The May long weekend in Masuria: a lakeside break as everything comes back to life

In Poland the May long weekend, majówka, is the first long break of the year, and people look forward to it all winter. The days are already long, nature catches up week by week, and the first sails appear on the lakes. Masuria in May does not yet have the summer crowds, but it has something summer no longer has: freshness. Everything is green, smells good, blossoms and is only just beginning.

This article is a practical guide to the May long weekend in Masuria. We look at how the long weekend works and how to make it longer, what to expect from the weather, which attractions are already open at the beginning of May and how to plan four days so that you do not come home more tired than when you left.

Because a May weekend in Masuria does not have to mean queuing at the harbour and hunting for a parking space. It can mean morning coffee by a calm lake, a kayak on the Krutynia, a walk among blossoming fields and the first campfire of the season, where you sit until late in warm jumpers.

Two public holidays sit close together at the start of May in Poland: Labour Day on 1 May and Constitution Day on 3 May. Together they make majówka, the long weekend when much of the country heads for the lakes, the mountains or the sea.

In between comes 2 May, Flag Day, which is an ordinary working day. That is why many people in Poland take it off and enjoy several free days in a row. How many depends on how the holidays fall in a given year: when one of them lands on a Saturday, employees get another day off in return, and when they fall mid-week, a day or two of leave can turn majówka into almost a week by the lake.

Three or four nights make the best trip. You can arrive after work on the last day before the break, spend full days by the lake and leave on the final day after breakfast, without hurried packing the evening before.

For guests from abroad it is worth knowing that majówka is one of the busiest times of the year outside the summer holidays. Popular places fill up, so it pays to book early, and a quiet lake away from the main resorts is a real advantage.

May is the month when Masuria changes fastest. At the beginning of April the forests are still grey and the reeds brown after the winter. A few weeks later everything bursts into green: the birches are in leaf, the meadows are lush and rapeseed starts to bloom in the fields.

Yellow rapeseed fields are one of the most typical sights of May in Masuria. They stretch along the roads, crossed by avenues of old trees, and on a sunny day the contrast of yellow and blue sky looks almost unreal. If you drive to Masuria, you will see them on the way, but they look best from a bike, when you can stop anywhere you like.

It is also a good time for birdwatchers. Cranes return to the Masurian wetlands as early as March, and in May the reeds and meadows are at their busiest. At dawn there is more to hear over the lakes than in midsummer, and with a little patience you can see herons, cormorants and swans.

Lake Łuknajno near Mikołajki is especially worth a visit. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and one of the most important places in Poland to watch mute swans. A viewing tower above the lake looks out over a wide belt of reeds and open water. Over the May weekend it is a short trip that combines easily with a visit to Mikołajki.

May weather in Masuria can be changeable. There are warm, sunny days when you can easily have lunch on the terrace in a T-shirt. There are also cooler, windy days and rainy afternoons. Mornings and evenings are often noticeably colder than the middle of the day.

At the beginning of May the water in the lakes is still cold. A swim is more of a challenge for the brave than a way to cool off. But everything that happens by the water rather than in it works beautifully: a walk along the shore, a kayak, a bike, a fishing rod and a campfire.

The best strategy is layers and a plan you can change. If it rains one day, you can visit a castle or a museum. If the sun shines, you spend the whole day outdoors. In Masuria that kind of flexible plan is easy, because there are attractions for any weather within a short drive.

For many people the May long weekend means the start of the season on the water. Żegluga Mazurska boats run from May to September, with cruises on the nearby lakes from Mikołajki and Giżycko.

In the 2026 season, shorter cruises from Mikołajki lasting about an hour and a half cost PLN 55 or 60 for a standard ticket. It is a good idea for a Saturday or Sunday morning: a cruise, then a walk along the promenade and lunch by the water. The timetable changes during the season, so check the current times on the operator's website before you go.

At the beginning of May the harbours are only just getting going. There are fewer yachts on the water than in July and it is easier to find a free table on the waterfront. It is one of the nicest moments to see sailing Masuria without the summer bustle.

If we had to pick one activity for the May weekend, it would be a kayak trip on the Krutynia. The trail is considered one of the most beautiful kayak routes in Poland, and most hire companies operate from May to September.

The most popular stretch, from Krutyń to Ukta, is about 13 km and usually takes 3-4 hours of easy paddling. In one hire company's 2026 price list a two-person kayak on this route cost PLN 120, including the minibus back to the start. From Krzywe to Krutyń is about 20 minutes by car.

In spring the river has a charm of its own. The trees are in full fresh green, the first leaves are reflected in the water, and the trail is much quieter than in the summer holidays. Just remember a warm layer and spare clothes in a dry bag, because in May the water is cold and the wind can chill you quickly.

If a kayak is too much, in Krutyń you can take a trip in a pychówka, a flat-bottomed wooden boat that a boatman pushes along with a long pole. It is a gentle outing with no paddling, so you can focus on the river, the birds and the forest.

May is one of the best months for cycling. It is not yet hot, the roads are quieter than in the summer holidays, and the landscape changes every few kilometres: forest, lake, meadow, rapeseed field, a small village with a brick church.

The area around Krzywe is well set up for rides like these. Around Mikołajki there are 12 cycling loops with GPS tracks, from a short ride to Lake Łuknajno to full-day loops around Lake Śniardwy. From Mrągowo there are routes around Lake Juno and the Grand Mrągowo Loop, and in the Masurian Landscape Park there is the Ernst Wiechert Trail, about 34.5 km from Krutyń through Piersławek and Lipowo.

There is no need to break any records. For most people the best May bike ride is a dozen or so kilometres with two long stops, ending at the barbecue. In Masuria the rule is simple: the slower you go, the more you see.

Anglers have one more reason to celebrate in May. On the lakes managed by the fishery in Mrągowo, Lake Krzywe among them, pike are protected from 1 January to 30 April. From 1 May you can fish for them again, keeping to the minimum size of 50 cm.

At the beginning of May you fish from the shore, as boat fishing on Lake Krzywe starts on 1 June. Always from dawn to dusk, with a daily limit of 3 kg of fish in total. The easiest way to get a permit is online on the fishery's website, ideally the day before, as it becomes valid one hour after purchase at the earliest. A day's fishing from the shore cost PLN 31 in 2026. Foreigners staying in Poland temporarily do not need a Polish fishing card.

A May morning with a rod by a calm lake is one of those moments worth getting up before everyone else for.

The May weekend is also a good time for sightseeing, as most places already keep their seasonal hours but the summer queues have not yet arrived. The Wolf's Lair at Gierłoż is open in season from April to October, and a standard ticket cost PLN 30 in 2026. Boyen Fortress in Giżycko costs PLN 25 for a standard ticket.

On a cloudy day, the Teutonic castle in Kętrzyn with its museum, the Baroque sanctuary in Święta Lipka with its moving organ figures, the castle in Ryn and the Museum of Military Equipment in Mrągowo are also good choices. Each of them is between a quarter of an hour and about an hour's drive from Krzywe.

A good rule for the May weekend: one bigger attraction a day. Sightseeing in the morning, back to the lake in the afternoon, a campfire in the evening. That way even a rainy day does not spoil the trip, it just changes the order of things.

For many families the May weekend is above all the first barbecue of the year. And there is hardly a better place for it than a terrace by the lake. After a day on a bike or in a kayak there is no need to look for a restaurant or book a table. Just light the barbecue, lay the table outside and watch the sun disappear behind the trees on the other side of the water.

May evenings are still cool, so a campfire here is not only atmospheric but practical too. You sit by it in fleeces with a mug of tea while the children roast sausages and marshmallows. At Krzywe Lake Houses there is a shared fire pit by the houses. Firewood is ordered from us at least a day ahead and costs PLN 200.

If you can take four days, this rhythm works well: plenty of time by the lake, one bigger trip a day and no getting up at dawn, unless it is to go fishing.

This plan leaves plenty of room. If it rains on day two, you can swap the days around or drive to Ryn or Giżycko instead. If the weather is beautiful, nothing stops you spending the whole day by the lake.

The May long weekend is one of the most sought-after times in Masuria outside the summer holidays. Houses right by the water, especially those for larger groups, disappear from the calendars first. If you are planning a trip with family or friends, it is worth booking well in advance.

The Prices page shows current prices and free dates at Krzywe Lake Houses. When there is a special offer for the May weekend, you will find it there with the price for the whole stay, and the booking opens straight on the days of the offer. You can rent one house or both.

With a larger group it is worth working out the cost per person. The price is for the whole house for up to ten guests, so for two families or a group of friends it works out much better than it might seem at first glance.

A May weekend calls for a slightly different suitcase from a summer holiday. The list is short, but worth remembering:

1. 01a warm jumper or fleece for evenings by the campfire
2. 02a rain jacket and comfortable shoes that can get wet
3. 03a hat and something with long sleeves for mornings by the water
4. 04insect repellent for mosquitoes and ticks, which are already active in forests and meadows
5. 05a dry bag for your phone and a change of clothes if you plan to kayak
6. 06food for the barbecue and something sweet to toast over the fire
7. 07a good book for a lazy afternoon on the terrace

Bed linen, towels, a fully equipped kitchen, Wi-Fi and parking are waiting for you here, which leaves more room in the car for bikes.

Two year-round houses on Lake Krzywe, each 130 m², with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace facing the lake. One house sleeps up to 10, both up to 20. The lake shore is about 10 metres from the houses, and the beach with a jetty about 20 metres.

From the houses it is 9 km to Mrągowo, about 20 minutes to Krutyń and about 30 minutes to Mikołajki. The houses are heated, so even a chilly May evening ends in the warm. You can spend the whole day on trips, or not move at all and simply watch spring arrive on the lake.

Because May is Masuria at its purest. The summer crowds have not yet arrived, but everything you come here for is already there: lakes, forests, long days and evenings by the fire. Nature is fresh, the roads are quieter, and the first cruises and kayak trips have something of the opening of the season about them.

The May weekend is also the perfect test before summer. Anyone who spends a long weekend by a Masurian lake usually knows straight away where they want to come back to in the holidays.

The best May weekend is the one you come back from rested, not tired from yet another plan to get through.

A few days on Lake Krzywe, the first campfire of the season, morning coffee by the water and a Masuria that is just coming back to life. It is hard to think of a better start to May.