The Land of Sejny

In the podlaskie voivodeship, on the Eastern Lake District of Suwałki, there spreads the picturesque Land of Sejny. It is the land of green woods and clean lakes. Situated by the farthest part of the North-Eastern Poland, the Land of Sejny is surrounded by the ancient Puszcza Augustowska and Wigierski National Park.
Post-glacial hills, soughing old forests, groves, and the countless amount of lakes and rivers create characteristic picture of this area. Marshy and usually misty ranges put a person in a unique state of mind by their characteristic wild beauty. The Marycha River and the Czarna Hańcza River join with the current of Niemno and Wigry Lake is located directly on the Polish-Lithuanian border.
Many rare species of animals and plants find their shelter in this natural enclave. The reserves “Bobruczek”, “Ostoja Bobrów Marycha” and “Łempis” are inhabited by beavers, which lodges are for good present in this countryside. Woods and thick backwoods are inhabited by black grouse, white eagle, wolves and lynxes.
The Land of Sejny, presently situated on the crosslink of Polish, Lithuanian and White Russian borders, previously was the home for Jaćwież tribe, inhabitants of the Mazovia region, Lithuanian people, Jews and oldceremonials, called also old-believers. There used to go an emplacement historic tract through the Land of Sejny, which was tramped by merchants, religious emigrants and almost all the armies of Europe. Nowadays the Town of Sejny is an important element of a tourist tract connecting Eastern and Western Europe.
Some historic names sound misterious in Polish language: Sejny, Krasnogruda, Jegliniec, Żegary, Sejwy, Boksze, Oszkinie, Wiłkokuk. There are also some old fairy-tales and legends about the defence of the monastery by “the divine army” against Moscals during the “Swedish flood”, about bringing the Figure of St. Mary of Sejny to Sejny or about the King Żaltis and beautiful Jegla.
Old noble mansions and farms in Dusznica, Krasnogruda, Klejwy, Szejpiszki and Hołny Wolmera are unique monuments of the Land of Sejny. While wandering from one mansion to another one can bend the steps of many hundred years old tradition of gentry. Czesław Miłosz described his return to his home in Krasnogruda in such a way:

“In my old age I went to the places where my early
youth used to wander.
I recognised the scent, the lines of post-glacial hills,
Oval lake basins.
I forced my way through thicket where a park used to be,
But I haven’t found any traces of the path.
I stood on water and just like the wave was rippling,
Unimaginable identity, unimaginable separation.”
The poem “Powrót” from the volume “Dalsze okolice” (1991)

The character of the Land of Sejny is also determined by the inhabitants of this land. Their friendliness, hospitality and frankness encourage to visit this place and add charm to this land. One can not only rest here in the open, but also delight with unforgettable taste and aroma of home-made food. There are some very unique dishes served there, like “kartacze’, “kińdziuki”, “soczewiaki”, “czenaki” and “sękacze”, which are typical only for the Land of Sejny and you will not try them anywhere else.