Gołdap is situated in the valley of the Gołdapa River, approximately 2.5 km from Lake Gołdap, on the edge of the Romincka Forest. To the north, it borders the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation (approximately 3.2 km from the town centre). The Gołdap region also lies within the Masurian Lake District and the Lithuanian Lake District, in the Humpbacked Masuria region.
Gołdap boasts several significant attractions. Since 2000, it has held the status of a health resort specialising in mud and climate therapy. The town is home to a sanatorium, a mineral water pump room and graduation towers, as well as modern spa facilities including the Spa Promenade, a one-hectare playground, a mini-golf course, walking and cycling paths, and outdoor exercise equipment by the lake and in the town centre. The developing spa district has attracted private investors. New, elegant establishments have been built, along with cosy restaurants serving not only regional cuisine but also Russian and Lithuanian dishes, as well as hotels, guesthouses and inns offering a diverse range of services to meet the expectations of various groups of tourists. Soon, the spa district will be home to a natural therapy centre featuring brine pools, treatment rooms and a spa area.
Gołdap is the oldest health resort in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The local sanatorium offers treatment for musculoskeletal disorders, upper and lower respiratory tract conditions, cardiovascular diseases, psychosomatic disorders, obesity and skin problems, providing treatments including balneotherapy and cryotherapy, amongst many others.
Just outside Gołdapia, in the village of Niedrzwica, lies the ‘Marzenia’ Rehabilitation Centre for Children and Young People, which specialises in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. Its rehabilitation equipment, which is unique in Europe (one of only nine of the world’s latest paediatric models of active orthoses for learning to walk), combined with its professional staff, means that the Centre is visited by children from the farthest corners of the world.
Gołdap is also interesting in many other respects. A rich range of activities is available all year round, not only thanks to the health resort but also to the aforementioned ‘hills’ that give the whole region its name – or, to be precise, one hill: Piękna Góra. Situated just below Gołdap, this hill is a great alternative for skiers and snowboarders who don’t want to waste half their weekend travelling to the mountains. The ski runs, T-bar lifts, chairlift, revolving café at the summit and other culinary and leisure attractions at the Piękna Góra Rudziewicz complex – such as the ropes course and bowling alley – will undoubtedly meet tourists’ expectations. Meanwhile, cross-country skiers can always count on perfectly groomed trails in the spa district and in the Kumiecie Forest near Podgóldap. It is also there that the oldest skiing event in Warmia and Masuria takes place – the Jaćwingi Race, in which several hundred competitors take part every year.
The Gołdap health resort is also an ideal destination for active tourism. We have 260 km of signposted cycle routes, including 80 km of the Green Velo route, 140 km of signposted walking trails and educational trails in the Romincka Primeval Forest. You can explore all these trails using the leaflets available at the Tourist Information Centre in Gołdap, 16 Zwycięstwa Square.
One of the region’s undoubted attractions is the Bloodless Safari – an organic farm covering several hundred hectares, where wild animals are kept in enclosures. It is home to Europe’s only maral deer breeding ground, as well as zebras and camels, and hundreds of other wild animals. Visitors tour the farm in an off-road vehicle.
Not much remains of old Gołdap. War damage destroyed over 80 per cent of the town centre. Among the remaining structures, the following are particularly noteworthy: the 16th-century Co-Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, rebuilt in the 1980s; the historic water tower, which now houses a charming café and a viewing terrace, as well as the former Prussian barracks, which, following regeneration, have been transformed into a sports, leisure and cultural complex featuring an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and the ‘Mieczysław Marian Ratasiewicz Museum of the Gołdap Region’ Regional Chamber. An interesting fact is that the café and canteen areas of today’s sanatorium are housed in former bunkers – the remains of the Luftwaffe’s headquarters, commanded by Hermann Göring. The bunker complex, known as ‘Robinson’, probably also housed a research centre working on the engine for V-2 rockets. An experimental jet engine test rig was located here.
The town’s cultural and sporting offerings are also worth noting. Among the many interesting events, a few are worth mentioning: in the summer, an international half-marathon takes place, with a route leading from the Kaliningrad Oblast, through the Gusiew–Gołdap road border crossing, to the city centre. The town also hosts Poland’s only and the world’s second (after Tokyo) Screaming Competition. In August, the region’s culinary speciality takes centre stage – the Kartaczewo Borderland Festival is held in the town square, as Gołdap is regarded as the world capital of kartacz. In summer, the family-friendly Egg Festival takes place, whilst the regional Sękacz Festival awaits us every year on 15 August near Gołdap. In winter, apart from the aforementioned Yotvingian Run, there are plenty of events for winter sports enthusiasts. For culture lovers, there’s a cinema open all year round, and in winter the Gołdap Cultural Centre hosts ‘Kierunek Gołdap’, a multi-day interdisciplinary event (featuring exhibitions, literary readings and concerts).
This small town has a lot to offer, and when you add to that the wealth of options provided by hoteliers, B&B owners and restaurateurs based around Gołdap, the proximity of such interesting sights as the bridges in Stańczyki, Wilhelm’s boulders in the Romincka Forest and the pyramid in Rapa, this place becomes a superb destination for a leisure trip.