District Museum in Suwałki – Yotvingian cemetery in Switzerland – Viewpoint in Rowele – Tripoint Poland-Lithuania-Russia (Kaliningrad) – Romincka Forest Landscape Park – Tree Cake Monument in Żytkiejmy – Observation Tower in Stańczyki – Yotvingian Mound in Stańczyki – William’s Trail in the Romincka Forest – Monument to Immanuel Kant in Gołdap – Stone Rotunda in Olecko – Market Square in Olecko – Rospuda River Valley–Raczki – The Holy Place on Rospuda – The Hill Fort in Rajgród
Distance traveled – about 200 kilometers.
Duration – 2 days.
“The Stones, Sky, and Gods Route” leads through areas of exceptional natural and cultural wealth, closely linked to the heritage of the ancient Balts and Yotvingians. Here, among lakes, hills, and ancient forests, traces of their settlements, beliefs, and traditions have survived. This route is not only a journey through the picturesque landscapes of Masuria and Suwałki, but also a journey into the depths of history, where the tribes that created the region's identity once lived.
The journey begins at the District Museum in Suwałki, which houses a wealth of archaeological finds from the Yotvingian era. The route then leads to the Yotvingian cemetery in Switzerland, a unique place where you can still see the remains of ancient burial mounds and feel the atmosphere of the cult of the ancestors. The next stop is the viewpoint in Rowele, which offers a panoramic view of the borderlands once guarded by the warlike Yotvingians. A symbolic meeting place of cultures is the Tripoint Poland - Lithuania - Russia (Kaliningrad), reminiscent of the old and modern divisions of this corner of Europe. For more than six centuries, this place has remained the border between states and cultures.
The road continues through the Romincka Forest Landscape Park, where mighty forests hide not only natural treasures, but also the secrets of ancient beliefs. Tree Cake Monument has been erected in the village of Żytkiejmy, symbolizing the regional culinary tradition, which has its roots in the Yotvingian communities. Another attraction is the observation Tower in Stańczyki, from which you can see the famous aqueducts and the land of the Yotvingians, and nearby is the Yotvingian hillfort, evidence of an ancient settlement that can be explored on a sightseeing route. The next stage is William's Trail in the Romincka Forest, reminiscent of Prussian times and leading past stones associated with Emperor Wilhelm II.
In Gołdap, travelers are greeted by a symbolic stone arch – a monument to Immanuel Kant, a thinker considered to be the founder of the European Union. The route then leads to Olecko, where the unique Stone Rotunda, associated with the ancient inhabitants of these lands, stands. Olecko Market Square is the largest in Masuria, reminiscent of the colonists who settled here after the Yotvingians. Today, the history of Masuria is intertwined with the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Other stops include the Rospuda River Valley and Raczki, where wild nature and beauty have remained almost untouched, as well as the sacred site of the The Holy Place on Rospuda, the legendary place of baptism of the last Yotvingian tribes, where traces of other Balts tribes were found along the Rospuda River in 1273.
The route ends at the hillfort in Rajgród, another place closely related to the past of the Yotvingians. From the top of the hillfort, you can see the lake and the sky, while the stones and the earth still tell the story of the ancient gods and warriors.
The entire journey is not only an encounter with the beauty of Masuria and Suwałki, but first and foremost with the heritage of the Yotvingians – a tribe whose spirit still lives on in the landscape, myths, and culture of the region.
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