Słupia: by kayak through the Słupia Valley

Słupia: the wooded river of a Pomeranian park

The Słupia is one of the loveliest rivers of Pomerania. It flows north from the Kashubian Lake District, through the wooded Dolina Słupi Landscape Park, all the way to the Baltic at Ustka. For a paddler it is as beautiful as it is demanding to organise: along the way you pass several historic hydro power stations, and beside them portages as well as two longer sections where the kayaks are carried overland.

Where the Słupia flows and how long the trail is

The whole Słupia is about 139 kilometres long – it begins near Sierakowska Huta in the Kashubian Lake District and ends at Ustka, flowing into the sea. The kayak trail is shorter and runs classically from Gowidlino to Ustka; it is about 125 kilometres long and usually takes several days. You paddle across Kashubian lakes, then along long, forested stretches through the park, and finally down a wide, calmer river through Słupsk to the coast.

Is the Słupia difficult? Who is this trail for

The Słupia has very different faces. The upper reach, especially the Rynna Sulęczyńska, can be swift and difficult in places – a section for the experienced, with rapids and fallen trees in the current. The middle, forested stretches are moderate, and the lower reach beyond Słupsk is already wide and calm, accessible even to the less practised. The biggest challenge of the whole thing, though, is not the water itself but the logistics: the portages at the power stations and the two overland carries of the kayaks have to be planned in advance.

Power stations, portages and overland carries

The Słupia is called the river of power stations – several historic hydro power stations work along its course. The oldest still in operation is the Struga at Soszyca from 1896; the best known is Gałąźnia Mała from the early 20th century, which on start-up was one of the most modern in this part of Europe. Every dam is bypassed by a designated portage: at the Struga you go around the power station on the right bank, at Konradowo there is a convenient portage on the right bank of about 150 metres, and at Krzynia the kayak is carried through a culvert under the road. On top of that come two longer overland carries: in the Bylina area, above Soszyca, the kayaks are carried about four kilometres, and between Lake Głębokie and Gałąźnia Mała the water branches off down an inaccessible channel to the power station and you have to cover seven to eight kilometres overland.

Safety on the Słupia

The most important rule concerns the damming structures: you must not paddle up to the drops, weirs and power-station turbines – every dam is bypassed by a portage. On the forested stretches you have to reckon with fallen trees in the current, which in places force you out of the kayak, and in the upper reach with rapids. The mouth at Ustka is already a sea port, where port regulations apply, and you do not paddle out onto the open Baltic in a touring kayak. There is more on preparing for harder water in the guide to safety on the water.

Stretches of the Słupia trip: Gowidlino-Ustka

The trail divides neatly into one-day stretches marked out by the power stations and the changes in the river's character. The upper reach is the hardest, the middle stretches lead through the wooded park, and the lower is already wide and gentle.

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

The Słupia Valley: the landscape park and its nature

A large part of the trail runs through the Dolina Słupi Landscape Park, created in 1981 and the largest among the landscape parks of the Pomorskie Voivodeship. The river is its axis – it flows among forests, peat bogs and wet meadows, and its valley belongs to the Natura 2000 network of sites. Bear in mind that within the park you may only camp at designated landings prepared for paddlers, not at random spots on the bank.

Where to start the trip and rent a kayak

The classic trail starts at Gowidlino, and many paddlers set off lower down, at Soszyca, to skip the hardest upper reach and the first overland carry. The finish is at Ustka, on the sea. Kayaks and trips with equipment delivery are arranged by rentals in the Słupia valley, among others in the Soszyca and Gałąźnia Mała areas. How to match the stretch to the weather, the water level and the group, I explain in the guide on how to choose a trip route.