Sapina: a river of lakes in the Borecka Forest

Sapina – a wild, easy kayak trail in Masuria

The Sapina is one of those Masurian rivers people talk about less than they should. It rises in the Borecka Forest, near Możdżany, and flows through a long chain of lakes - Żywy, Sołtmany, Żywki, Kruklin, Patelnia, Gołdopiwo, Wilkus, Brzos, Pozezdrze and Stręgiel - before spilling into Lake Święcajty, which is part of the great Mamry. The river itself is 47.6 km long, and the kayak trail runs about 34 km to Święcajty - about 40 km if you carry on to Węgorzewo.

One moment you're on a narrow forest river, the next on an open lake. The Sapina runs along the edge of the Borecka Forest, one of the wildest woodlands in Masuria, so an easy route here comes paired with wild surroundings. And it is far quieter than the Krutynia.

The Sapina route: Kruklin – Święcajty

The Sapina is easy and takes any kayak or canoe, families with children included. It is usually split into two stretches: the shorter Kruklin–Gołdopiwo, about eight kilometres over some three hours, and the longer Gołdopiwo–Święcajty, around 25 km. The shorter one is best for families with children. The current is mostly gentle, though it picks up in places; the bed can be stony, and wooden footbridges and boardwalks cross the river - watch out there, and sometimes you'll need to walk the kayak through or carry it over. There are two portages, both straightforward: the causeway at the outflow of Lake Kruklin (at lower water) and the Przerwanki lock at the entrance to Lake Wilkus, which raises the water by a metre - you carry the kayak round it. You should also reckon with fallen trees and beaver dams on the narrow forest bed. You can see the whole course on the interactive trail map.

The banks vary, and that's the charm of it. The eastern shore of Lake Pozezdrze is impassable - bog and quaking mire - while the western shore is high and steep, clad in meadow growth; Lake Wilkus is fringed to the east and south by tall pine forest. The shade of the woods alternates with the sun of the open lakes. The main thing to watch is the wind: on Mamry and Święcajty, towards the end of the route, it can raise a high wave, so with children it's better to keep to the shore and not cut across the middle of the lake.

The base is on Lake Gołdopiwo, in Kruklanki. Rentals there hand over kayaks along with transport for people and gear, with prices starting from a few dozen złoty for a two-person kayak. That's also the easiest place for parking, a bed and something to eat. Before you set off it's worth checking the current water level.

Nature on the Sapina: the Borecka Forest and its bison

The area's biggest draw is the Borecka Forest, the woodland east of Giżycko, where the districts of Kruklanki, Kowale Oleckie, Gołdap and Pozezdrze meet. It is one of the few refuges where the European bison lives wild in Poland - the herd was released here in 1962, six years after the animals were brought in; the local herd, around a hundred head, was started in 1956. You can also see bison at the show enclosure in Wolisko. Wolves and lynx live in the forest.

The Sapina valley itself - with its lakes, reedbeds and boggy banks - draws waterfowl and wading birds. The impassable, marshy shores, like the eastern bank of Pozezdrze, are natural refuges no one reaches. They are the easiest places to spot birds and animals coming down to the water.

Region and history: Kruklanki and Pozezdrze

Settlement began here in the mid-16th century, as the forested borderlands were colonised. The heart of the area is Kruklanki, with a church whose tower dates to the end of the 16th century and whose body comes from a rebuilding in 1753. On the Sapina in Kruklanki stand the remains of old footbridges and the ruins of a railway bridge from 1924, blown up in 1945.

Pozezdrze holds a darker chapter. In the woods there survive the remains of Heinrich Himmler's field headquarters, codenamed "Hochwald", from the Second World War: a few buildings and bunkers with two-metre walls and ceilings. The Masuria that is peaceful today was once the stage for great and tragic history.

Stretches of the Sapina trip: from Kruklin to Węgorzewo

The Sapina divides into two short stages. The upper stretch Kruklin-Pozezdrze, about 25 km, is a wild, narrow river linking Masurian lakes along a wooded, picturesque bed; both portages lie here, and its start - Kruklin–Gołdopiwo - is the best choice for families. The lower stretch Pozezdrze-Węgorzewo, some 15 km, leads through lakes Stręgiel and Święcajty towards the great waters of Mamry near Węgorzewo; this is open water, where you must reckon with strong wind and a big wave. 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

Towns and villages along the Sapina

The base is Kruklanki on Lake Gołdopiwo, with its church tower from the end of the 16th century and its facilities. Along the way you pass Pozezdrze with its wartime secret, and the route ends on Lake Święcajty and Mamry, at the gates of Węgorzewo - one of the main towns of northern Masuria and the gateway to the Great Lakes.