Stańczyki Railway Viaducts

Bridges in Stańczyki - two railway bridges from 1917–1918 in Stańczyki, in the district of Gołdap.
These are elements of the inactive infrastructure of the railway line connecting Gołdap with Żytkiejmy. Sometimes called the Romincka Primeval Forest Aqueducts.
Bridges are among the highest in Poland. The structure is 5-span, 180 m long, up to 36.5 m high. The Błędzianka river flows under the buildings. First, the south bridge was built (1912-1914, completed in 1917), and later, in 1918, the north bridge. Both buildings are parallel to each other, and the architecture resembles the Roman aqueducts in Pont du Gard. In the spring of 1917, the construction of the so-called the third transport corridor from Chojnice through Czersk, Smętowo, Kwidzyn, Prabuty, Myślice, Morąg, Orneta, Lidzbark Warmiński, Bartoszyce, Kętrzyn, Węgorzewo, Gołdap, Pobłędzie, Kalwaria to Alytus in Lithuania. Most of the above-mentioned episodes already existed then, so this huge investment boiled down, inter alia, to widen the embankments along the entire route for the second track. Since the construction of the Botkuny-Pobłędzie section until the outbreak of World War I was already quite advanced, it was decided to add twin bridges and new viaducts at the intersections with roads on this route. This investment was not completed by the end of World War I and most of the episodes remained single-track.
In view of the new political situation, it did not make sense to build a main line to Lithuania, so in the 1920s it was decided to complete the construction of the line as a local single-track route 35 km from the Botkuny station, through Dubeninki, Stańczyki, Pobłędzie to Żytkiejm. The track was only laid on one of the bridges, and on October 1, 1927, trains began to run along the entire route. Initially, it consisted of 3 pairs of passenger trains, then a fourth pair was launched on Saturdays and Sundays for tourists visiting the area in large numbers. At that time, anglers, mushroom pickers, and in winter also skiers came to the vicinity of Błędzianka. There were also freight trains on the route, transporting mainly wood from the surrounding forests, and in the 1940s also stones, among others. for the construction of Hitler's Wolf's Lair in Gierłoż. The line was dismantled by the Red Army trophies in 1945.
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosty_w_Sta%C5%84czykach

Be sure to try sandwiches with lard and pickled cucumber on home-made bread at the nice lady in front of the bridges. Something fabulous. A great addition to the stunning views.

Visiting the bridges, or as some prefer viaducts, is subject to a fee. Price list 2024: standard ticket 10 PLN, concession 7 PLN. Parking at the bridges is free. If someone decides to go down, they do not have to go back down the same stairs. After crossing a small bridge over the stream, we will reach the stairs on the other side of the bridges and we can go up them, and by the way there is a small terrace from which there is a nice view of the bridges.