiskowe Augustów is also a great place to stay. There is a larger selection of various therapeutic procedures, but the rooms and environment are simpler than Warszawa Spa&Resort, since it is a sanatorium. It has a large swimming pool and offers many procedures, which, by the way, are performed with high quality.

Another great option is the Hotel Wojciech. Only this hotel is located far from the city itself, so you will have to go to Augustow by car. It also has a swimming pool.

If you are looking for a cheaper and simpler option, look into Oasis U Tadeusza. Very nice place with a very nice host who has turned her large house into many rooms for rent. We have stayed here once. Very good value for money.

Make sure to search for more great deals based on your needs, budget and dates.

Booking.com

Read about entertainment and shopping in Suvalkai in the article shopping and entertainment in Poland in Suwalki.

Read about vacationing in Poland by the sea in the article a trip to the Polish seaside with children.

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