Olsztyn (Allenstein) is a small town in Warmia (Ermland) and capital city of the region of Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Ermland-Masuren). It is 160 km southeast of Gdańsk and only 130 km south of the Russian city of Kaliningrad (Königsberg). The city has 175.000 inhabitants, the river Łyna (Alle) is crossing and around the town you’ll find wonderful woods and lake regions.
I guess not too many people come to Olsztyn nowadays, at least if they don’t have a personal connection to this region. Like me. My two grandmothers came from todays Poland: one from Wrocław (Breslau) and the other from Olsztyn. She didn’t talk at all about Warmia, but I wanted to see this place.
After World War I the citizens of Olsztyn had to decide whether they wanted to be part of Germany or Poland – 98 % voted for being German. In the aftermath of World War II no ballot took place and the Germans had to leave the town. That is history and now we are all part of the European Union, travelling without borders. If you come here these days you have to visit Allenstein Castle, built in 1346 and home to Mikołaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus) from 1516 to 1519.
You can also see the Katedra Olsztyn (St.-Jakobus-Kirche) and the Brama Górna (High gate) – in front of this gate is a car park you might want to use. And you have to do a walk along the river Łyna – it is most beautiful at fall.
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