If you want to rest, swim in the lake, fish or walk in the woods - we have a proposition for you. Go to Lake Babięta near Rańsk.
You don't know where it is? Find Szczytno on the map, and from there take the road number 600 towards Mrągowo. And then look for yourself, because only those who really want can reach the place
. There are two camping sites by the Babięta Wielkie Lake (they are also small, quite nearby). One is at the forester's lodge, the other is lost in the depths of the forest. It takes some effort to find them, but it's possible. Anyway - no matter where you stay. Peace and quiet guaranteed.
What to do?
First, a reconnaissance walk on foot . Along the shores of the lake, along a narrow path that climbs over and over the moraine hills. Or a wide, slightly sandy road through the forest. This is Piska Forest. Old oaks, old pines. If you walk quietly, deer and deer will run over you. Pretty close. Look around carefully. At the edge of the road, there are plenty of butterflies, a bit of boletus and boletus in the thickets. White hats of kites among the grass. Don't confuse it with a toadstool.
Get on the bike . The roads are a bit sandy in some places, but you can go. To Jeleniów, to Rańsk, to Rybno. In the villages there are old Masurian houses made of red brick, churches, formerly Protestant, with interesting architecture. On the buildings, traces of German inscriptions break through the layers of newer paint. Is it by accident, is it due to the passage of time, or thanks to the care of the new hosts for the memory of the former owners? Probably a bit of everything.
To row?There are no equipment rentals on our lake. But I suggest a trip to the village of Babięta (about 12 km through the forest). Here, at the PTTK riverside hostel, we can rent a canoe. For the whole day, for a few, for an hour. You can order a return transport and go somewhere far. You can take a short trip and go up or down the Krutynia trail leading here. That you will have to row upstream afterwards? There is nothing to be afraid of. The water flows quite lazily here.
Finally the fish . Enthusiasts take smaller and larger pieces from the lake every day. I have no opinion on this. I prefer to use the services of a gentleman who regularly visits the campsites. It brings you fresh, smoked and fragrant. Who likes what.