The south of East Prussia lies on the Baltic ridge, a terminal moraine of the last ice age, and forms a gently undulating, very varied landscape. Masuria is characterised by predominantly sandy soil, on which pine forests thrive.
The areas to the north and west have loamier soils. In Masuria, forestry and fishing were the main industries, agriculture being difficult on the poor soils. The most agriculturally valuable regions of East Prussia are found in the west and north, i.e. in Warmia (Ermland), Sambia (Samland) and along the River Pregel, regions where the forests have been pushed back for a long time.
With its low population density, Masuria's wooded, moorland and lake-rich landscape still offers retreats for numerous animal and plant species that have become rare further West or have disappeared altogether. Tourism also benefits from the attractive natural landscape.
Illustration:
(a) View of Lake Lampasz near Heinrichshöfen/Jędrychowo, 2014. Photo: Dr Christoph Hinkelmann
or:
(b) Evening mood at Lake Mamry, 1999. Photo: Dr Christoph Hinkelmann (second motif)