Dylewo Hills (Wzgórza Dylewskie)

On a clear day the wooden tower on top of Dylewska Góra reportedly gives a view as far as Russia's Kaliningrad region — fitting, since you are standing on the highest point in the whole of north-eastern Poland, 312 m above sea level. The Dylewo Hills, the highest part of the Lubawa Ridge south of Ostróda, are glacial moraine hills cut by ravines, with beech forests and the highest lake in the Masurian Lake District. The Grunwald battlefield lies at their foot.

A landscape like the foothills

The relief of the Dylewo Hills is unusual for northern Poland. Height differences of 40–60 m are common and often reach 80 m; slopes frequently exceed a 25% gradient. Besides Dylewska Góra, the hills include Góra Bukowa (287 m) and Góra Francuska (283 m). Many streams and rivers rise on their edges — among them the Dylewka, Poburzanka, Gizela, Sandela, Struga and Wel — all in the Drwęca basin. The area is protected by the Dylewo Hills Landscape Park, created in 1994.

The summit of Dylewska Góra

At the summit stands a wooden lookout tower. Trees limit the view to the west and north, but in clear air the panorama reaches very far. Just below the summit to the south is a TV relay station with a tall mast, and about 150 m to the north-east is a 37-metre concrete fire lookout tower of the State Forests. Another 100 m on is a geological lapidarium created by the regional landscape-parks authority in Jerzwałd and the Olsztynek forest district.

French Lake and the reserves

About 2 km from the summit lies Jezioro Francuskie ("French Lake", also called Sałk) — a forest pool of about 3 ha at 247.7 m above sea level, the highest lake in the Masurian Lake District. Its reserve protects stands of the rare bilberry-leaved willow and a patch of Pomeranian beech forest. A second reserve, "Dylewo", covers old beech woods. The hills are the only site in the Warmia-Masuria region for three rare plant species, including the dusky cranesbill.

What to look for

• Glacial erratics — in the lapidarium below the summit and among the park's 17 designated natural monuments.
• The railway viaduct at Glaznoty on the edge of the park.
• Hillforts and burial mounds — medieval hillforts at Durąg and Zajączki and Bronze Age barrows at Dziadyki.
• The boundary between two historical regions — Chełmno Land and Masuria — which runs through the area and shaped different cultural landscapes.

Tripto tip

The hills are best explored on foot or by bike: the roads are narrow and the climbs steep. Choose a dry, clear day for the lookout tower. Trail information is available from the landscape-parks authority in Jerzwałd. Allow about an hour for Dylewska Góra with a short walk to the lapidarium, and half a day for a loop including French Lake. The Grunwald battlefield is easy to add to the trip.