Zegrzyński Lake

Zegrzyński Lake, the largest artificial reservoir near Warsaw, is located about 20 km from the capital. It connects with the Narew and Bug Rivers, and has a surface area of about 33 km2. It is directly connected to Warsaw by the picturesque Żerański Canal (Kanał Żerański).
Zegrzyński Lake is primarily a place of rest, and as such, has numerous spas and wellness centres. Neighbouring villages such as Zegrze, Jachranka and Białobrzegi have developed a number of health resorts and eco-tourist attractions and from spring to fall, at every weekend, thousands of Warsaw inhabitants come here looking for rest and peace.
The lake has three wonderful beaches. 'Wild Beach' in Nieporęt, located at the southern edge of the lake, has on-duty lifeguards, equipment rental, changing areas, showers and toilets, and its promenade leads to bicycle and walking paths. The whole area is illuminated and monitored.
Another great place to rest and relax is the beach in Serock, the northern section of the lake; this beach's main attraction is the floating bridge, which also acts as a pier from which to dock boats. There is a playground for children, as well as enough room for beach games and sports. There is also a building with changing rooms, toilets and a parking lot.
Finally, the beach in Wieliszew is one of the largest public beaches on Zegrzyński Lake. It is here that the annual amateur beach volleyball championship is organized, and there are late-night movie marathons right on the beach.
In recent years, there has also been extensive development in terms of conference and training session facilities around the lake; today, there are numerous modern facilities equipped with recreational and wellness centres, which can easily accommodate a few hundred people.
Zegrzyński Lake has excellent conditions for sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, with water sports enthusiasts having a yacht club and many other water-sporting attractions at their disposal. Sailing races held on the lake attract not only boat-lovers, but also professionals, amateur boat crews and windsurfers. But note that Zegrzyński Lake is not only a place to see in the summer: during the winter, ice sailing enthusiasts race over the frozen lake.

Yachting and windsurfing clubs on Zegrzyński Lake:
www.portnieporet.pl
www.port500.pl
www.azs.waw.pl
www.wanta.com.pl
www.anw.pl/kontakt.html
bestsurf.prv.pl/cala.htm
windhunters.pl/index1.php

The area around the water is also perfect for cyclists, as it offers 351 km of routes of varying levels of difficulty. Clean, shallow water makes Zegrzyński a paradise for fishing amateurs, who can catch pike, bream and carp. Every year the lake hosts a number of recreational fishing competitions and sporting events such as the Polish Fishing Championship.
Zegrzyński Lake may be reached by a number of city buses: take bus numbers 705, 734 or 735, which depart from the Żerań FSO loop, or take a PKS bus from the Dworzec Zachodni bus station.

More information:
www.jezioro.zegrzynskie.pl
www.zalewzegrzynski.net
www.zegrze.waw.pl
www.jeziorozegrzynskie.info