Monuments & mounds

Nicolaus Copernicus Bench in Ełk

By the Ełk river, between John Paul II Square and Lake Ełk, stretches the Nicolaus Copernicus Educational Park — and within it, next to a model of the Solar System, stands a bench with the figure of Poland's most famous astronomer. The park was laid out in 2015, and its axis is a Solar System built from ten granite spheres of different colours and sizes.

The Solar System on the scale of a stroll

Each sphere represents a planet, with a plaque describing its mass, diameter and distance from the Sun. The largest is the star itself — a Sun 170 centimetres in diameter; among the planets Jupiter takes pride of place, while the smallest Pluto closes the set. The order is faithful, from Mercury and Venus out to Neptune.

The Copernicus bench

Among the park's ordinary benches stands one particular — with a figure of Copernicus, creator of the heliocentric model of the world who, as the famous saying goes, "stopped the Sun and moved the Earth". You can rest on the bench after a walk, while children enjoy a playground shaped like the constellations of the Little and Great Bear.

In practice

The park is reached via Wojska Polskiego and Nadjeziorna streets; it is free and open around the clock. Combine your visit with a walk along the shore of Lake Ełk — 30–45 minutes is enough to explore the park.