Wdzydze Landscape Park

Wdzydze Landscape Park (Wdzydzki Park Krajobrazowy, roughly "vdzih-DZEH-skee PAHRK krah-yo-brah-ZOH-vee") is a Kashubian lake and forest park in northern Poland, built around Lake Wdzydze. Pine woods, peat bogs, the Wda River and wide open water make it a favorite with sailors, kayakers and cyclists, and in the village of Wdzydze Kiszewskie you will find one of Poland's oldest open-air museums. If you are looking for things to do near Gdańsk beyond the coast, this is a quiet lakeland weekend away from the crowds.

Where it is and how to get there

The park lies in Kościerzyna County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 60 km southwest of Gdańsk, in the historic region of Kashubia. Fly to Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, then drive to Kościerzyna in about an hour; Wdzydze Kiszewskie is a short drive further. A car is the easiest option, since public transport in rural areas is limited, so check timetables before you go. Parking is available at the open-air museum and near the main marinas.

What makes it special

The park was created on June 15, 1983 and covers 178.32 square kilometers (about 69 square miles), with a 152.08 km² buffer zone. The lakes of Wdzydze form a cross-shaped system, sometimes called the "Kashubian Sea". Around them lie dry pine forests, lichen pinewoods, peat bogs and alder swamp. Kashubs are a West Slavic ethnic group with their own language and culture, so you may see bilingual signs.

What to see and do

• Lake Wdzydze – a large lake complex with islands and marinas, popular for sailing and kayaking.
• Lookout where Lake Jelenie meets Lake Gołuń – a viewpoint with a tower overlooking the marina and forests.
• Krwawe Doły nature reserve – the park's only nature reserve, protecting peat bog habitats. The park and its buffer zone also contain 21 natural monuments.
• Wda River – kayak trips and the Graniczna–Trzebiocha water route.
• Land trails – the Stone Circles Trail (green) and the Kashubian Trail (red).
• Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie – an open-air museum named after Teodora and Izydor Gulgowski.

The open-air museum

The museum was founded in 1906 by Izydor Gulgowski, a village schoolteacher, and his wife Teodora, a painter who had studied art in Berlin. It began as a private collection in an 18th-century farmhouse and became an independent open-air park in 1969. Today it covers about 22 hectares in five sectors: southern and western Kashubia, central and northern Kashubia, Kociewie and the Tuchola Forest. You can see a windmill from Brusy, a tavern, a manor house and a sawmill. Around 80,000 people visit between May and September. The Wdzydze Fair takes place on the third Sunday of July, and the autumn event "Z motyką na bulwy" on the third Sunday of September.

Nature and conservation

Fresh and lichen pine forests dominate, with oak woods, alder carr and ash-alder riparian forest. The park team runs active conservation projects, including a fish pass at Grzybowski Młyn, reintroduction of the noble crayfish and protection of marsh saxifrage. Meadows on Sidły island are mown and grazed.

How to explore

Plan a full day for the lake and trails, or three to four hours for the museum alone. Is it worth visiting? Yes, especially in summer or early autumn, when the light on the lake is beautiful and crowds are smaller than on the coast. Signs are in Polish, and some Kashubian, so English may not be available everywhere.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The park is open all year. The administration is at Wdzydzki Park Krajobrazowy, ul. Świętojańska 5E, 83-400 Kościerzyna, tel. +48 58 686 82 73 or +48 605 558 002, wpk@pomorskieparki.pl. Opening hours and prices in Polish zloty (PLN) for the museum and boat trips are set by their operators; check them before you go. Follow water safety rules, including the Ratunek app mentioned on the park website.

Nearby

Kościerzyna, Kashubian Landscape Park, the Tuchola Forest and the Tricity are all within reach.