The Marshland Tourist Center was founded
in 1991, in Waniewo in the heart of Narew National Park. The flow
of the Narew River in this area is in many channels, and thus has
gained the name “The Polish Amazon.” We have over 160 species of
breeding birds, such as the kingfisher, the service warbler, the snipe,
the spotted crack, ruff, aquatic warbler great reed warbler
corncrake and many other species. You often can see beaver and
otter, and sometimes even elk. The muddy marshes are home to
varied vegetation, reeds and flowers, including over 500 varieties of
club moss junipers, the Siberian Iris, and hardy flowers. If you are looking for quiet, silence and active recreation, you have found just the place.
Our Boarding House Hospitable
single and double rooms, each with a private bathroom. In the
single rooms, we supply a single bed, a wardrobe, a table and chairs,
and night cabinets and a lamp. Regional cuisine is available at
your request. We offer breakfast and supper. The majority
of our food comes from ecologically safe farms. We offer an
abundance of regional dishes, including potato pancakes, wild fowl,
soups, and a variety of cake and mixed desserts. In our fireplace
room, you can sample our cuisine, enjoy the television and interact
with our guests to plan common activities. Our location is ideal
as a base for bicycle excursions. With us you can not only admire
nature, but you can arrange social and educational meetings. You
can also sit by the campfire in our extensive garden. After the
flood waters of the Narew recede, we organize traditional “punting
boat” excursions on the river. During your ride, you can
experience the rich plant and bird life of the Narew valley. On
request, we can provide kayak rafting, sleigh rides, or horse cart
rides.
Our Hospitable Rooms Most of the rooms in our boarding house face
east and west. As you look out your window, you can see the panorama
of Waniewo village. It is a small community which arose in the 13th
century. From the other side, you can see Narew National Park, whose
extensive bogs are covered with meadow plant life and willow thickets.
In the breeding season, near your open window, you can hear the
corncrake, the bitter and the spotted crack. As you walk through our
grounds, you can frequently see meadow cranes in their nests, storks,
and sometimes even elk.
Our Fireplace Room Overlooking
the Narew National Park, our guests can both eat their homecooked
meals, and observe the cattle, storks hunting for frogs for their meal,
and marsh harriers flying upward from the meadow and pond. Except for
the sounds of nature, nothing disturbs the silence and relaxation of
our guests. During colder weather, our fireplace provides you with the
warmth you desire. While hunters admire their trophies, our bird
lovers reflect on their discoveries. From our fireplace room, you can
grab a cup of coffee and listen to the symphony of the frogs and
crickets in our garden.
Regional Cuisine. We
Poles have a saying, “A hungry Pole is not a good one.” So we take
care of our guests and their appetites! The Podlasie region is famous
for its regional dishes. So we satisfy you with tasty traditional
dishes as well as hamburger, pizza and other international cuisine.
Our Poldlasie dishes are our specialty, though, from recipes passed
down from grandmothers generation to generation.
Bicycles. Due
to our superb location, we are the perfect base for bicycle
excursions. Depending on your interests and time constraints, you can
tour the Narew National Park, or a trip to the more distant Bia»owieóa,
or Biebrza National Parks. If your interest is history, the nearby
town of Tykocin has a wealth of historic mementos.
Special Events With
us you can not only admire nature, but also plan your social and
educational gatherings. Silence only disturbed by the sounds of nature
make us a “natural” for conventions and scientific gatherings. You do
your work, and the you can relax and rest in our pleasurable
environment. You can also plan your family Easter, Christmas and New
Years’ holidays with us.
By the Campfire Our extensive garden is the perfect setting for a campfire, where you can just sit and relax, or join others for a ball game.
Riding on a Punting Boat or Kayak Narew
punting boats were originally used for the transportation of hay and
fish, and were originally made by burning a hollow in a tree trunk.
Today, of course, we make them from pine boards, and they are available
for your rest and relaxation as you tour the Narew valley.
In
the neighborhood of Waniewo, the Narew Valley is up to 3 km wide,
filled with unique and beautiful scenery. This “water Labyrinth,”
created by nature is often called the Polish Amazon or the Polish
Danube delta. Nowhere else in Europe will you find a river flowing in
10 channels covering so wide a valley. Floating in the water labyrinth
makes the Waniewo area an unusual attaction! Your boat squeezes
through water channels among reed, thickets of willow and then flows
into a wide expanse of water, over and over again.
The unusual
climate is a great home for songbirds, who nest here in great variety.
The rain, working with the vast expanse of bog plants, creates
multicolored blooming carpets of flowers. The complex of river
channels in the Waniewo area is so huge that you can float through them
under a local guide’s care for the entire day, without once returning
to where you once were. The best rides are in the late afternoon and
evening, since this is the time when the water fowl are most active.
You can also see beaver and otter as you continue on your journey.
