Elbląg
Nicolaus Copernicus visited Elbląg many times. First, as a secretary, he accompanied his uncle, Bishop Łukasz Watzenrode, in conventions of Prussia.
In January 1504, together with the bishop, he advised the town hall to send deputies to the Polish king. In May 1504, he participated in the tribute to Elbląg authorities to the king, and also acted as a witness to the announcement of the divorce decree. He took part in the conventions of the states of Royal Prussia together with the bishop at the turn of 1506 and 1507, and in September and October 1507.
Copernicus's visits to Elbląg in 1529 (two) and 1530 were also documented. During the latter, Copernicus translated the Polish MP’s, Jan Balinski’s, speech from the Polish language. In 1531, the scholar became one of the heroes of the ridiculous masquerade in the town. The comedy "Błaźnimędrzec" (meaning: a wise man who was a fool) published in 1541 made by Wilhelm Gnapheus, rector of the local junior high school, had a similar purpose.
Elbląg is the oldest town in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship - it was founded in 1237 and obtained city rights in 1246. It was once an important seaport. The panorama of the old town of Elbląg is dominated by the Gothic cathedral of St. Nicholas. Other monuments from this period include: Market Gate, churches of St. Spirit, Dominicans (now an art gallery), Corpus Christi, St. George and St. Anthony, as well as the passage between tenements called the Church Path. The town also has a temple from the eighteenth century and four from the late nineteenth century.
From the complex of the Teutonic castle - built in the mid-13th century, and most of it demolished in the mid-15th century - few buildings remained. Currently, they contain exhibitions of the Archaeological and Historical Museum [http://www.muzeum.elblag.pl/].
The presented monuments come from, among others, the Viking emporium Truso, a Gothic cemetery in Weklice and from the excavations in the old town of Elbląg.
The Elbląg Canal starts in Elbląg. From here you can use it to get to Ostróda and Stare Jabłonki as well as Iława and Zalewo. This unique waterway was built in 1844-1881and has over 150 km including tributaries. Ships overcome the level difference of about 100 m thanks to five ramps.
Within Elbląg lies part of the Elbląg Upland Landscape Park. Peace and quiet can be found in Bażantarnia - a forest park with hiking trails and nature monuments. Elbląg is the starting point of the Green Velo East of Poland Cycling Trail, which has nearly 2000 km, of which 395 km in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.