The Suwałki region, called Suwalszczyzna in Polish, is a very beautiful and unusual one. You could call it a museum of Nature, as full of spectacular post-glacial lakes. Lake Hancza being the deepest one within the area of the Central European Lowland. There are also rivers flowing across forests, fields and meadows, the flora and fauna of which strikes one as incomparable in its variety. The absence of heavy industry objects harmful for the natural environment and the fact that the greatest primeval forest in Poland - the Augustów Primeval Forest - is situated here are the factors contributing to the specific microclimate we have in the region. The microclimate is tourism - and - recreation -friendly and that is why Suwalszczyzna is called The Green Lungs of Poland.
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Wigry lake

Thanks to the above-mentioned unusual qualities, two parks have been established: The Suwałki Landscape Park, the oldest one in Poland, and the Wigry National Park. There are also many wild nature reservations in the region. Numerous forms of active recreation, such as canoeing, cycling, sailing, going on walking tours, water skiing in Summer and skiing (downhill or cross-country) in winter, can help a tourist to discover the mysteries of the territory. Rich undergrowth of our forests
encourages one to go mushroom - or blueberry and raspberry - picking. Lots of fishermen are drawn to our lakes due to the abundance of fish in our lakes. The variety of scenic landscapes, the richness
of wild animal species make Suwalszczyzna the Paradise for artists: photographers and painters who look for inspiration. Some of our eminent artists made Suwalszczyzna their permanent home: Professor Andrzej Strumiłło, Alojzy Nawrat or Piotr Malczewski.

The Monastery in Wigry

The region is also rich in history and culture. Before the present nations inhabited it, the territory had been under the rule the Jaćwing tribe. After the Jaćwings had been conquered, the Polish started coming from the West and Lithuanians - from the East. Still, it is the Camaldoli monks to whom the region is indebted for its development. The monks were given the island of Wigry and a vast tract of forest by the Polish king Jan Kazimierz in the 17th century. They built a monastery on the island and connected the latter with the mainland by means of a sort of dam. Lake Wigry, together with the post-Camaldolian church and monastery, is the pearl of Suwalszczyzna and only very few places all
over the country can equal it by beauty and fame. The town of Suwałki, still being the capital of the region, was established by the Camaldoli monks on the Czarna Hańcza river.

The Cathedral in Vilnius

While doing sightseeing in Sejny (a small town) and Puńsk (a large village) and tasting delicious regional dishes, one can find the traces of intermingling of the Polish and Lithuanian cultures. Being so close to the border, one should find time to visit the Lithuanian towns of Kaunas; Druskininkai,Trakai and, above all Vilnius, a city so precious for the Polish.