Most canoeing lovers share the opinion that the Pomeranian Voivodeship is the best location for canoe tourism in our country. There is no other place so attractive and with such long routes in Poland. There are over 1600 km of water routes located in the Voivodeship, on over 30 rivers. The most attractive routes are the Słupia, the Radunia and the Radunia Circle, the Wda, the Brda, the Szkarpawa and the Wierzyca.
One of the main products of canoe tourism in the Pomeranian Voivodeship is “The Słupia – the river with power”. Its attractiveness stems not only from the 133 km of water routes but also the hydroelectric power plants, unique on the European scale, which can be visited by tourists. There are also the Papal stones located along the river to commemorate the canoe trip of Karol Wojtyła and his students in 1964. The trail offers a well-developed infrastructure with sheds and canoe piers, accommodation and catering facilities (tourist resorts, summer huts, agro tourism). The Słupia river is very well marked by almost 200 water traffic and information signs. In the vicinity of the Słupia there are also other interesting canoe trails on the Wieprza, the Łupawa and the Skotawa Rivers.
In Kaszuby, the Radunia Circle is a landmark product of canoe tourism. This is one of the most attractive canoeing trails in Poland, running across over ten picturesque water areas connected by channels and creating a 40-km-long loop. There are good accommodation and restaurant facilities, riverside hostels and mooring piers. The Radunia river originating from the Kaszuby Lakes is a paradise for water lovers. The river is a popular tourism resource, which also arouses interest with its hydroelectric power plants. The conditions on the river vary from the relatively simple upper course to the typically mountain-like middle part, the lower part being quite difficult and the least popular. There are also perfect conditions for canoe tourism in the southern part of Kashubia in the Wdzydze Lake area. The Wda (also referred to as the Black Water) flowing through the Wdzydze Lake Landscape Park and then through the Tuchola Forest, is one of the most beautiful water courses in our country, and the surrounding lakes provide additional unique landscape features.
The most important and the most popular water course in the Pomerania Voivodeship is the Brda, flowing through the Tuchola Forests, which, together with the Great Channel of Brda, creates a canoe trail unique on the national scale. Due to its outstanding natural features it is considered the most beautiful canoeing trail in Poland and in this part of Europe. The Brda trail, including the Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeships, is very well marked and offers an extensive tourism infrastructure. The trail starts in Świeszyno on Lake Głębokie next to Miastko and ends in Bydgoszcz. Its total length amounts to 233 km. The Zbrzyca is a tributary of the Brda and offers an attractive river trail in the Zaborski Landscape Park with its length of 42 km.
“The Wierzyca – mainstream of nature, mainstream of culture” is a canoe tourism resource in Kociewie. The trail, as well as its natural values, also provides access to the cultural heritage of Kociewie. On the trail there are numerous historic structures such as the hydroelectric power plants in Czarnocińskie Piece, Klincz, Owidz, the cathedral in Pelplin, the ruins of the Teutonic stronghold in Kiszewo Castle, the Post-Cistercian church in Pogódki, the Teutonic Order Castle in Gniew, and the monuments of Skarszew and Starogard Gdański.
Within the area of Żuławy there is a new feature of water tourism – The Żuławska Loop, which is an ongoing project. It includes the areas of the Vistula Delta in the Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships. During the first stage the new marinas, ports and yacht mooring piers were constructed. The Żuławska Loop also provides perfect conditions for canoe tourism. The water trail network available for canoes here is made of rivers such as the Szkarpawa, the Wisła Królewiecka, the Tuga and the Nogat. Discovering Żuławy from the water perspective provides an unforgettable experience with its unique cultural assets and its distinctive flat landscape.
There are also other Pomeranian canoe trails awaiting to be discovered, i.e. the Liwa, the Łeba, the Reda, the Trzebiocha and the Bukowina. Canoe trips down the Motława guarantee a different perspective in sightseeing the monuments of Gdańsk.
