"The villages of Eastern Mazowsze" Wojewodztwo Mazowieckie by cheekykev

Wojewodztwo Mazowieckie Travel Guide: 2,969 reviews and 7,191 photos

A village house in Buzyska - Wojewodztwo Mazowieckie

Buzyska - the ox-bow lake village

This is a tiny village in the east of Poland, on the River Bug, on the opposite bank to Drohiczyn. It is a beautiful, sleepy place, in which you can find many magical things. The first thing that drew us there were the birds - in the local area it is not too difficult to find cranes, storks, hoopoe, yellowhammer, herons, and the like. That's not all however - there are a lot of beavers - although they are reserved creatures the work of their phenomenal teeth can be seen dotted around the lakeside trees on the edge of the village. There is also a great deal of history contained in such a small place. The Tsar's school is now in a state of disrepair, but still contains the smell and feel of fifty years ago - you cna almsot hear the footsteps of the kids leaving in deep winter or high summer. Somewhere there is also an Orthodox cemetry - although our instructions for finding it ('behind the barn somewher near the centre of the village ' !) weren't succesful. If these attractions aren't enough for such a place, the people are also very warm and friendly - if you are lucky enough to spot the village mayor out on a walk he'll always stop and find five minutes to talk.

Drohiczyn - Episcopal retreat

One of Drohiczyn's churches

Drohiczyn is a town I first visited in 1999, just before one of the Pope's visits. The whole town seemed to consist of churches and seminaries. There are some great views from the hill by the river of the other side and, if you're fortunate enough, you can get one of the locals to spirit you back and forth across the river.

The river is the Bug. It's clean enough nowadays for the banks to be littered with freshwater mussels. Beware swimming however - there are some evil currents in the area - turning what looks like a lovely languid river into a source of great danger. By al means have a paddle along the shore though !

Look our for the bird life in the area. In the space of one afternoon we saw kingfisher, herons, storks, hoopoe, and many more besides.

Tykocin

Local church

Tykocin lies between Warsaw and Bialystok, not far from the Narwianski National Park. It is a town with a long history - and not always a pleasant one. It is on some Jewish heritage tours, as at one time, before the Second World War, it was a local centre.

Have a wander along the cobbled streets, which makes it feel like the town has not changed for fifty or more years. Go to the Jewish restaurant in the old Synagogue for a bit of authentic food served traditional style. Have a stroll by the river and meet the local dogs and wildlife.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The Mazovian Voivod is one with Warsaw at its centre. This Metropolis hides the wonderful hinterland of villages, forests and rivers.
Cons:The roads often come in for criticism both from locals and foreigners
In a nutshell:Like all border regions this area has its own feel and own climate, mixing east with west

Last visit to Wojewodztwo Mazowieckie: May 2004
Intro Updated May 30, 2004
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evaanna Jun 14, 2005 at 2:32 AM

Tykocin, the place of mass murder by the Nazis of the local Jews, is a really tragic place. The Museum at the old Synagogue must leave a scar in the heart of anybody who visits it.
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lichinga Dec 11, 2004 at 3:10 PM

Yes, nice page for lovely places otherwise under considered!
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wojsyl Sep 23, 2004 at 10:49 AM

great page for this usually unknown area with its unique athmosphere ... thanks :-)