Green Velo

Situated on the Netta River, the city is referred to as the heart of the Augustów Primeval Forest. It is also the summer capital of Podlaskie Voivodship, surrounded by Augustów Primeval Forest from the east, south and north.

Until the thirteenth century the area was inhabited by the Yotvingians. After numerous wars, the land was deserted, but in the mid-sixteenth century the forests of Augustów Primeval Forest became part of the royal estate. In 1557, King Sigismund August granted the town municipal rights, and it is to him that Augustów owes its royal name. When in Augustów, you need to see the historic city centre with a sixteenth century urban layout, the Sigismund Augustus Market, neoclassical and eclectic tenements from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the 1829 Old Post Office complex and the minor basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There is also the house in which the Emperor Napoleon I spent the night in 1812. Since 1993, the city has had a spa status thanks to its micro climate, rich in essential oils, by the Augustów Primeval Forest complex and rich deposits of peat; a sanatorium operates here.

The city also runs a dock for white fleet ships, gondolas, catamarans; there are numerous water equipment rentals, hotels and resorts. Worthy of note is also an electric water ski lift on the Necko lake. Water-skiers cruise across the waves at a speed of almost 60 km/h. This is where the International Water Ski Jumping Competition takes place. Recently renovated boulevards at Lake Necko and River Netta are ideal for a stroll. Augustów hosts many concerts and outdoor events in the summer season.

Every year in late July Polish Championship in Sailing on Anything takes place.