We checked and can swear for it. These 5 rivers will not disappoint you. The best spots for perfect kayaking in Northern Poland and perfhaps the whole country.
Czarna Hancza in Wigierski National Park
We went there last year and were just blown away by the beauty of the river and the forest around it. Waters of Czarna Hańcza are crystal clear, but the best thing about the trip is that it is not just for camping lovers anymore.
The only way to get something to eat on the river was to buy sweet buns from the old ladies, who used to hang out on the river bends. Nowadays, there are less and less of them. But the nature abhors the vaccum. Today you can stop in the tiny tiny bars that serves cold beer and potato pancakes. And even play beach volleyball while you wait for your meal.
There are also many camping sites on the banks of the river, as well as quite nice homestays. The most popular are being booked months in advance.
To travel through the whole Czarna Hańcza, you would probably need a week. However, if you have just one day, start in Maćkowa Ruda and follow the river until Studziany Las or Frącki (to Frącki you need around 8 hours).
Where: Suwalszczyzna
Starting points: Maćkowa Ruda, Frącki, Dworczysko
Kayaking in Czarna Hańcza
Krutynia
Krutynia is a beautiful river in Mazury, perfect for a few day trip. The most popular starting point is Krutyń.
This place is the most popular kayaking route in Poland. It is easy to travel and since many people choose Mazury for their holidays, you can expect many many people kayaking with you. Which is why we really recommend starting kayaking early in the morning and visiting this place outside of peak season.
Most people start their trip in Krutyń, so I would avoid it and head for Ukta.
Where: Mazury
Starting points: head for Krutyń, Ukta, Spychowo
Rospuda
I would be suprised if there is a single person over thirty in Poland who doesn’t know what Rospuda is. The river came into the spotlight in 2007. This is when the construction of long needed bypass of the city Augustów (one of the most popular holiday desitnations in Poland) began.
According to the plan the bypass was suppose to go through the protected lands of the valley of Rospuda river. This of course caused a huge riots of ecology community and 2 years after the plans where changed. Rospuda was saved so today you can enjoy its beauty.
Rospuda is going through fantastic terrains of Suwalszczyzna. And did you know you can acctually stop on the way and spend the evening in the sauna at the edge of the lake? (more about sauna customs in Northern Poland in our previous post)
Note that this river is more demending than Czarna Hańcza. In some parts, especially during summer, there might be very little water. So it might be necessary to constantly get out of your kayak to push it through. There is also much more lakes on thr route than on Czarna Hańcza in Wigierski National Park.
Where: Suwalszczyzna
Starting point: Bakałarzewo, Garbas, Uroczysko Święte Miejsce
Wda and Brda
If you go even further West, you will find another perfect lakeside with mellow rivers. Two sisters, rivers Wda and Brda go around Kaszuby. Closeness to the railway and Gdańsk, which has very good connection with the other big cities in Poland and abroad, makes them one of the most convenient kayaking spots in Poland.
The good starting points are:
- for Brda: Swornegacie
- for Wda: Borsk, Tleń
Where: Kaszuby, Pomerania.
Accomodation – where to stay during kayaking in Northern Poland
We recommend following places for your stay:
Campings: Majorka nad Czarną Hańczą
Resorts: Półwysep Lipa in Kaszuby
hello,
we are traveling from torun to gdansk and we would like to make 2 routes with kayak
on the way each 3-4 hours and one of them will end at the baltic sea .
can you kindly tell me starting and finishing points for kayaking
and were do i rent the kayaks ?
thanks a lot
avi
Hi Avi,
Sorry but I never did this kind of route (that would end in the Baltic Sea), so cannot recommend anything. However if you would be interested, we could do the research and prepare a detailed plan of the travel for you.
Neverthless, since I guess that you are ready to make a detour in order to exercise your plan, I would recommend Wda as a good river for you. We wrote about it in our post, starting point might be in Borsk.
Hi Justyna,
thanks for sharing your love of Poland’s nature! I would like to ask for your advice regarding a kayaking trip we are planning for the beginning of July.
We are planning to spend around 2,5 – 3 kayaking days in Poland. Every day we would kayak for around 10 – 15km. We would like to camp with our tents if it is possible.
I think starting and ending points need to be at the same place, since we would rent a car.
Which river would you recommend for us? What would be the best way to plan this trip?
Thanks in advance for your time and help!
Best,
Shahlo
Hi Shahlo,
I would choose Czarna Hańcza. You need to start somewhere near Gawrych Ruda, on Wigry lake. You then go toward Maćkowa Ruda and follow the river and then go by Augustow Channel and finish in Augustów. It should be more than enough. You can also just start in Maćkowa Ruda. You don’t need to end at the same place, kayak providers usually can help you get from the car parking to the starting point and back. If you need more help with logistics, we can help you organize it. https://planpoland.com/
Dear Justyna,
thanks a lot for the immediate reply! I will talk to my friends and we might come back to you with further questions regarding organisation 🙂
Hello Justyna,
We are planning to do a trip to Poland to do a little kayaking in mid September for a week and a half. We would take our own kayak with us. Thinking of Brda and Wda for the few days each. We have to leave the car at the accommodation and paddle around. Is there any fee to pay to access the water in these areas?
Thank you for your help.
Kind regards
Ferenc
I think you should pay fee if you are in Bory Tucholskie National Park. It will cost less than 1 euro and you can buy it here: Dyrekcja Parku Narodowego „Bory Tucholskie”, ul. Długa 33, Charzykowy /od poniedziałku do piątku w godzinach 7.30-15.30/
Obwody Ochronne („leśniczówki”): Bachorze, Drzewicz /wtorki i piątki w godzinach 9:00 – 11:00/
Kaszubski Dom Rękodzieła Ludowego w Swornegaciach /w godzinach otwarcia/
Sklep Spożywczy Ostrowski Henryk, ul. Chojnicka 6, Małe Swornegacie /w godzinach otwarcia/
Sklep Spożywczy w Funce, Funka 3a /w godzinach otwarcia/
Promocja Regionu Chojnickiego w Chojnicach (ul. Stary Rynek 4)
Thank you Justyna.
Hey Justyna, No doubt that is great writing, all the image great too, I have gone through entirely and each word, it a great writing skill. Sometimes I was thinking to get over, but due to a heavy working schedule, I can not.
Can I know your recommendations on the best kayaks for 2 people?
Waiting for your reply.
Thanks
Luzy