If someone does not know what is hidden under the name of Warmia and Mazury, if they want to get to know the qualities of this unique land, if they want to see how civilisation co-exists with the beautiful creations of nature – lakes, forests, picturesque rivers – Olsztyn is the ideal place to find the answersto all these questions and make one’s dreams come true. The capital city of Warmia and Mazury is a presentation of what nature has the best to offer in this part of the country. Eleven lakes within the boundaries of the city, a lot of smaller ponds, three rivers and a vast municipal forest, which occupies around a total of 20% of the area of Olsztyn – these are the riches that no other large Polish city can pride itself on. In the centre of the city or just outside Olsztyn there are its natural resources – its fine forests and lakes, the home of many rare and protected animal and plant species, numerous monuments of nature, rivers, ponds and parks. Natural beauty is the best characteristic of Olsztyn, created by the landscape, and is the first association which visitors link to the city. Over the centuries the city did its best not to disturb the delicate balance between human aspirations and the requirements of nature because man has been dependent on the local natural resources for ages. Today, a human being is mainly looking for natural beauty and the source of inner peace, for a closer contact with the green of the forests and the blue of the lakes.