Wełna: the river that crosses the Nielba

The Wełna - a river that crosses another river

The Wełna is 118 km long and is a right-bank tributary of the Warta. It flows through the Gniezno Lakeland, threaded along a chain of lakes and old mill weirs. At Wągrowiec it does something that happens nowhere else in the country: it crosses the Nielba at right angles. The waters of the two rivers mix only to a small degree. This is by far the most famous point on the route.

The river itself, though, is more interesting than that one attraction suggests. Three times it changes character: in the upper reaches it is a string of lakes and the streams that link them; in the middle reaches the bed is mostly regulated; and below Rogoźno the Wełna narrows, speeds up and runs over a stony bed between high banks through three nature reserves. It is this last part that gives the river its beauty.

Where the Wełna rises and where it flows

The Wełna begins at Osiniec near Gniezno and flows north-west, to reach the Warta at Oborniki after 118 km. Along the way it passes Janowiec Wielkopolski, Mieścisko, Wągrowiec, Rogoźno and Jaracz, and near Rogoźno it takes in the Mała Wełna - its largest tributary, which is itself a separate kayak trail.

From Mieścisko to the mouth is about 60 km, which makes for a relaxed trip of three or four days. Older guidebooks measure the trail higher up, from Lake Jankowskie, and give 113.5 km, but the upper reaches are today practically unnavigable - the water level is too low, and the bed between the lakes is so choked with growth that a trip would mean carrying the kayak constantly. Above Mieścisko the water on some stretches can be dirty, too, which is often the deciding argument.

The crossing of the Wełna and the Nielba - the only place of its kind in Poland

On the edge of Wągrowiec two beds cross one another. The currents pass one through the other and flow on their separate ways, without an eddy and without any clear mixing. The spot is described as the only such river crossing in Poland, and it has earned a promenade, an information board and a steady stream of curious onlookers.

Contrary to what is sometimes repeated, nature did not make it. The crossing was created in 1883-1884, during drainage works, when a water board moved the main bed of the Nielba and directed its current into an old channel draining the surrounding meadows. Only afterwards was it noticed that the waters would not join. Several explanations of the phenomenon circulate - from a difference in temperature to pH and oxygenation - but none of them is confirmed in the sources that describe the place. The phenomenon itself is beyond dispute, but its mechanism remains unresolved.

Weirs, sills and portages - what to expect on the water

The Wełna is not a river for a first trip. Obstacles come up regularly and some of them have to be carried round along the bank. Right at the start, under the bridge in Ruda Koźlanka, stands a sloping weir left by a former mill, which is impressive at higher water and is really not a place for experiments. In Wągrowiec, under the al. Jana Pawła II bridge, the bed is artificially raised, and just past the bridge another sloping weir waits - at low water the kayak is carried round on the left, across the road.

At the outflow from Lake Łęgowskie stands a dam, and there the portage is compulsory; the time on the bank is worth spending on the view from the footbridge over the head of water. Past the bridge in Pruśce runs a weir 230 metres long. In the lower reaches the kayak is carried round at the dam beside the Milling Museum in Jaracz and at two small hydro plants - at Kowanówko and at Oborniki, just before the mouth. The last surprise is the weir at Rudki, which is skirted by the left branch.

The water level can decide the whole trip. In the upper and middle reaches the river can be shallow, and then the trail becomes a slog, which is why the best time is spring. In the lower reaches the water is steadier, and the river is paddled even in winter. Before you set out it is worth checking the current water level.

The lower-reach reserves: Promenada, Wełna and Słonawy

Below Rogoźno the most precious natural part of the valley begins. One after another the river passes three reserves: Promenada, Wełna and Słonawy. The last two are water reserves, meaning they protect the river itself - its natural bed, brisk current and the bottom where salmonid fish spawn.

The same stretch is at once the loveliest and the most strictly protected. In the nature reserves boating is allowed only on waters and trails designated by the regional director for environmental protection - even when only part of the route passes through the protected area. The rules are sometimes changed, so before a trip below Rogoźno it is best to confirm them with the operator or with the RDOŚ office in Poznań.

Stretches of the Wełna trip: from Mieścisko to Oborniki

The trail divides into four convenient stretches. Mieścisko-Wągrowiec, about 12 km, begins with the weir at Ruda Koźlanka. Wągrowiec-Rogoźno, about 16 km, leads past the river crossing and across Lake Łęgowskie, with a compulsory portage at the dam and the long weir at Pruśce. Rogoźno-Jaracz, about 17 km, runs along a natural bed through three reserves. Jaracz-Oborniki, about 15 km, closes the route with two hydro plants and the mouth at the Warta. You can see every stretch on the map below, with facilities and water levels. And if you'd rather plan the trip your own way, you can draw your own route in "Your own way" mode.

I would not recommend the Wełna to families with small children. Trips usually start below Mieścisko, and so at a weir that calls for confidence in the kayak; on each of the other stretches there is either a compulsory portage or protected ground. For a quiet weekend with children the Wielkopolska Warta is a better fit, and the Wełna can wait for later.

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

Towns and villages along the Wełna

The heart of the trail is Wągrowiec - a town with a Cistercian monastery whose towers are visible from the water on the way to Lake Łęgowskie, and with the river crossing on its outskirts. Downstream lies Rogoźno, where the Mała Wełna joins the Wełna and where many organised trips set off. In Jaracz it is worth stopping at the Museum of Polish Milling, set up in a former mill right by the dam - the portage falls exactly where you want to get out anyway. The route ends in Oborniki, at the mouth of the Warta.