Elbląg High Plain and Old Prussian Coast

Astonishing nature, picturesque landscapes, land relief which makes one feel like in the mountains, a rich history as well as extraordinary centuries-old buildings - this is the most concise characteristics of the area along the Vistula Lagoon (known also as Vistula Bay), belonging to the Elblag High Plain, Old Prussian Coast and partly to the Warmia Plain. This area stretches out from Elbląg through Tolkmicko, Kadyny, Frombork and Braniewo to Kaliningrad in the Russian Federation.
Everything here is interesting and unusual: the signs of human activity - large buildings, works of art, scientific discoveries along with the works of nature - deep ravines (up to 60 m) carved by swift torrents, huge boulders, unique animals and plants (especially centuries-old trees). The incontestable value of the local nature and the necessity of protecting it led to the creation of the Elbląg High Plain Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Mierzei Wiślanej) along with the following reserves: Elbląg High Plain Beeches (Buki Wysoczyzny Elbląskiej), Kadyny Woods (Kadyński Las), Elbląg Bay (Zatoka Elbląska), Calf House (Cielętnik), Beaver Refuge on the Pasłęka River (Ostoja Bobrów na rzece Pasłęce), Crest Ravine (Pióropusznikowy Jar). It is possible to explore the resources of the Elbląg High Plain and Old-Prussian Coast owing to numerous tourist routes, including hiking, water or bicycle ones (R-1 international bicycle route and Copernicus route, to mention but a few) and also historical tourism paths running from Elbląg through Kadyny, Tolkmicko, Frombork to Braniewo, as well as to Malbork, Tri-City and Kaliningrad. The whole area has a good tourism base and offers many attractions e.g. organ concerts, outdoor performances, international dance tournaments, exhibitions, open air painting meetings and a possibility to go sailing or do other water sports. The area is located along the southeastern coast of the Vistula Lagoon.
The Vistula Lagoon is a large reservoir. Within the Polish boarders its surface area amounts to 328 km2, its width falls between 8 and 11 km, while the average depth reaches 2,4 m. There are 38 species of fish (freshwater, saltwater and able to live in both habitats). The Lagoon is used for fishery as well as cargo and passenger transport. The Vistula Lagoon waters enable connection to the Vistula River, the Bay of Gdańsk, the Mazuria (through the Elbląg River & Canal) and the Kaliningrad District. The land spreading out from Elbląg to Braniewo is also well connected to the centre of Poland, the Russian Federation and further to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (there are four border crossings: water, railway and for cars). Soon a large road crossing in Grzechotki is scheduled for opening. The numerous advantages of the area create very convenient conditions for investment.

CITY OF ELBLĄG

Elbląg, which dates back to 1237, was granted its municipal rights in 1246. The contemporary city, with its 128.000 inhabitants, constitutes a significant industrial centre, an important transport junction as well as a higher education and service centre for the region. There are a lot of hotels, cultural and sports facilities, monuments of great value, a marina and a sea port both for passenger and cargo ships, not to mention a boarder crossing. Tourists can enjoy a wide range of exciting cultural events of their choice (painting, poetry & drama, music) sporting events (especially dance tournaments) and also fairs or exhibitions. Several exciting tourist routes start in Elbląg. It is possible to go on a cruise to Ostróda down the Elbląg Canal (with unique slipways on the way) or through the Vistula Lagoon to Kaliningrad and other destinations. Numerous interesting sights testify to the rich past of Elbląg. The elaborately rebuilt Old Town is exceptional on a European scale. There are a lot of places worth special attention, such as St Nicholas' Cathedral (13th century, with valuable furnishings and masterpieces), a building complex of the former Holy Spirit Church and Hospital (at present, the Elbląg Library with a precious collection of old prints), the Market Gate (14th century), the former post-Dominican church under the invocation of Holy Virgin Mary (now it is the "EL Gallery" Art Centre - widely known even abroad), to mention but a few. Among the ample collections of the Elbląg Museum one can see several hundreds of thousands of exhibits coming from archeological sites in the Old Town and the early TRUSO settlement (8th to 10th centuries, discovered in 1982 in Janów on Drużno Lake). Elbląg is not only a tourist centre of a rising significance. The town also creates perfect conditions for investors. A Special Economic Zone operates here, there are good communication solutions, new port terminals and road routes under modernization.

TOWN AND COMMUNE OF TOLKMICKO

The commune comprises attractive areas situated in the central part of the southeastern shore of the Vistula Lagoon. Within the commune area there is a particularly beautiful Elbląg High Plain Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Wysoczyzny Elbląskiej) with marvelous trees, very diverse terrain, rich fauna and flora. The hills covered with centuries-old forest are cut with numerous deep ravines, inside which picturesque streams and torrents flow. The landscape of the commune resembles a mountainous area at times. There are numerous monuments of nature, such as Bażyński Oak (10 m in girth) and a boulder (14,5 m in girth) in Kadyny as well as another boulder (14 m in girth) in Święty Kamień. Especially interesting historical objects are in Tolkmicko, Kadyny, Łęcze, Suchacz, Krzyżewo and Chojnowo. Along the Lagoon coastline there are some ports and marinas used mainly by fishermen and yachtsmen. The commune has convenient areas for investment, mainly in the zone alongside the Lagoon. Tourists visiting the Commune of Tolkmicko have an opportunity to see interesting material culture heritage, rich and unique nature and do some water sports.
Tolkmicko. A town situated on the Vistula Lagoon, with well-developed fishery and food industry; a seat of the town and commune authorities. Its old-town houses, St James the Apostle Church and a Gothic tower from the14th century, a cemetery chapel, a railway station building or Tolkmit's bulwark are well worth a visit. Tolkmicko has its hotel and gastronomic base as well as a passenger, yacht and fishing port.
Kadyny. A settlement with a rich history and numerous places of historical interest, such as a palace-park complex with an orangery (17th century), a chapel from 1680, a Franciscan monastery (17th century), stud facilities, a lot of dwelling houses and other premises. There are also good hotels, agro-tourism lodgings, delicious gastronomy, two beaches, and a stud. Unusual nature in Kadyny deserves special attention, e.g. mighty beech forests, Sika Deer, the already mentioned huge boulder (14,5 m in girth) and Bażyński Oak (10 m in girth), to mention but a few. Various sport competitions and open air artistic meetings are organized here.
Suchacz. A settlement by the route Kadyny - Elbląg. It has breathtaking view points, a fishing port, a marine and a few historical buildings.
Chojnowo. A village between Tolkmicko and Pogrodzie, famous for lots of extraordinarily interesting chapels.
Łęcze. A village with arcaded houses, a historical church, original buildings and some remains of a windmill.

TOWN AND COMMUNE OF FROMBORK

A tourist and rural commune situated at the boundary of the Elbląg High Plain, Old-Prussian Coast and the Warmia Plain. As far as tourism is concerned, a dominant role is played by the town of Frombork, often called the "Pearl of the North" or "Copernicus' Town". The town is known for its amazing history and several monuments. The best years for Frombork were in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nicolas Copernicus lived here and carried out his research for 33 years. Just here, in Frombork he wrote his masterpiece titled "De revolutionibus orbium caelestium". He was buried in the local cathedral. It is a must visit the Cathedral Hill, ranked among top world class architectural properties. It includes a magnificent Gothic cathedral from 1388 (with the most famous organ in Poland, 23 altars and marvelous stalls), the former bishops' palace (now the Nicolas Copernicus Museum), a bell tower called the Radziejowski Tower (with a planetarium, a Foucault's pendulum and a landscape terrace), the Copernicus Tower and an astronomical observatory. Numerous monuments can also be found outside the Cathedral Hill. Among others, there is a neo-Gothic evangelic church, a water tower building from 1571, a building of the former Holy Spirit Hospital (14th - 17th centuries, today the Museum of Medicine). Frombork has good tourist infrastructure as well as a port for fishing boats and yachts. Annual international pipe organ festivals, outdoor performances and sailing races are organised here. From the Lagoon cliffs and towers on the Cathedral Hill tourists can admire vast and distant scenic landscapes. Several tourist routes run through Frombork. The town offers very convenient conditions for investors. Its natural resources make it possible to develop a health resort in Frombork.

TOWN OF BRANIEWO

Founded in the 12th century on the Old-Prussian Coast, at the low section of the Pasłęka River, the town can be proud of its superb scientific, cultural and economic past (since the 14th century a port with its own fleet had existed there). Nowadays, it is an administrative, service and industrial centre, inhabited by about 20 thousand citizens. There are numerous objects of its material culture heritage, dating back to the times of town's prosperity. Here are the ones deserving of all visitors' attention: the St Catharine's Gothic Church (14th-15th centuries), the St Catharine's Monastery, the St Cross Baroque Church constructed on a Greek cross location (18th century), a complex of former Collegium Hosianum buildings, the Old Town with its spatial arrangement, a gate tower of the bishops' castle, a classicistic church (19th century), a granary with nogging construction, the horse stud buildings and many others. In the vicinity of the town nature is extremely valuable, e.g. the refuges of fowl and beavers. The Pasłęka River is very charming and valuable in terms of nature. Numerous tourist hiking, bicycle and water routes cross the town. A significant number of hotels await tourists. Attractive areas are offered for investment purposes. Railway and road border crossings, along with its good connection to the centre of Poland, the Russian Federation and more distant Baltic countries foster the development of Braniewo.

COMMUNE OF ELBLĄG

The Commune of Elblag comprises the areas located at the boundary of the Vistula Marshland and the Elblag High Plain. Therefore, it accumulates features characteristic for the Lagoon communes. There are both unique marshlands and highlands, depression and mountainous landscapes, exceptionally precious nature, beautiful forests, a great amount of waters and plenty of cultural heritage objects. Tourists may visit the unique Drużno Lake Ornithological Reserve (221 bird species), which, due to its rare wildlife, comes under protection as world natural heritage, according to the RAMSAR Convention, and is enrolled into the List of Wetlands of International Importance within the framework of NATURA 2000 Programme. Moreover, visitors to Elbląg Commune should see the Elbląg Bay Ornithological Reserve (Zatoka Elbląska with 222 bird species), the site of the primeval settlement "TRUSO" (discovered in Janów near Elblag), a recreation centre named Little Holland (Mała Holandia), the lowest spot in Poland (1,8 m below sea level) in Raczki Elbląskie, as well as arcaded houses, Mennonites' cemeteries or sacral objects. One of the most amazing attractions is a boat cruise to Ostróda through the Elbląg Canal - during which ships overcome a 100-metre difference in height owing to the world unique slipways. In silence and peace people can do water sports or go fishing on lots of canals (e.g. the Jagiellonian Canal and rivers (such as the Elbląg, Nogat, Fiszewka, to mention but a few). In the commune area there are several tourist routes, hotels, motels and agrotourist lodgings. Being the seat of the commune authorities, Elbląg and its environs accumulates considerable service and manufacturing potential. Yet, to increase the potential, the commune offers very convenient investment locations to prospective investors.