Drawa
- alternately, this river is narrow or wide, deep or shallow,
lazy or rapid. It is one of the most beautiful kayak-routes in
Poland. The Drawa is a river of great scenery. In upper section,
it flows through Drawski Park Krajobrazowy (Drawski Landscape
Park) and ten beautiful lakes.
Most people who run the Drawa will
tell you it is worth the trip. The most beautiful section is that
most risky from Adamowo Lake to Bogdanka campsite. The river is
there wild, tortuous and rapid and trees that have fallen into
the water bring another obstruction. Short parts in the area of
Drawienski National Park, good guides and lifeguards and well-developed
campsites will be very helpful for the trip. Leaving the National
Park, you have only a shot to the town Krzyz that is the final
point of kayak-vacation on the Drawa.
Gwda
- flows through a beautiful area amid meadows and huge pine-forest
with numerous lakes bringing charming views. Along the river Gwda
there is a former German defensive line from the 2nd World War,
an attraction for those interested in military objects. The river
Gwda is an attractive kayak-route, picturesque and diversified,
but rather drudging in the upper section. The Gwda Valley with
Walcz Lake District is an area of protected landscape. There are
all types of landscape: plains, moraine hills, sanders, river
valleys and terraces with dunes.
Lupawa
- is the wildest river on Pojezierze (Lakeland), picturesque,
charming and variegated. It is full of trout and grayling. The
riverbanks much overgrown with trees so the Lupawa looks like
a forest river. Then it goes through the Jezioro Gardno (Gardno
Lake) and the mouth to the Baltic Sea has in the village Rowy.
Bukowina
- is the longest right tributary of the Lupawa river. It rises
in the village Sierakowice near Kartuzy town and flows to the
village Kozice. Long Bukowina valley is an extension of middle
part of Lupawa valley. You can have it as upper section of the
Lupawa. It is accessible for kayaking from Jezioro Kamienickie
(Kamienickie Lake) and is a 22 km long, very troublesome and partially
difficult but picturesque kayak-trail. You need 2 days to pass
the whole trail and can continue on the Lupawa river.
Pilawa
- is the longest tributary of the river Gwda. In upper section,
it joins some picturesque lakes and then flows to the South amid
huge forest complex. The biggest and deepest one is Jezioro Pile
(Pile Lake) with an area of 933 ha and 54 m max depth. There is
a mysterious place near that lake which is the start
point of the tour. It is Nowe Borne Sulinowo and there an armoured
division of Soviet Army had been stationing until 1992.
Maybe not mysterious but rather secret until
recently, this nook is not so urbanized and that's why you can
easily meet here with wild animals like black stork, beaver or
white eagle. This is a very picturesque trail of particular interest.
In addition, the remains of German fortification called Wal Pomorski
(Pomeranian Wall). In lower section, the river Pilawa has faster
current and stones and trees often arrive.
Radunia
and Jeziora Radunskie (Radunskie Lakes). The Radunia is a left
tributary (104.6 km long) to the river Motlawa. It flows on the
Pojezierze Kaszubskie (Kaszuby Lakeland). A magnificent chain
of postglacial lakes in river basin of upper Radunia, the complex
of 16 natural water reservoir with total area of 21 square km
is called Zespol Jezior Radunskich (Radunia Lakes' Group) and
consist of the lakes: Stezyckie, Radunskie Gorne and Dolne, Nieszostowo,
Laczynskie, Klodno, Biale, Rekowo, Brodno Male and Wielkie, Ostrzyckie,
Bukrzyno Duze and Male, Potulskie, Dabrowskie and Lubowisko. They
are accessible for kayaking and situated between moraine hills
40 to 170 m high. The circle tour on the main lakes is 40 km long
and called "Kolko Radunskie" (Radunia Ring).
From Somonino
the river flows faster in a deep ravine. For kayakers it is a
legendary part of the Radunia 10 km long which names are: "Przelom
Babidolski" (Babidol Breakthrough), "Przelom Raduni"
(Radunia Breakthrough) or "Jar Raduni" (Radunia Gorge).
The sides rise to 40 m above valley level. The breaking through
river is of mountain kind. Rapid current, sharp bends, stones
and trees in riverbed - all these factors can satisfy even those
kayakers of most particular taste and looking for exciting impressions.
In the breakthrough, the river slope is 5-6 %. Radunia Gorge is
under preservation order as a nature sanctuary. Usually, kayakers
paddle on the Radunia only to the village Zukowo.
Rurzyca
- the river is 25 km long. It rises in the Jezioro Krepsko Male
(Small Krepsko Lake) and takes the waters of six very beautiful
lakes. This short and very attractive kayak route is all amid
the forest. It is possible to pass this distance in one or two
days but the beauty of the landscape causes that you want to stay
here longer. The Rurzyca is a shallow river with rapid current
but there are stones at the bottom in lower section. The finish
is in the village Krepsko by the Stara Lemieszarnia where you
can camp and buy fish, or continue the tour for 1000 m to the
river Gwda.
Slupia
- the mouth of the river Slupia is in Ustka on Baltic Sea. The
trail starts on the bank of the Jezioro Gowidlinskie (Gowidlinskie
Lake) and is 124 km long. It is troublesome and very attractive,
clear water, unpolluted nature and some breakthroughs with considerable
drops. The most famous Rynna Suleczynska (Suleczyn Ditch) is in
tortuous gorge with gradient of 400 cm per km and stone debris
in the bottom (the average gradient on the trail is 132 cm per
km. The river meanders, changes its width and depth, and contains
boulders and stony steps. There are some long portages over waterpower
dams (each of several hundred meters) on the trail.
Wda
- also called Czarna Woda (Black Water), a twin river of the Brda
flows through the forests of Bory Tucholskie, Kaszuby, Kociewie,
and Wdzydze- and Wda Landscape Parks. The rout is 210 km long.
In upper
section, the river Wda flows through many lakes, amongst which
a complex of 5 lakes compose the Jezioro Wdzydze (Wdzydze Lake),
sometimes called the Kaszuby Sea. The river has a variable profile:
once is a stony stream, then a whitewater rapid, and after that,
it changes into a sheddy or lazily flowing river.
In its whole
course, the Wda is a beautifully meandering river making numerous
picturesque loops. One can have many splendid experiences when
gets on the tributary streams to the Wda. The final sections of
the rivers: Trzebiocha, Niechwaszcz and Prusina are like mountain
breakthroughs.
Lower section of the Wda provides some problems
as portaging over the waterpower station in Grodek and Zur, and
the dams in Kozlowo and Przechowo. The Wda flows majestically
through the town of Swiecie (near a Gothic Teutonic castle) and
empties into the Wisla.
Drweca
- 210 km long, is the only long river in Poland, which is a nature
sanctuary as a whole. And there is much for preservation: clean
water, rare fish and lamprey, forest lakes, beavers, picturesque
breakthroughs. The river provides to the river Wisla in a deep
dry valley with high slopes approach the Drweca making it similar
to a mountain river. The trail is suitable for those kayakers,
which are eager for adventure and want to discover charming nook,
historic places and relics of the past. Once, the Drweca was the
border of Teutonic state and many fortified towns and border castles
remain it to date.
Wierzyca
- is the main river of Kociewie region. The Wierzyca rises on
Wzgorza Szymbarskie (Szymbarskie Hills) on Kaszuby Lakeland. It
is a variegated kayak-trail 135 km long. Some parties are troublesome
and difficult because of strainers (brush in the bed or trees
fallen into the water). The most beautiful parties are two breakthroughs
amid the forest: the first between villages Boze Pole Szlacheckie
and Pogodki, and the second between the mouth of the Wietcisa
river and the town Starogard. There are the remains of a Teutonic
castle from 14th century in the village Zamek Kiszewski. The Starogard
Gdanski town is worth seeing (the Gothic parish church with wall
painting from 15th century, the square with town hall, the towers
and city walls) and mostly the Pelplin town (the cathedral church
with Cistercian monastery from 14th century, bishop palace and
park, Diocesan Museum with the Bible of Gutenberg) as well as
the Gniew town (the Teutonic castle, the Gothic church, medieval
tenement houses).
Dobrzyca
- a right tributary river to the Pilawa (Pilawa is a tributary
to the Gwda). Accessible for kayaks from Jezioro Machlino (Machlino
Lake), 59 km long to its estuary, is an easy and picturesque but
troublesome trail, which takes 3 to 4 days.
Upper section the river meanders in the meadow valley. The area
is very nice but there are many trees in the current so you have
to portage your kayak over those obstructions. Behind the Ilowiec
the river changes - the meadows disappear and you can paddle amid
the forest. Behind the Golce, the river stretches and become deeper
flowing in a gorge, which then widens and the area changes into
meadows. You pass by two tributary streams (Pilawka and Zdbica)
and behind the Ostrowiec wide and picturesque river meanders slowly
amid the forest. Behind the village Tarnowo, the Dobrzyca takes
yet some meanders and empties in the river Pilawa. On the Pilawa,
you can float to the village Dobrzyca and finish your tour there.
Leba
- the river empties in Jezioro Lebsko (Lebsko Lake) which is the
third large in Poland. It is not allowed to paddle on £ebsko in
order to protection of birds and fish. Starting point is on Jezioro
Sianowskie (Sianowskie Lake). The trail is 98 km long, difficult
and troublesome. The river has rapid current and numerous shallows
and you have to watch out for the boulders at the bottom and the
trees fallen into the water. Most of the river you can paddle
in deep valley with brush and steep slopes like in a dark tunnel.
Upper section with gradients of 500 cm per km. A lot of short
portages 30-100 m long.
Brda
- the main waterway In Bory Tucholskie (Tuchola Forests) is the
left tributary to the river Wisla (Vistula). It rises on the hills
(180 m above sea level) in Pojezierze Bytowskie (Bytowskie Lakeland)
flowing from Jezioro Smolowe (Smolowe Lake) to the east of
the Miastko town.
