The Great Masurian Lakes hide dozens of islands — large and small, wooded, wild and wrapped in legend. For a sailor they are landmarks and the backdrop to the finest photos, but for local people they were for centuries sacred places, cursed places or simply mysterious ones. At NaCzarter we have sailed among them for a quarter of a century — and we are happy to share the stories tied to them. Just remember that many of these islands are now nature reserves you must not set foot on; we admire them from the water.
Czarci Ostrów — the devil's island on Śniardwy
The most famous Masurian island lies about a kilometre and a half off the western shore of Lake Śniardwy. According to legend, Czarci Ostrów (Devil's Island) was a place of nocturnal sabbaths — a refuge for devils and evil powers that locals avoided, believing the island cursed. Folk tales also speak of a devil's treasure buried there. The most colourful story tells of a fisherman who set out to seize it: just as he reached the chests full of jewels, a huge bear attacked him, and as he tried to escape by swimming, a black claw dragged him into the depths. The real history is less fantastical — in the 18th century the Prussians used the island as a food store, and earlier still the pagan Galindians worshipped their gods here. Today it draws sailors precisely because of that dark fame.
Gilma — a pagan stronghold and a woman with gold
On Lake Dobskie near Giżycko lies Gilma, one of the region's most mysterious islands. It holds traces of a Galindian stronghold and a sacred grove — one of the last sites of pagan worship in these lands — and legend says the last Galindian chieftain had his seat here. In the 14th century the Teutonic Knights raised a castle on the ruins, and in the 19th century a chapel was built on the remains, which — so the story goes — local people tore down, frightened by rumours of dark rites held there. Gilma is wrapped in legends of an unusual energy and of a ghostly woman who appears under the full moon with a bag of gold. The whole island is now a bird reserve where mooring is forbidden; across a narrow strait, the scenic Helena Island tempts with its sandy shores.
Cormorant Island — eerie white trees
Also on Lake Dobskie lies Wysoki Ostrów, known as Cormorant Island — a small reserve of about two hectares where great cormorants and grey herons nest. Over time the birds' droppings killed the trees, so the island bristles with bare, whitened branches and looks eerie from afar. Landing is forbidden, and the whole lake is a quiet zone — you may sail here only without an engine, which adds to the raw, wild atmosphere of the place.
Upałty — an aristocratic island and a lost pyramid
The largest island in Masuria is Upałty on Lake Mamry, covering more than 67 hectares. Until 1945 it belonged to the Lehndorff family of Sztynort, and before the war it was full of life: an elegant restaurant known across Europe, a park with avenues, a forester's lodge and cottages for hire. Most intriguing, though, is the story of the pyramid — one of the von Lehndorff counts raised a thirteen-metre pyramid on the island in honour of Count Henckel von Donnersmarck. Today no trace of it remains, just as nothing is left of the old resort; only the grave of the ornithologist August Quednau and trees over two hundred years old. Curiously, some three hundred years ago Upałty was joined to the mainland — the belts of shallows around the island are a reminder of that. Today it is a strict reserve where the white-tailed eagle, among others, nests.
Grajewska Kępa and the legend of the enchanted frog
Right by Giżycko, on Lake Niegocin, lies the small Grajewska Kępa. It carries a wistful legend of the unhappy love of the beautiful Galindia for a youth whom a jealous sorceress turned into a frog. It is one of many Masurian tales in which nature, love and magic intertwine — and you will see the islet as you sail out of Giżycko onto Niegocin.
Bird reserves — islands you must not land on
Many Masurian islands are bird sanctuaries under reserve protection. On Lake Ryńskie lies the four-hectare Bird Island, called „Goła Zośka”, a reserve since 2012 and a breeding site for black-headed gulls. On Kisajno, among old trees, hides Dębowa Górka — a reserve on the scenic Swan Route, where mooring is also forbidden. The whole archipelago on Mamry and Kisajno forms the „Islands on Lake Mamry and Kisajno” reserve. The rule is simple and binds every sailor: admire such islands from the deck, do not go ashore and do not disturb the birds. If you are looking for a place to stop, use our guide to mooring and harbours.
Smętek — the spirit that haunts Masuria
One figure binds all these stories together: Smętek, the Masurian demon of folk belief, a malicious spirit that torments people, probably a remnant of a pre-Christian deity. He was made famous by Melchior Wańkowicz in his 1936 reportage „Na tropach Smętka” (On the Tracks of Smętek), where Smętek is both a figure of belief and a symbol of this land's difficult fate. It is precisely this dense, mysterious mood that gave almost every Masurian island a legend of its own.
See the Masurian islands from the deck of a yacht
These places are best discovered from the water — passing Czarci Ostrów on Śniardwy, admiring the eerie trees of Cormorant Island or the wooded Upałty. All you need is to set out from Giżycko or Mikołajki. At NaCzarter you can check yacht availability and book online — the Masurian islands and their legends are waiting.
