Maria Braun

Rowing the Vistula river from Oświęcim to Gdańsk

A dream of many watermen is to cross the Queen of Polish rivers - the Vistula. From zero kilometre, all the way to the estuary of the river to the sea. I grew up in the town by the Vistula river, Toruń. In those days, in the 1980s and 1990s, the Vistula was navigated only by competitors - rowers. Sometimes some yachts, but really rarely. For an ordinary resident, the Vistula meant walks on its banks, school truancy, but it was not associated with watersports. As soon as I started rowing, i.e. just after my 40s, the dream of crossing the entire Vistula awoke in me. 

It was 2019. At the time, all I had at my disposal was an old Pirsch skiff from 1987. A very cool boat, once a racing boat, whereas this is a sports boat. So very sleek and fast, but completely unsuitable for packing camping gear. Taking a change of clothes, a phone and a bottle was the maximum that I could be put on this boat. 

I crossed the entire Vistula in 13 days, in stages. Not necessarily consecutively, but all the sections made up the entire length of the Vistula.

A detailed mileage of the Vistula can be found here https://www.rokwisly.pl/kilometraz-wisly/

Kilometre zero of the Vistula is at the point where Przemsza flows into the Vistula, about 5 km north of Oświęcim. This is where the navigable route begins. The descent to the water had to be sought in the bushes. It is not a distinctive place by any means. Wild bushes, high dykes and a sign with zero kilometre in the middle, right at the junction of the rivers! The Vistula is very narrow here and flows in a ravine. Not too much can be seen all around. Cyclists travel along the flood bank, as there is a good cycle path along the Vistula in this section. My husband Krzysztof also rode on this path and assisted me on the Krakow section. So I rowed to the Przewóz lock in an empty, light boat, without any tourist equipment.

The first section of the Vistula is canalised and has six locks, the so-called Upper Vistula Cascade. Four of the water stages are located before Krakow and two after Krakow.  On the first day I managed to sail through the first four locks. As the traffic on this section is negligible, the lock-keepers themselves pass on information about the flowing vessel and the next locks are ready for a relatively smooth clearance.I sailed smoothly through the locks at the Dwory, Smolice and Łączany water stages. When I reached Tyniec, it turned out that a canoeing competition was taking place in Krakow and the route was closed. It was there that I met up with Krzysiek, who came to join me on his bike. As the Kościuszko lock was not locking due to the trail being closed further on, we had to stop for a few hours in Tyniec. The heat was nightmarish, so we slept in the shade of trees. When I managed to get through in the evening, I reached Krakow in the dark. We had to find accommodation in a Krakow hotel as it was getting completely dark.

Vistula - route from Krakow to Warsaw

The next day, I launched near Wawel Castle. Finding a place to launch was quite a challenge as the waterway was again closed, due to another day of competition. The banks of the Vistula River in Krakow are concreted on both sides. In the end I found a not very friendly place, but somehow I took off. It was raining. It was early in the morning, so there were no cruise ships yet, but the concreted banks mean that when any ship passes, there is a big wave on the water, which bounces off the banks. Beyond Krakow, the Dąbie and Przewóz locks still awaited me. On the section from Tyniec to Przewóz lock, the tourist traffic on the water is definitely heavier. I met a few boats, which sailed locally, along a few kilometres section.

Przewóz lock, as expected, did not have enough water beyond the threshold, so sluicing was not possible. The lock-keeper told me that if I had arrived 20 minutes earlier I would have been able to sail through. But by the time I arrived there was not enough water. The water behind the lock was below the threshold, so there was no way to go out. And so for almost the whole year. The water level behind the Przewóz lock is lower than inside the lock, so for most of the year, it's impossible to go out of the lock, so it is closed for tourists. A portage was necessary. Fortunately, the lock keeper was helpful. Behind the lock I loaded all my camping gear to survive the next 3.5 days without my wonderful support Christopher. I packed all my camping gear on the boat, stocked up on food and water and set off. These were to be my first days with sleeping alone in the wild. You also have to learn and become skilled at travelling like this.  :-)The river was still very narrow. The banks were high and inaccessible.

On the 119th kilometre of the Vistula, the power of excitement awaited. Fortunately, just before I left, a friend warned me that there was such a dangerous place on the road and that I had to be really careful. There is a big rapids, with a huge stone in the middle. It cost me a bit of stress to swim across, it's particularly difficult because you're going backwards on a rowing boat. But I managed to swim across the rapids without capsizing or damage! Finding my first night's accommodation outside Krakow also provided me with a lot of excitement. In fact, it is already a tradition that the first night on a rowing trip provides unexpected excitement and causes some difficulties.

For tens of kilometres, the banks were high and inaccessible. Eventually, I pitched my tent on a mini beach, the only one I met before dusk, so I couldn't be picky. Unfortunately, the beach showed the tracks of quad bikes, so I was a little worried that no one would run me over during the night. I didn't sleep well that night, especially as it was my first ever night spent alone in the wild. Waking up as usual at 6am, coffee, folding the tent, packing the boat. All these activities take me between 1.5 and 2 hours. I try to get myself together faster, but I am not very successful.

On the 223rd km of the Vistula River there is the Połaniec Power Plant. I was well prepared, I had phone calls to all the locks and to the Power Plant. I called the duty officer for the crossing at the Połaniec Power Plant, but he explained to me that, although he could see me on the cameras, he was unable to help me with the portage anyway, because he had no boat and was on the other side of the river. The place to dock the boats and kayaks was not marked, but the men, seeing me on the cameras, directed me on the phone and told me exactly where to stop and move. With help came the anglers. They suggested I move only my most important possessions and paddles, and they lowered my boat off the (small) sill gently on moorings. The crossing of the Power Station can be considered to have gone smoothly.

My overnight stay fell a few kilometres past the power station. Before setting up my tent, I always check how the river level is and whether there is a forecast for a drop or rise in the water level. And this time I did it. When I woke up at 5am, the river was about 2m from my tent and the boat was standing on the trolley, but already in the water. That day I quickly collected myself, without any procrastination!  Well, nothing, the water discharge from the power station cannot be predicted. Fortunately, nothing happened.

I always check the current level of rivers in Poland here.

269. km of the Vistula, on the left bank is Sandomierz. There are cruise ships moored along the Vistula and I entered the OSiR harbour. A decent marina with piers and canoe rental. I left the boat there, took my most valuable luggage with me and went exploring.  At the market square, I ate lunch, strolled through the old town, did the necessary shopping and continued on my way.

I passed through Kazimierz Dolny and Puławy without stopping. I was in a hurry. I was supposed to be picked up from Dęblin by Krzysiek, because the time of my trip was running out. I left the sightseeing of Kazimierz for another trip.I covered the section from Dęblin to Warsaw with the TWDW club rowing trip. We were a bigger team, so it was fun. I have to admit that rowing in a group is a completely different kind of trip than travelling alone. Each option has its pros and cons. First of all, it is difficult to get a group of people together who are willing and able to swim the same date, the same route and with the same mileage load. Even for me alone it is difficult to plan a trip, let alone in a group. The Vistula, despite the fact that many people would like to cross it in the realm of dreams, is still a river for loners. On my entire route from Oświęcim to Warsaw, I met three teams of watermen. So if you are looking for desolate places, the Vistula is certainly such a place :-)

On the section between Dęblin and Warsaw, at km 426, there is the Kozienice Power Plant and the famous threshold on the Vistula. I sailed there twice and each time there was no shortage of emotions. It is an unauthorised construction site that was supposed to be demolished after 5 years, but that time has passed and the threshold remains standing. A dangerous place for watermen. The signs on the water appear very late, and the portage platform is right next to the sill, so if you don't measure Plant well in advance and announce that I am travelling alone and need help. I time it so that the men to help me are already there when I come up to the pier. The last time I was there, the water was quite high and a strong current tried to push me off the pier onto the sill. The help of the power station staff was indispensable. It has to be said that when I ask for help, I get it and this applies not only to the Power Station, but to my travels in general.

The Vistula River - the section from Warsaw to Gdansk

I have covered the stretch of the Vistula from Warsaw to Gdansk several times, in different ways, but the first conquests of the Vistula I made behind the regatta skiff in daytime stretches, sleeping under the roof, not in a tent. As I mentioned earlier, it is impossible to take a tent on a racing boat.

The Warsaw section of the Vistula is, on the one hand, an interesting view of the Old Town, on the other hand, it is a section that requires concentration. The large number of bridges and whirlpools behind the bridges make it necessary to keep a good lookout. There is also the traffic of other boats on the water in the city centre, and despite the buoys set up, you can always expect surprises in the form of sticks sticking out in the middle of the water. Depending on the years, there are also times when there are bridge repairs taking place, or the construction of a footbridge, and the associated larsens or barges standing across the river.

Behind the Gdański bridge, at the level of the former Spójnia club, there is a rapids with stones. You have to go through it according to the trail. I have swum through it even with the water level on the Boulevards at 46 cm, but when you enter this place, it feels like you could get stuck. If you swim along the trail, you have to take it on faith that it's just a big riffle and not rocks. Although, after all, the ripples are coming from something....Beyond the North Bridge you also have to watch out for a fair number of stones, which stick out more or less depending on the water level. The first place to stop for a rest is an island about 15 -17 km from the Łazienkowski Bridge. Sometimes I also came across tents pitched there, so this is actually the first place to stop for the night outside of Warsaw. It is an island behind a high voltage power line.

After about 38-40 km from the Łazienkowski Bridge, you get to Modlin - to the old Granary and the Fortress. When the water is low, you can stop at the headland by the Granary. But often when I swam there the headland was all in the water. If you want to sail up the Narew, it is important to round the Granary behind the red buoy, because in front of the buoy is the just-mentioned promontory, which is often invisible and can cause damage to your boat.

The next stop is Czerwińsk nad Wisłą. I only visited this town when I was rowing this route for the third time. It is worth visiting there, as there is an interesting description of the Vistula crossing organised by Władysław Jagiełło on a skate type boat. Today, such a crossing would be called a pontoon crossing, but at the time it was skates (a type of boat) arranged side by side, which allowed an army to cross the Vistula. This had an impact on the fate of the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.In Czerwińsk, I took a walk around the monastery and was struck by the contrast between the monastery's precinct and the neighbouring streets - with abandoned houses and cat-heads on the road. Near the monastery there is also a place that was probably once a market, with the remains of the town hall. It is apparent that someone tried to renovate this square some time ago, while it is clear that the town centre has moved elsewhere. In addition to catbirds, there are chickens strolling past the buildings.

About 100 km from Warsaw, i.e. at about 610 km, on the left bank of the Vistula, it is worth stopping and visiting the open-air Museum of Vistula Settlement in Wiączemin Polski. There is a good place to moor your boats (wild) and the open-air museum is about 20 minutes' walk from the water.

A must-see should be Płock. For younger watermen I recommend the zoo, and for everyone I highly recommend climbing the Tumskie Hill. The views of the Vistula from there are unique!

The next stage of the Vistula adventure is crossing the Włocławek Reservoir. I went there 3 times and I must admit that I was very lucky - each time the water was perfectly flat and the lagoon can get really rocky. Rowing through the lagoon is probably the most boring part of the Vistula. You can see the dam from a distance and it takes a long time to get to it. The river is without a current on this part, so the kilometres get longer. On the route on the left bank, you can stop in Nowe Duninowo. There is a harbour there, and also a sandy section, so you can arrive freely with a kayak or a rowing boat. There is a restaurant on site and you can also pitch a tent. It is still 26 km from there to the lock in Wloclawek, and these kilometres get very long. 15 km before the barrage it seems like it will be over in a moment....Eventually, you reach the lock, which normally locks 5 times a day: at 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20 o'clock. I happened to paddle hard once and arrive at 7:53pm! In front of the lock on the left is a pier and a slip. In the back there is a marina on the Wloclawek Lagoon with sanitary facilities you can use. In general, you should assume that you need to portage and should not consider portaging. A possible portage is about a 3 km walk. The lock is intended to have a 12m difference in level, but as the water level has receded over the years, the difference is now often 14m.

It is 3 km from the lock to the marina in Włocławek. The marina on the Vistula in Włocławek welcomes you with a grand, modern building. The marina is new and well-maintained. There are sanitary facilities and a restaurant. It houses the headquarters of the Włocławek Rowing Association and the OSiR. There is a large car park in front of the building.It is about 55 km from Włocławek to Toruń. On the way, about 10 km from Włocławek, you also have to be careful, there are a lot of stones. The Vistula from Włocławek onwards is regulated, it is a completely different river than the earlier section. The water level depends not only on rainfall, but also on how much water the power station in Wloclawek lets in. This does not mean that there are no swales on this section. Riprap can be found all along the Vistula, without exception! The road goes relatively smoothly to Toruń. On the right, about 15 km from Włocławek, you will find the ruins of a 14th century fortified castle in Bobrowniki. On the left bank, 33 km before Toruń, there is Nieszawa and a ferry across the Vistula. There is a slipway to reach it. 8 km before Toruń, on the right bank of the Vistula, at the mouth of the Drwęca River, you can see the ruins of a castle. You cannot read much about the history of this castle on the Internet. Finally, Toruń appears on the horizon. I have noticed that in many river towns, what you see first from the water are blocks of flats from the communist era. And so it is in Toruń, Grudziądz, or Gorzów Wielkopolski on the Warta River. At first, all you see are skyscrapers, which spoil the skyline somewhat, and only later do you reach the beautiful old town. One could write a long time about the Old Town in Toruń! It is simply beautiful and breathtaking. The city harbour, which is home to the AZS Rowing Club, is on the right bank, after passing the old town, behind a road bridge.Behind Toruń, about 10 km away, on the right, among the trees, the dome of Father T. Rydzyk's church and school shines in the sun. In the past, when I was a child, this was the site of the yacht clubs of Toruń's largest businesses. There was the Elana Toruń yacht club, Towimor and others. I don't know, but 40 years ago yachts certainly sailed from there. Another curiosity is the old rowing track that used to be there. It was a 1,000m track, with track numbers marked and a referee's tower. When I was a child, rowing competitions were no longer held there, but the track numbers and the turret were still there. The next villages are Solec Kujawski and then Fordon, now a district of Bydgoszcz. All on the left side of the river. Just before Fordon is the lock on the Brdyujście.

Continuing downstream you pass Chełmno on the right, Świecie on the left with the Wda estuary, Grudziądz on the right, Nowe on the left, Gniew on the left, the lock in Biała Góra (really worth stopping and watching, the lock itself is beautiful and there are great views from the hill. Then Tczew on the left and slowly the current in the Vistula ends. The river is flowing slower and slower....On the right is the Gdansk Head lock, which leads to the Szkarpawa and the Zulawy Loop. From there, you can follow the Szkarpawa River to the Vistula Lagoon, or to Elbląg, or turn onto the Nogat and to Malbork. I have described the Zulawy Loop trip in a separate article. Cruising further along the Vistula, you will find the Przegalina lock on your left, through which you have a straightforward route already to Gdańsk and further to Westerplatte. It is only 5 km from Przegalina to the mouth of the Vistula to the sea. Before that, you pass the ferry Swibno - Mikoszewo. And at the mouth of the Vistula, if the weather is good, it is worth going about 500 m out to sea to see Mewia Łacha, where dozens of seals are stationed. 

I invite you to watch my photo report.

You can read about my other expeditions here: https://mariabraun.pl/bloodymary-2 In particular, I encourage you to read the description of the Danube rowing trip.

Adres

ul. Złota 11
00-123 Warszawa

Contact

kontakt@mariabraun.pl

+ 48 697 993 960

Menu

Śledź nas