Remote work by a lake: a workation in Masuria on weekdays and out of season

In short: Masuria is great for remote work if you choose weekdays and months outside the summer holidays. It is quiet, prices are lower, and after work you have the lake, the forest and a bike. Look for a year-round, heated house with Wi-Fi, ask about the internet before you book, and keep spare data on your phone just in case. A whole house for 10 pays off most for a group: friends, a few couples or a small team. If you are employed, agree your place of work with your employer.

A workation, combining work and a trip, is no longer a fad but an ordinary way to change scenery without taking leave. Masuria, Poland's lake district, has a big advantage over cities here: quiet, nature outside the window and plenty of ways to unwind after work. You just need to choose the right time and place. Below we explain how.

A change of scenery does more for your head than another coffee. In the morning you see a lake instead of the block opposite, and you spend your break on the jetty rather than queuing for the coffee machine. After work you do not need to go anywhere to relax: a kayak, a bike and a campfire are a few steps from the house. Many people say they work shorter hours in a place like this, but with more focus.

Masuria's biggest advantage on weekdays and out of season is quiet. On weekdays outside the summer holidays the lakes are calm, and in a quiet zone with no motorboats you mostly hear birds. We write more about peaceful places in Masuria without the crowds.

July and August are possible too, but that is when prices and noise are highest and the lakes are busy at weekends. If you need quiet to work, choose other months. We write more about autumn and winter stays in A house in Masuria out of season.

The internet is the most important thing for remote work, and in the countryside it varies. Before you book, ask the owner about the type and speed of the connection, especially if you have lots of video calls or send large files. On arrival, test the speed on the first day before you schedule important meetings.

1. 01spare data on your phone and the option to use it as a hotspot if the Wi-Fi drops
2. 02your mobile operator's coverage map for the area where you will stay
3. 03download large files at home or on the first evening
4. 04hold the most important calls in the room closest to the router
5. 05in a group, agree who has video calls when, so you do not all load the connection at once

A holiday house is not an office, so a few things are worth bringing. In return, the view from a living room with a panoramic window onto the lake makes up for the missing second monitor.

1. 01a laptop stand, an external keyboard and mouse: after a week of laptop work your back will thank you
2. 02headphones with a microphone, especially when several people work in the house
3. 03an extension lead and chargers for every device
4. 04a separate bedroom for calls, and the living room or terrace as a shared workspace
5. 05on warm days work on the terrace, on cool ones in the heated living room

To be honest: a whole house for 10 is a solution for a group, not one person. It works best when several people share the cost.

1. 01friends who work remotely and want to spend a week together
2. 02two or three couples: each has its own bedroom, with a shared living room and kitchen
3. 03a small team from one company wanting to work together away from the office; we issue invoices on request, and we write more about company trips in A team-building trip to Masuria
4. 04a family where the parents work and the children are on holiday

The whole house for up to 10 people starts at PLN 999 a night in winter, PLN 1,049 in autumn, PLN 1,099 in spring and PLN 1,199 in summer, plus a tourist tax of PLN 3.50 per person per night. A few examples for a working week from Sunday to Friday, five nights:

1. 016 people in autumn: from PLN 5,245 plus PLN 105 tourist tax, about PLN 892 per person for five nights, under PLN 180 a night
2. 028 people in winter: from PLN 4,995 plus PLN 140, about PLN 642 per person for five nights
3. 034 people in spring: from PLN 5,495 plus PLN 70, about PLN 1,391 per person for five nights

The price also depends on the length of stay, weekends and holidays, so try a few date options in the calendar on our prices page. Bed linen, towels, Wi-Fi and heating are included.

If you are employed in Poland, the Labour Code provides for occasional remote work at the employee's request, up to 24 days a calendar year (Article 67³³). Regular remote work and where you may work from are usually set out in an agreement or company rules. If you work for an employer abroad, check its rules too, as working from another country can have tax and insurance implications. Before you book a week by the lake, agree your place of work with your employer.

1. 01a kayak by the house, or the Krutynia kayak trail about 20 minutes from Krzywe, from May to September
2. 02cycling on the roads and trails around Mrągowo
3. 03a stroll on the Lake Czos promenade in Mrągowo and dinner in town
4. 04the aquapark and alpine coaster in Mikołajki, open all year
5. 05in winter, the ski slope on Góra Czterech Wiatrów in Mrągowo
6. 06a campfire by the lake and a fishing rod from the jetty

Our Modern and Loft houses are year-round and heated, with Wi-Fi, a Smart TV and a living room with a panoramic window onto Lake Krzywe. The lake is a quiet zone with no combustion engines, the shore is about 10 metres from the terrace and a beach with a jetty about 20 metres from the houses. The shops and restaurants of Mrągowo are 9 km away.

Each house has four bedrooms, so several people can work in separate rooms and meet in the living room and at the shared table. If the internet specifications are key for you, ask us before booking. We issue invoices on request.

The best office is the one from which you are on the jetty five minutes after your last email.