Gmina Gietrzwałd brings together Marian history and regional art in the village of Gietrzwałd, with signposted cycling routes throughout the municipality.

Marian history in Gietrzwałd

According to the local account, the Marian apparitions in Gietrzwałd are the only ones in Poland to have been officially confirmed by the Vatican. At the site of the apparitions, a chapel with a statue of the Virgin Mary was erected on 16 September 1877, during the apparitions.

The hornbeam-lined Aleja Różańcowa, flanked by 15 rosary chapels, leads to the spring in Gietrzwałd. A wooden chapel was built on a hill that slopes gently down to the river; it was later destroyed.

Museum, art and local history

The Izba Muzealna is housed in a building above the Giłwa River, which residents of Gietrzwałd call “kuźnia.” The exhibits include old household items with descriptions in the Warmian dialect and in Polish. Students from a secondary school collected exhibits for a regional exhibition.

The Galeria Pełna Cudów at the Centrum Kulturalno-Biblioteczne offers another perspective on regional culture. For years, it has promoted regional and folk art by amateur and professional artists. If you plan to visit the gallery, check the current exhibitions beforehand. The focus differs: old household items in the museum, regional art in the gallery.

The Deskale artworks also have a local connection: they were created in Gietrzwałd by the artist Arkadiusz Andrejkow from Sanok. One Deskale depicts Klaus Jach; the photograph it is based on was taken in 1948. Jach is shown with a bicycle which, according to the local account, was the first bicycle in Gietrzwałd.

Another area of interest is an investment project completed in Gietrzwałd in 2014, which included an amphitheatre. The dates refer to different things: 1877 is the year the chapel was erected, 1948 is the year the photograph behind the Deskale was taken, and 2014 is when the project was completed.

Cycling routes and a walk

The Warmińska Droga Krajobrazowa runs from Gietrzwałd to Woryty. There are three official, signposted cycling routes in Gmina Gietrzwałd. Check the current route conditions before setting off.

The blue cycling route is 19.6 kilometres long, starts and ends in Gietrzwałd, and passes through Woryty, Nowy Młyn, Stękiny, Porbady and Wrzesina. The yellow route also starts in Gietrzwałd, passes through Rentyny and ends there. The listed sequences of places distinguish the two routes; check the current route conditions before setting off.

For a walk, the garden by the river is another place to note: it is a green promenade on the circular walking route around Gietrzwałd, a walking path designated as part of the project.

Discover more destinations: Gutkowo, Wilimy, Plutki, Cerkiewnik, Wojtkowizna, Biesówko, Rybaki, Purda.

Go to the main travel overview: Olsztyn.