Węgorzewo is the northern gateway to Masuria – a town on Lake Mamry, the second largest lake in Poland. It is a quieter, less crowded alternative to Giżycko and at the same time the best starting point for the northern part of the route: Lake Mamry, the well-known Sztynort marina and the historic Masurian Canal. If you are looking for a charter from this side of the lake, boats based in Węgorzewo are listed at naczarter.pl.
The harbour and marina in Węgorzewo
Charters set out from the harbours on the Węgorapa river and the Węgorzewo Canal, which links the town to the open water of Lake Mamry. Among them is a modern Ekomarina with full facilities – washrooms, electricity, water and space for gear. It makes a comfortable, quiet base with direct access to a large body of water: from the pontoon to open water is a quarter of an hour under engine, with no locks and none of the queues that can hold sailors up elsewhere on the route at the height of the season. The exact pick-up port depends on the boat and is given with each listing.
Where to sail on the northern route
From Węgorzewo the nearest water is Lake Mamry – large, demanding and empty compared with Niegocin. The natural first stop is Sztynort, with its harbour at the foot of the baroque palace; from there you can walk the palace park without going far from the boat. For something quite different, head towards the Masurian Canal – an unfinished pre-war project with locks standing in the middle of the forest. Further south the route runs through Kisajno to Giżycko, and from there across the whole Great Lakes region as far as Ruciane-Nida. We write about sailing at greater length in Sailing in Masuria.
Day charter and events from the deck
You do not have to take a boat for a week. A day charter works well in summer when there is a specific event on: set out in the morning, arrive from the water, and be back in port by evening. The best example is the Giżycko AirShow on 22 August – the display is over Lake Niegocin, and the best spot is at anchor in the middle of it. The same applies to events in Ryn or Mikołajki, which you can reach from the water without hunting for a parking space. Prices, available boats and charter terms from Węgorzewo are at naczarter.pl.
A base on land – 7 km from the harbour
Not everyone wants to sleep aboard for the whole stay, particularly with children or a dog. Poza Zgiełkiem is 7 km from Węgorzewo, so you can mix the two: a few days on the water and the rest on land, or daily outings with a return to your own room and a proper breakfast. Parking at the house is free and never full, and gear – bikes, luggage, sailing kit – can be stored securely. 2026 rates start at 280 PLN per night including breakfast; details in Accommodation in Węgorzewo.
A tip
Starting from Węgorzewo means sailing against the flow of traffic – most charters set out from Giżycko heading south. On the first day you have Lake Mamry almost to yourselves. Current boats and pick-up ports are listed at [[naczarter.pl|https://naczarter.pl/pl/czarter-jachtow-wegorzewo]].
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Antekbojar / CC BY-SA 3.0
