Bzura: a gentle river of the Łowicz country

Bzura – a gentle river of the Łowicz country

The Bzura is a calm, lowland river of Mazovia, reckoned one of the best in Poland for a first trip. It runs 166 km with a gentle, lazy current, no difficult water and no dangerous obstacles. It winds through the Łowicz country – a region of living folk tradition – passing old towns and fields that remember the largest battle of the September 1939 campaign.

Thanks to its easy water and its closeness to Łódź and Warsaw, the Bzura is a popular target for weekend trips. The classic stretch from Łowicz to Sochaczew and on to the Vistula takes a few days, and rentals operate along the way. It is a river ideal for families, beginners and anyone who values calm.

Where the Bzura rises and where it flows

The Bzura rises in the Łagiewniki Forest, within the city limits of Łódź, and flows north, then east. It passes Zgierz, Ozorków, medieval Łęczyca, folkloric Łowicz and Sochaczew, until at Kamion, near Wyszogród, it joins the Vistula. The whole river measures 166 km.

Along its whole length the Bzura keeps its lowland, calm character. The current is gentle, the valley broad, and the river winds among meadows, fields and small woods. For paddling, the most interesting part is the middle and lower course – from Łowicz downstream, where the river is already big enough for a comfortable trip.

Łowicz, folk tradition and the Battle of the Bzura

The heart of the trail is Łowicz – the informal capital of the Łowicz country, famous for its colourful folk costumes, paper cut-outs and Corpus Christi procession, one of the most beautiful in Poland. It is one of the most recognisable centres of folk culture in the country, and its tradition is still alive.

The Bzura valley also left its mark on recent history. In September 1939 the Battle of the Bzura was fought here – the largest battle of the September 1939 campaign. Its memorials, cemeteries and monuments, are found in many places along the river.

Stretches of the Bzura trip: from Łowicz to the Vistula

The Bzura is most comfortably paddled in stretches, but only from Łowicz – higher up the river is regulated and kayak guides do not describe it. From the bridge in Łowicz to the mouth is about 60 km. The most popular is the Łowicz-Sochaczew stretch, about 30 km, linking the folklore of Łowicz with the fields of the Battle of the Bzura. The lower stretch, from Sochaczew through Brochów, is another 30 km and ends at the mouth into the Vistula on the edge of Kampinos Forest. You can see every stretch on the map below - in "Take it easy" mode, with facilities and water levels along the way. And if you'd rather plan the trip your own way, you can draw your own route in "Your own way" mode.

See the trail on the interactive map Click to load the map with the route drawn in

Obstacles and practicalities on the Bzura

The Bzura is an easy river – there is no difficult water on it, and few obstacles. On the stretch from Łowicz downstream there are no hydro structures needing portages – all that remains of them are boulders, stony shoals and small rapids. The only forced portage waits above Łowicz: just before the mouth of the Słudwia there is a high, poorly marked sill, where you haul the kayaks onto the bank and drag them 30-40 m. It is this gentle character that makes the river so well suited to learning to paddle and to trips with children.

The season runs from spring to autumn; in summer, at low water, shallower stretches can need dragging, so before you set off it is worth checking the current water level. At its mouth the Bzura reaches the Vistula near Brochów, where Fryderyk Chopin was baptised in the historic church.