Radomka: a meandering river in the Kozienice Forest
Intimate and wild. The Radomka runs about 116 km from the Przysucha Hills across Mazovia to the Vistula, meandering hard among grassy islets and the woods of the Kozienice Forest. A scenic river for a calm trip – easy in the current, though with weirs you have to portage around.
Radomka – a meandering river in the Kozienice Forest
The Radomka is an intimate, strongly meandering river of Mazovia, increasingly discovered by paddlers. It measures about 98 km and flows with a calm, winding current, forming many bends, grassy islets and sandy shoals. In its lower course it enters the woods of the Kozienice Forest, which makes it one of the more scenic yet still uncrowded trails in central Poland.
The Radomka is easy in the current, but not without its challenges. Along the way there are weirs and barrages you have to portage around, and in summer the river can be shallow. It is a trip more for those who value intimacy and wild nature than the comfort of busy, wide rivers.
Where the Radomka rises and where it flows
The Radomka rises in the Przysucha Hills, near Przysucha, and flows east. In its middle course its waters are dammed by the Domaniów Reservoir – a retention and recreation reservoir. Below the reservoir, through the area around Jedlińsk, the river heads for the Vistula, which it joins at Kłoda near Ryczywół. The whole Radomka measures about 116 km.
For paddling, the most interesting stretch is below the Domaniów Reservoir. This is where the Radomka meanders most, and its valley becomes wild and scenic, especially around Jedlińsk and further on, within the bounds of the Kozienice Forest.
Meanders, islets and the Kozienice Forest
The Radomka's greatest asset is its naturalness. The lower course has kept its natural, meandering character; in the upper and middle course the river is regulated in places. Lower down it winds freely through meadows and woods, forming grassy islands and sandy shoals. In its lower course it enters the Kozienice Forest – one of the larger woodland complexes of Mazovia, with rich wildlife and old stands of trees.
This wildness gives a sense of seclusion rare so close to large towns. Along the Radomka you can watch water birds, and the calm current and forest surroundings invite you to unwind.
Stretches of the Radomka trip: from the Domaniów Reservoir to the Vistula
The Radomka is best paddled in two stretches. The upper stretch, from the Domaniów Reservoir to Jedlińsk, leads through the most meandering, scenic part of the valley, among grassy islets. The lower stretch, from Jedlińsk to the Vistula, enters the woods of the Kozienice Forest – but here you have to reckon with weirs to portage around. 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.
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01
Domaniów-Jedlińsk~32 km
Below the Domaniów Reservoir; meanders and grassy islets, most scenic near Jedlińsk. Note: this stretch is not described by any kayak guide – the PTTK description only begins lower down, at Piaseczno, and rentals launch from Jedlińsk downstream. We do not know the layout of obstacles here.
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02
Jedlińsk-mouth~44 km
Through the Kozienice Forest to the Vistula. Here the obstacles are documented and tough: the hydro plant in Goryń with a compulsory 70 m portage, concrete weirs in Goryń and in Bobrowiska, a weir under the bridge in Głowaczów, and riffles below Wólka-Brzózka.
Obstacles and practicalities on the Radomka
The Radomka has a calm current, but it takes some effort. The main hindrance is the concrete weirs and the hydro plant. At Goryń there is a hydro plant with a turbine in a large-diameter pipe – portage on the right, about 70 m; behind the bridge in Goryń there is a concrete weir, and a kilometre further on another. At Bobrowiska waits the highest weir on the trail (portage on the right, launching over sloping slabs), and at Głowaczów you carry the kayak out 30 m before the bridge on the right and portage across the road, about 100 m in all. Do not run the concrete weirs blind – a hydraulic (a stopper) forms below them. On the wild stretches there are fallen trees. In summer, at low water, the strongly meandering, shallow river can in places have to be dragged.
The season runs from spring to autumn. Because of the shallows and the weirs, it is worth checking the current water level before you set off. The nearby Pilica, which also flows into the Vistula, has a similarly intimate, forest character.