Canoe trails are not only popular along the best known rivers, but also meandering sections of rivers that are less known, charming and above all calm even during the summer season.
We present the most interesting canoe trails in Poland for beginners, intermediate and experienced kayakers.
CZARNA HAŃCZA
This route belongs to those of medium difficulty. It is recommended for adults who like active challenges that do not last too long. The route on the section Gawrych Ruda – Rygol and is covered in 3 to 5 days. It is over 60 km long. You can also start your adventure at Lake Wigry in Bryzgel and sail to Augustów in 4-6 days. Rafting on Czarna Hańcza is a perfect idea for an extended weekend or for a picnic. By the way, you can admire the beautiful Lake Wigry. These are very popular canoe trails in Poland.
Photo Credit: PAP/Jerzy Ochoñski
DRAWA
This is a special canoe trail in Poland, because the Drawa route from Czaplinek to Nowe Bielice was particularly loved by Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II, who covered it in its entirety twice. He loved kayaking as well as theater and poetry, and together with his students often went on rafting trips. This picturesque trail in the West Pomeranian Lake District leading through the Drawa National Park is 171 km long and takes up to 12 days to overcome. Drawa is a river so safe that the route is ideal for people just starting out on their adventure with the sport.
KRUTYNIA
This picturesque canoe route in Masuria is about 100 km long. The Krutynia River flows on the Sorkwity – Ruciane Nida route. To cover the entire route, we need to book 7-10 days. It is an easy route and great for families with children. Excellent outdoor shooting and amazing experiences are guaranteed. An attraction will certainly be the Guzianka lock and the beautiful nooks and crannies of the Piska Forest.
DUNAJEC
Dunajec is probably the most popular place in Poland intended for rafting. However, there are also canoe trails. The whole trail on the Dunajec is over 200 km long, but it is extremely difficult to do all of it. Beginners and intermediate kayakers are recommended shorter sections, not even all-day but several hours. There are a lot of them and you should look for a rental, for example, at the Dunajec gorge in Pieniny. We recommend kayaks on the Dunajec, as entertainment in the break between climbing the Three Crowns and visiting the castles in Niedzica and Czorsztyn.
BIEBRZA
Biebrza has some amazing meanders and backwaters, often losing the main current to flow off into many streams. This wild and quiet landscape will appeal especially to those who do not like to meet too many other people on the route. The almost imperceptible current allows us to lazily raft along the course of the river and we have time for rest and undisturbed contact with nature. It is here that the largest moose refuge in the country is located, of which there are about 400, and on the shores of over 300 species of birds. Most often, the rafting begins in Sztabin or Dolistów and flows to the mouth of the Narew River. The route is easy, the current is calm, and the trail is ideal for beginners.
ROSPUDA
Wild Augustów Forest, beautiful nature and blissful silence. It is worth going on a canoeing trip here. On the trail from Filipów to Augustów you should timetable about five or six days. The length of the Rospuda trail is 68 km. It flows through Lake Garbaś, among others. It is also worth visiting the Philippi with the preserved sixteenth-century layout of the village. In Dowspuda you can admire the ruins of the Paca Palace. It is definitely one of the most beautiful canoe routes in the country.
BÓBR
‘Bóbr – ‘The beaver’ – can be sailed from Kamienna Góra to Krosno Odrzańskie, the route being 250 km. It takes an average of 10 days to navigate it, but the route is varied and quite demanding. Often you have to overcome the various transfers, i.e. non-flowing places. Then you get out of the kayak and carry it yourself to the further section of the river, on which you can continue. The kayak weighs so much that some people are discouraged by the nuisance. However, it is worth visiting when we have gained some experience in this sport. By the way, you can admire the Bóbr Valley Landscape Park and the Rudawski Landscape Park en route.
WIEPRZ I TANEW
Zwierzyniec abounds in beautiful sections of rivers where you can go kayaking, the most interesting being Tanew and Wieprz. Kayaking Wieprzem is a great opportunity to admire the beautiful nature of the Roztocze National Park. Roztocze will satisfy the needs of everyone because its numerous, calm rivers are a real treat for kayak lovers. There is also no shortage of places for the more ambitious, those who want to row a bit harder. For those who prefer calm rowing, the gentle terrain and relatively shallow, lazy rivers are there too. Rafting on the Wieprz is usually organized up to Szczebrzeszyn. Of course, the length of the route can be selected to your own capabilities and abilities. It is also worth asking in advance about the degree of difficulty of the route that we want to travel by kayak.
BUG
The Bug canoe trail from Włodawa to Kodeń is over 65 kilometers long. It belongs to the intermediate routes, and to vanquish here we need 4-5 days. For beginners, it offers canoe perfect trails on a shortened route along the Bug River. By the way, you can visit the beautiful Koden with the famous basilica and other churches.
RAWKA
Rawka is a river in Mazovia, which flows into the Bzura, through the Bolimowski Landscape Park. Kayaking Rawka is difficult due to its wild character: dense thickets, meanders, unregulated banks overgrown with vegetation and obstacles waiting in its current. A large number of fish, frogs, grass snakes, lizards, snakes and even crayfish are the norm here. Beavers also live in the clear waters of the Rawka. The peaceful course of the river and the beautiful surroundings encourage you to go to this place on the Sunday canoeing trip with the whole family.
BRDA
You can swim and sail along the Brda, because it is one of the longest canoe routes in Poland. The 233 km are covered in about 12 days, but for this you need to be fit. Of course, you can also shorten the route and sail, for example, on the route from Świeszyn to Swornegaci. It is a charmingly located trail, one of the most valued in this part of Poland. It measures just over 50 km in length and is done in 5 days, because there are so many stages. Brda is not one of the most difficult rivers in Poland and you can choose it even if you are a beginner.
More interesting routes on https://www.kajakiem.pl/
