Czaplinek (in English it should be read as Tschaplinek) is small, pleasant, placed on the lake named Drawsko (Dravsko), so because it was old capital of the Order of the Temple (Knights Templar) in Poland, we decided to prolong our trip to home and stay for a some time just in this town. It could be interesting stopover.
And it was.
Location of the town is typically tourist: from the market to the marina on the shore of the lake is maybe 200 meters, market is nice, clean, from Middle Ages, goodwill of people gigantic in comparison with inhabitants of seaside places. It turns out that in Poland also you may walk smiled and kind, and not to have in eyes two PLNs instead of pupils. I know that on the Polish sea weather is checked, water is cold, and season short, but if people who offers us services will be only profit-minded I don't know how long yet they will have customers.
But let's come back to Czaplinek. There is Tourist Information on the marketplace, where you can get free (yes, we are really in Poland) guidebooks and maps of terrain including bicycle and water routes. The market has typically Middle Aged development, on the East is placed big historic church from XIX century, but we were looked for another one - remains of Templars. Unfortunately, as we have read in guidebook, actually there are no remains of the Order of the Temple in Czaplinek and built in XIV century church of the Holy Trinity has with Templars such connection, that is built when was placed their old wooden stronghold. But I have to say that the church also makes impression.
From more interesting things there is also museum room on the marketplace, castle Drahim (we haven't been there because of lack of time, we had to return to Radomsko yet this day), or rather its remains near town, and restored early Middle Aged settlement - Slawogrod (Slavogrod). Similar settlement also is restored in cooperation with Czech Republic near Byczyna (Bytschyna) on the Brzozki reservoir in Opole Province, but about this I will write later by the way fishing expedition.
And at least it is worth going there also for the sake of big lake with fourty-meters high cliffs and a lot of islands. If somebody looks for calmness, possibility for yachting and warm water to swim, Czaplinek is one of the better places.
You can read more and see photo at http://www.adventure.go.pl/pomorze2008.php?english=1
