Winter holidays in Masuria in a lake house: how to plan a week with children

In short: a winter holiday in a lake house in Masuria is a good idea for families who want to spend a week together, without hotel bustle and without meals at fixed times. Children get a ski slope with a beginners' area and a ski school on Góra Czterech Wiatrów in Mrągowo, about 15 minutes' drive, an all-year alpine coaster and a water park in Mikołajki, and in a good winter sledging and sleigh rides. Adults get a warm house with a view of the lake and their own kitchen. Polish schools have a two-week winter break between mid-January and the end of February, on different dates in different regions. Large houses for those weeks go quickly, so many families book them as early as November and December.

Below we explain step by step how to plan a winter holiday in a lake house: when the Polish school winter break falls and how it affects booking, how a house differs from a hotel, how to share a house with another family, what to do for a week, where to ski and sledge, what to plan when there is no snow, how to stay safe by a frozen lake and what it all costs. We are also honest about what our houses do not have.

Under the Polish regulation on the organisation of the school year, the winter break, called ferie, lasts two weeks and falls between mid-January and the end of February. The dates for each region (voivodeship) are announced by the education minister no later than the end of June, a year and a half before the break. The regions take their breaks in several consecutive rounds, so the dates are known long before winter and a trip can be planned well in advance.

1. 01check the winter break dates in your region before you start looking for a house
2. 02if you are travelling with family or friends from another region, compare both dates: they often overlap only partly or not at all
3. 03in the weeks when large regions are on break, ski slopes and water parks can be busier, so it is worth visiting them in the morning
4. 04the current dates are published in announcements of the Polish education ministry and on the websites of the regional education authorities
5. 05if you come from abroad and your dates are flexible, a week outside the Polish winter break is usually calmer

A hotel for the winter holiday means a pool, entertainment for children and food without cooking. A house means your own rhythm. For families with children this difference matters more than it seems: toddlers nap after lunch, older children sleep late, someone has an allergy and someone eats only pancakes. In a house nobody has to fit in with restaurant hours or hush the children in a hotel corridor.

1. 01your own kitchen: breakfast whenever you like, meals for allergy sufferers and picky eaters, hot tea after the slope
2. 02room for everything: wet jackets, gloves, ski boots and sledges do not end up in a small hotel room
3. 03four bedrooms and three bathrooms in each house, so children and adults do not disturb each other in the evening
4. 04long evenings with board games, a film on the Smart TV or at the window with a view of the frozen lake
5. 05two families can rent two houses side by side and spend as much time together as they like

To be honest: the houses have no pool, sauna, hot tub or kids' club, and you prepare the meals yourselves. If the holiday should mean no cooking and entertainers from morning to evening, a hotel will suit you better. If you want to spend a week together, your own way, choose a house. A broader comparison is in the article Lake house or hotel in Masuria.

The winter break is one of the busiest periods of the winter for houses in Masuria, because at the same time children from a whole region are off school. Large houses for two families and all-year houses right by a lake are booked first, many of them as early as November and December.

1. 01book as soon as you know the break dates and who is coming: good houses for full weeks of the winter break go fastest
2. 02if several families are going, collect the deposits from everyone before you book, so that nobody pulls out at the last minute
3. 03use free cancellation: with us up to 30 days before arrival, so booking early carries little risk
4. 04the minimum stay depends on the dates, so check it for the dates you choose

The general rules of booking early, comparing prices and paying safely are described in the article When to book a summer house in Masuria. If you are also thinking about Christmas or New Year in winter, read Christmas in Masuria in a lake house and New Year's Eve in Masuria in a lake house.

Our two houses are all-year and gas-heated, so in winter it is warm inside whatever the frost. Check-in is from 16:00, check-out by 11:00. You rent each house as a whole, with no other guests behind the wall.

1. 01one house for up to 10 people or both houses for up to 20 people
2. 02each house: 130 m², four bedrooms (one on the ground floor), three bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace facing the lake
3. 03bed linen, towels, Wi-Fi, Smart TV, heating and parking by the house are included
4. 04in winter from PLN 999 per night for the whole house; the calendar on the prices page shows the price for specific dates
5. 05local tax of PLN 3.50 per person per night, for adults and children from 4 years
6. 06a 30% deposit and free cancellation up to 30 days before arrival

You can check free dates for the winter holidays on our prices page, and the equipment and layout of the houses under Houses and gallery. If the calendar does not yet show the dates you are interested in, write or call us.

One house sleeps up to 10 people. Four bedrooms are enough for two families with two children each, and the ground-floor bedroom suits grandparents or parents with the youngest child. Three bathrooms mean that the evening bath for four children after a day in the snow does not turn into a queue.

If you are a larger group, for example three families or a family with grandparents and cousins, take both houses. They are identical and stand side by side, just a few steps apart. Each family has its own kitchen and quiet in the evening, and you spend the day together. Remember that no more than 10 people sleep in one house. More about sharing the houses is in House in Masuria for 10 people, House in Masuria for 20 people and Family reunion in Masuria.

The nearest slope is on Góra Czterech Wiatrów in Mrągowo, about 15 minutes' drive from the houses. The resort has two single-person T-bar lifts, 290 and 270 metres long, and runs of varying difficulty with artificial snow, grooming and floodlights. Beginners have a gentle practice slope, a licensed ski school works by the car park, and on site there are also equipment rental, a ski service and a restaurant.

To be honest: Masuria is not the mountains. The slopes are short, so they are ideal for teaching children to ski and for family runs, but experienced skiers may get bored quickly. Opening hours and ski pass prices depend on the season and conditions, so check them on the resort's website before you go. A second slope is in Mikołajki, by the Gołębiewski hotel.

Bring sledges from home if the forecast promises snow. In a good winter they come in handy on any gentle slope in the area, and children can slide for hours. Just remember not to sledge towards the lake or a road.

Mikołajki, about half an hour's drive from Krzywe, is the best destination for a day when the children want more than snow. By the Gołębiewski hotel there is the all-year Alpine Coaster, where you ride a small sledge on rails, and a ski slope. The same complex has the Tropikana water park with pools and saunas, good for a frosty or rainy afternoon.

During the winter break these places are popular, so it is best to arrive in the morning. Check opening hours and ticket prices on the venues' websites before you go. After the attractions it is worth walking around the town and down to Lake Mikołajskie. More about the town itself is in the article Mikołajki, the heart of Masuria.

A sleigh ride, called kulig in Polish, is a classic of the Polish winter: sleighs pulled by horses, a ride through a snowy forest and a bonfire at the end. In Masuria sleigh rides are run by local stables and farms, but only when there is snow. Ask about a date a few days in advance and be prepared for the ride not to take place in a thaw.

You can have a bonfire on site, at the fire pit shared by both houses. Order firewood from us at least a day in advance; it costs PLN 200. Light the fire only in the designated place, with adults watching, and put it out completely afterwards. Quiet hours are from 22:00 to 7:00.

Walks are best before noon, when it is brightest. The shore of Lake Krzywe begins 10 metres from the terrace, and the field tracks around the village lead through fields and forests. In winter Masuria is quiet and empty, and animal tracks are easy to spot in the snow.

Snowy winters do happen in Masuria, but they are not guaranteed. There can be frost and white fields, or a thaw and rain. A good winter holiday plan therefore has a version for any weather. The slope in Mrągowo uses artificial snow, so in frost it runs even without snowfall.

1. 01the Tropikana water park and the all-year Alpine Coaster in Mikołajki
2. 02the sanctuary in Święta Lipka with its concert organ, about 50 minutes' drive
3. 03the castles in Reszel, Ryn and Kętrzyn, and in Kętrzyn also the museum in the castle
4. 04the wildlife park in Kadzidłowo, about 40 minutes' drive; check the winter opening hours before you go
5. 05the promenade by Lake Czos in Mrągowo for a short walk
6. 06a day at the house: cooking together, baking a cake, board games and a film in the evening

More ideas for winter trips are in the article Masuria out of season and on the Attractions page.

For small children what matters most is routine and warmth. In a house it is easy to keep naps and regular mealtimes, and after an hour in the snow you come back to a warm living room, not a hotel lobby. Quiet hours from 22:00 mean children can sleep peacefully in the evening.

1. 01the ground-floor bedroom suits parents with the youngest children or grandparents
2. 02bring a travel cot, as we have no cots for children
3. 03by the water, on the jetty and by the fire children are always supervised by adults
4. 04do not treat the frozen lake as an ice rink: under the snow you cannot see how thick the ice is
5. 05we do not accept pets, except assistance dogs

More about staying with children all year round is in the article Masuria with children.

In January and February Masuria can have frost, snow and frozen lakes, but a thaw is also possible. The days lengthen quickly: in mid-January the sun rises around 7:45 and sets around 15:40, and by the end of February it rises around 6:30 and sets around 17:10. So plan outdoor activities for the morning.

When the frost comes, Lake Krzywe can freeze. The Polish State Fire Service reminds that safe ice is about 10 cm thick and that snow hides weaker spots. Our advice is simpler: do not go onto the ice during your stay, and always keep children close by the shore. More rules are in the section on the frozen lake in the article New Year's Eve in Masuria in a lake house.

1. 01warm waterproof boots and spare gloves for every child
2. 02thermal underwear and layers that are easy to take off indoors
3. 03sledges and, if you have them, your own ski equipment and helmets
4. 04torches or head torches for evening walks
5. 05slippers, comfortable clothes and games for long evenings

From Warsaw to Krzywe it is about 282 km, roughly 3.5 hours' drive in good conditions, and 67 km from Olsztyn. In winter roads can be slippery, and at the beginning and end of the winter break traffic is heavier, so allow extra time and check the forecast before you set off. There is free parking by the houses, and the satnav takes you right to the door.

Before your stay we send you directions and information about getting into the house. From the houses to Mrągowo it is 9 km, about 15 minutes' drive, so shops and the slope are close.

An example for one house and 10 people for a week, calculated from the lowest winter price. The price per night on specific dates may be higher, and the exact amount is shown by the calendar on the prices page. So treat the result as a lower bound.

1. 01accommodation: 7 nights at PLN 999, so from PLN 6,993 for the whole house
2. 02local tax: 10 people for 7 nights at PLN 3.50, so PLN 245; children under 4 do not pay
3. 03firewood: PLN 200, if you order it
4. 04in total from PLN 7,438, so from about PLN 744 per person for a week, without food, travel and activities

Count activities separately: ski passes, equipment rental, water park tickets and a sleigh ride. Two families in one house split the cost of accommodation in half. How to plan the whole trip budget is shown in the article How much does a week in Masuria cost.

Our Modern and Loft houses stand on Lake Krzywe, 9 km from Mrągowo, in a quiet zone where combustion engines are banned. The lake shore is about 10 metres from the terrace and the beach with a jetty about 20 metres from the houses. Both houses are all-year and heated, and bed linen and towels are included.

1. 01one house for up to 10 people or two houses for up to 20
2. 02the slope in Mrągowo about 15 minutes' drive, Mikołajki about half an hour
3. 03check-in from 16:00, check-out by 11:00
4. 04a 30% deposit and free cancellation up to 30 days before arrival
5. 05we issue an invoice on request

You can check free dates on our prices page. If several families are coming, you have a question about the dates or the calendar does not yet show the dates you want, write or call us before booking.

The best winter holiday is the one after which the children remember the sledges and the bonfire, and the adults remember that for a whole week nobody was in a hurry.