Landform, geographical regions

The physiographic routes presented in the guide (according to the division of Poland into mesoregions made by the geographer prof. Jerzy Kondracki) they generally run through the central and eastern lowlands. The exceptions are the vicinity of Gostynin (belonging to the Greater Poland Lake District) and around Lidzbark and Górzno (belonging to the Pomeranian Lake District). The relief is generally flat or slightly wavy. It was shaped mainly by the Central Polish glaciation, and only to the north. and NW. the edge of the described area by the Baltic glaciation. The landscape of Wzniesienia Mławskie is more varied, north. parts of the Kutno Plain, Dobrzyński Lake District and Garb Lubawski. Valleys and ice-marginal valleys of rivers crossing individual mesoregions are generally deeply indented and often form steep slopes cut by erosive ravines. Sand dunes made of sander sands are relatively numerous (in the plains and highlands) and riverside (in valleys and river valleys), largely forested. They sometimes form larger complexes and embankments (perches) from the interconnected arms of parabolic dunes. The most numerous dunes are in the Warsaw Basin, Of the Middle Vistula Valley, Racią Plains, Kurpiowska Plain, The Valley of the Lower Narew and the Valley of the Lower Bug. On the plains and uplands, many periglacial forms have been preserved: plains, old moraines, kames and ozs. Some of the most interesting ozons are: from Dębski near Mława, Dybanki hills and oz łącko-zdworski (both in the vicinity of Gostynin). Due to the geomorphologically heterogeneous landscape, Mazovia has been divided into geographical mesoregions. Below, in alphabetical order, we present the more interesting mesoregions.

The valley of the Lower Bug occupies a narrow one, a several-kilometer-wide area along the river on the section from Małkinia Górna to its estuary into the Narew. It includes a floodplain terrace with numerous oxbow lakes.

The Lower Narew Valley is located within the North-Masovian Lowland and covers the area along the Narew River from Nowogród to the mouth of the Bug River. From the south it is limited by relatively high slopes of Międzyrzecz Łomżyński, and to the north of the Kolne Upland. There are a number of longitudinal and latitudinal sections of the valley connected by meanders, which is probably a consequence of the natural diversion of the river waters to the no longer existing glacial lakes.

Garb Lubawski is located on the border of the former provinces. Ciechanów, Toruń and Olsztyn, and only partially belongs to the region described in the guide. It has an interesting topography shaped by the junction of two glacier lobes – the Baltic glaciation. It is an arch of slopes of maximum height 312 m n.p.m. (beyond the borders of historic Mazovia) and relative heights of more than 100 m. These hills are usually covered with forest. In the south. parts of Ciarb Lubawski are relatively deep (do 35 m) lakes, mainly gutter.

The Płock Basin covers the area along the Vistula in the section from Dobrzyków to Włocławek. It consists of two micro-regions: flood terrace, in the area of ​​which a storage reservoir was created, called Lake Włocławskie, and a sandy terrace, called the Gostyniński Lake District, located on the left bank of the Vistula, varied with postglacial forms and dunes (appearing separately and forming shafts). They are found in the lake district 63 glacial lakes, and its area is largely covered by forests.

The Warsaw Basin covers the area at the confluence of the Vistula valleys, Narew and Bug as well as Bzura. It was shaped by the waters of the melting Baltic glacier. It has latitudinal floodplain areas (along the rivers), boggy (remains of the Vistula oxbow lakes) and dune. Numerous dunes are often considerable, coming to 30 m relative heights, They often connect with each other with their arms to form dune embankments. Forests cover a significant part of the valley (Kampinos Forest).

Międzyrzecze Łomżyńskie is a moraine plateau with a triangular shape, occupying the area between the valleys of the Lower Bug and Lower Narew and the meridian moraines of Czerwony Bór. The highest culmination of the plateau is Dębowa Góra in the area of ​​Czerwony Bór (227 m n.p.m.). The upland is crossed by the left tributaries of the Narew – Orz and Ruż. East. and south. part of the mesoregion is covered with dense forest complexes.

The Dobrzyń Lakeland covers an area on the border of the former voivodeships. Płock and Włocławek, and only partially belongs to the area described in the guide. The interesting topography was shaped mainly by the Central Polish and Baltic glaciations. The landscape features characteristic periglacial elements, such as moraine and kema hills, Ozy is drumliny. There is approx. 130 lakes with an area of ​​over 1 ha. Absolute height it reaches 100-161 m n.p.m. The western edge of the lake district is a steep slope with a relative height to 80 m.

The Garwolin Plain is located between the Middle Vistula Valley and the Kałuszyńska and Żelechowska Uplands. Only NW. part of it is located in the area covered by the guide. From the north. it is limited by the Wołomin Plain, and from the south. The Łuków plain. It is a sandy denudation plain–clayey, slightly sloping towards the north. It is cut by the narrow valleys of Świder and Wilga – the right tributaries of the Vistula. It is covered with large forest complexes.

The Kurpiowska Plain is an outwash plain. It is intersected by the rivers Orzycem, Omulwia and Rozoga. Between the river valleys quite numerous dunes reaching to the river have formed 20 m relative height. There is an extensive peat deposit in the vicinity of the village of Karaska. The plain is largely covered with forest (The Green Forest).

The Łowicz-Błońsk Plain is located to the south. from the Warsaw Basin and is only partially described in this guide. It is crossed by the Rawka rivers, Pisa and Utrata tributaries of the Bzura, flowing from the hills of southern Mazovia. The plain is almost flat, only diversified by river valleys. In fact, it is devoid of larger forest complexes (in the area covered by the guide). It is used in agriculture for the cultivation of vegetables, shrubs and fruit trees.

The Raciąska Plain was shaped by waters resulting from the melting of the Baltic glaciation, which along the north-west. the border of this mesoregion was reaching its limit. The direction of the outflow of glaciofluvial waters is consistent with the direction of the main rivers of the plain – Wkra (from Lubowidz to its mouth) and Raciążnicy (the Wkra tributary). There are sands in places, that make up the dunes.

Plain Urszulewska covers an area on the border of the former voivodeships. Płockie, Ciechanowski, Włocławek and Toruń, and only partially belongs to the area described in the guide. It was shaped by the Poznań phase of the Baltic glaciation and has the form of an outwash plain. There are a dozen lakes in the depressions on its territory, the largest of which are Urszulewskie and Lidzbarskie Wielkie. Much of the mesoregion is covered by forest.

The Warsaw Plain is located to the west. from the Vistula and to the north. from Pilica. From the north. zach. it borders with the Łowicz-Błońska Plain. Its surface is sparsely diversified, cut by the valleys of the Jeziorka river and its tributary to the Zielona. The highest climax – 113 m n.p.m. is located in the center of Warsaw. Part of the mesoregion is covered by urban buildings. The remaining areas are covered with large forest complexes.

The Wołomin Plain is situated to the south. from Dolny Dolny Lugu and to the east. from the Warsaw Basin. The plain is not very diversified and rises towards the south-east. It is crossed by generally shallow river valleys – tributaries of the Bug: Black, Rulers, Osownica and Liwiec. W. some of them are ribbon clays used by numerous brickyards.

The Ciechanów Upland is located in the central and southern part of. parts of the former voivodeship. Ciechanowski and in the west. parts of the former voivodeship. of Ostrołęka. Single climaxes occur in the vicinity of Płońsk and Nasielsk in the form of moraine hills and kemes up to 157 m n.p.m. The area is basically devoid of large forest complexes and is used for agriculture.

The Płońsk Upland is basically a forestless moraine plain, on which from the south. and E. are located, quite numerous in places, moraine hills and kemes. Culminations reach up to 163 m n.p.m.

The Mławskie Hills are located in the north. parts of the former voivodeship. Ciechanowski and north-west. parts of the former voivodeship. of Ostrołęka. They constitute a complex of moraine hills and kemes formed directly beyond the border of the Baltic glaciation. Culminations reach to 236,3 m n.p.m. (Oak Mountains). The Orzyc River originates here (tributary of the Narew).