Drwęca: the only river protected as a reserve along its whole length

Drwęca - the only river protected as a reserve along its whole length

The Drwęca is one of the most beautiful and cleanest lowland rivers in Poland, and at the same time a nationwide exception: along its whole length, from source to mouth, it is a nature reserve. It is 207 km long and flows with a calm, meandering current through Warmia and the Chełmno Land, until it gives its waters to the Vistula near Toruń. Clean water, wild banks and the absence of any difficult water make it one of the best rivers for families and beginners.

The Drwęca is also ideal for a longer expedition. The trail from Ostróda to the mouth at Złotoria is about 190 km, or about 198 km if you paddle on down the Vistula to Toruń, and it can be split into convenient, day-long stretches, with no shortage of rentals, water stations and campsites along the way. It is a river both for a quiet afternoon and for a week-long trip through picturesque lakelands.

Where the Drwęca rises and where it flows

The Drwęca rises on the eastern slopes of Dylewska Góra, in the Dylewo Hills, at about 190 metres above sea level. From there it flows through Lake Drwęckie in Ostróda, and on through the Iława Lakeland and the Drwęca Valley it passes Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, Brodnica and Golub-Dobrzyń, until in the Toruń Basin, near Złotoria by Toruń, it joins the Vistula.

Along its whole length the Drwęca keeps its gentle, lowland character. The current is calm, the water clean, and the river winds among meadows, riparian forests and fields, passing one old town after another. The largest lake on the route is Lake Drwęckie, right at the start of the trail.

The reserve and clean water

Since 1961 the entire Drwęca has been a nature reserve - the longest river ichthyological reserve in Poland. The river and its tributaries were placed under protection above all for the sake of fish: it is one of the country's more important migration and spawning routes for sea trout, salmon, brown trout and vimba. The whole valley also belongs to the European Natura 2000 network.

For a paddler, reserve status means exceptionally clean water and wild nature, but also specific rules: you may paddle only along the trail marked by the RDOŚ, and camp only at designated spots. No individual permit is needed, and the seasonal restrictions apply to fishing, not to paddling. The upper, headwater stretch - from Czarci Jar to Lake Ostrowin, about 13 km - is closed to kayak traffic, so the trail really begins lower down. That is a small price for paddling one of the cleanest rivers in this part of Poland.

Castles and towns on the Drwęca

The Drwęca strings together a chain of historic towns. Brodnica has kept fragments of its Teutonic castle with a tall tower and its medieval walls. In Golub-Dobrzyń a Gothic-Renaissance Teutonic castle, linked with Anna Vasa, towers over the river, and knightly tournaments are still held there today. At the end of the trail lies Toruń - the Gothic old town on the UNESCO list and the city of Nicolaus Copernicus.

Thanks to this, a Drwęca trip combines nature with history: between one stretch and the next you can visit castles, old towns and museums, and the finale in Toruń is one of the most spectacular ways to end a trip in Poland.

Stretches of the Drwęca trip: from Ostróda to Toruń

The Drwęca is best paddled in stretches. The upper stretch, from Ostróda to Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, leads from Lake Drwęckie through the wooded Iława Lakeland. The middle stretches, through Brodnica to Golub-Dobrzyń, run down a picturesque, meandering valley with castles. The loveliest is the final stretch, from Golub-Dobrzyń to Toruń, ending the trip beneath the walls of the Gothic old town. 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 Drwęca

The Drwęca is an easy river - there are no rapids and no difficult water on it. There are, however, three portages, and it is worth knowing about them in advance: the weir in Samborowo in the upper part of the trail, and two weirs in Lubicz, about ten kilometres before the end of the route, that is already on the calm, family stretch before Toruń. The biggest challenge tends to be not the water itself but the length of the route, so for a full trip it is worth planning your overnight stops and supplies.

The season runs from spring to autumn; the river carries water steadily, but at low levels the shallower stretches can be a drag-through - before you set off it is worth checking the current water level. Another river flowing to the Vistula, the Wda in the Tuchola Forest, has a similarly calm, forested character.