eKajaki.pl • Wda (Czarna Woda) • Tuchola Forest • an easy trip, for families

Wda – a picturesque kayaking trip through the Tuchola Forest and the Kashubian Sea

The kayaking „motorway" of Kashubia and Kociewie: safe, comfortable and very long. The Wda leads through great forests, great lakes and a great reservoir – one of the most beautiful lowland rivers in Poland, ideal for a family trip.

Also called Czarna Woda (Black Water, because of its dark-brown colour), it's clean (class II) and meanders beautifully among the forests. Its great asset: it's suitable for paddling even during a drought – there's no problem of water being too low here.

easy route for families with children Tuchola Forest the Kashubian Sea beavers

Location

The Wda is a left tributary of the Vistula (it joins it past Świecie). Its sources are near Lake Wieckie by Bytów; it flows through the Kashubian Lake District, the forest-covered Tuchola Plain and the Świecie Upland. It can be deep (up to 1.5 m), and the deep spots can begin suddenly just past the shallows – be careful when towing the kayak.

Route difficulty and campsites

The Wda route is easy, untaxing and great for family paddling – obstacles are rare and portages few. Camping conditions are superb: numerous campsites, shops and full infrastructure (especially around the Wdzydze and Żur lakes). The signage is exemplary – large boards indicate camps, portages, villages and the kilometre count, no one will get lost. It's a popular route, so in summer some campsites can be crowded.

Route description – what awaits you on the water

Most of the route runs through the Wdzydze and Wda Landscape Parks. You can start the trip at Lake Wieckie, but the upper section is capricious and rather for those who like challenges. The classic, „basic" route is Lipusz – Tleń (about a week); to reach the mouth you need to add another two days.

Lipusz – Wdzydze: meanders and the Kashubian Sea

A charming section among fields and meadows, calm – ideal for families. The body of the Wdzydze lakes (the Kashubian Sea) is magical islands and coves where it's worth spending a few days. A must: the oldest open-air museum in Poland – the Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze (a full day's visit) and the local cuisine.

Czarna Woda, Odry and a wild finale

Along the way the Stone Circles archaeological reserve in Odry, in Czarna Woda the „Nature of the Tuchola Forest" exhibition, a historic 17th-century church in Huta Kalna. Past Błędno you enter the Wda Landscape Park – the wildest and probably the most beautiful part of the Wda. An attentive observer will spot signs of beavers: trees gnawed down to the water and lodges. The trip usually ends in Tleń.

This brief description won't capture the beauty of the Wda – you simply have to come here. The Wda is a kayaking „must go!".

Suggested route

Lake Wieckie – Lipusz: 16 km
Lipusz – Wdzydze Kiszewskie: 18 km
Wdzydze Kiszewskie – Miedzno: 19 km
Miedzno – Parcele: 23 km
Parcele – Młynki: 22 km
Młynki – Żurawki: 24 km
Żurawki – Błędno: 13 km
Błędno – Tleń: 23 km
Tleń – Leosia: 20 km
Leosia – Świecie: 22 km

Top attractions

The Wdzydze and Wda Landscape Parks
The Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie (the oldest open-air museum in Poland)
The „Stone Circles" reserve in Odry
The „Nature of the Tuchola Forest" exhibition in Czarna Woda
A 17th-century church in Huta Kalna, a manor in Wdecki Młyn
The „Crooked Wheel in the Wda Loop" reserve and Lake Żurskie

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Photo gallery – Wda

See what a kayaking trip on the Wda looks like: forests and meanders, the Wdzydze lakes, signs of beavers and the wild sections of the Wda Landscape Park.