August

Secret Places

Żywkowo, Poland.

The place:

People are rare in the Polish village of Żywkowo. Roughly four times as many storks as people live here – up to 160 of them at the height of summer. The clattering of their beaks is as much part of the Masurian landscape as the blue-white summer sky. The picturesque village has around a dozen houses, and lies just under 500 metres from the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Despite its remoteness, it attracts so many stork-loving tourists that the 40 or so locals in Żywkowo can make a living from them. When the storks migrate to sunny southern climes at the end of August, an even greater sense of calm descends once more on the idyllic landscape.


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Insider's tip:

"Nothing much happens here. And that is just as well, otherwise the storks would probably have gone elsewhere long ago. Żywkowo is one of the few places where you can immerse yourself in the animal world very easily. You hear the famous clatter of beaks from all directions, and the large silhouettes against the sky are truly impressive. The meadows are dotted with the long-legged birds as they make their dignified way around. The village and its atmosphere are not only popular with bird-lovers!"


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