Ruciane-Nida is a town in the Suwalki province, located on the southern edge of the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes. From here it is 70 km to Elk, 90 km to Olsztyn and 210 km to Warsaw. Ruciane-Nida has a population of approximately 5,500 and covers an area of 17.7 km2.

The town is situated on the Mazurska Plain near two lakes, the Guzianka Wielka and the Nidzkie, both part of the Masurian Landscape Park. The latter lake is vast: it covers about 1020 ha and it has thirteen islands, and is surrounded on all sides by mixed coniferous and deciduous trees of the Piska Forest.

The woodlands regulate the local climate, which is dictated by a mixture of continental and oceanic influences, but as the former are more prevalent, the climate here is milder than might be expected of the area.

The first certain traces of settlers in what today is the town and community of Ruciane-Nida go back to the 2nd century A.D. At the time the area was inhabited by the tribe called the Galinds.

The Teutonic Knights came to settle here in the 13th century, after the conquests in the years 1253-1254. Soon afterwards, a policy of settlement was inaugurated that reached its peak after the Peace Treaty at Lake Melno was signed in 1422. The treaty defined the borders between the Teutonic ... ( più >>)