eKajaki.pl • Wieprza • a wild river of Pomerania • finish at the Baltic
Wieprza – a wild Pomeranian kayaking trip finishing on the beach in Darłówko
The Wieprza is a river for connoisseurs – wild, picturesque, full of rapids and gorges, leading through magnificent forests, backwaters and oxbow lakes. The lack of organised campsites is rewarded with pristine nature and true silence.
On the Wieprza, without much luck, you'll see wild animals and rare birds. And the crowning reward for the effort is the chance to end the trip on the beach in Darłówko – paddling beyond the harbour heads, you'll feel you've made it once again.
Location
The Wieprza rises from the small Lake Białe near the village of Głodowo in the Bytów Lake District, flows through the Polanów Upland and the Słupsk Plain, and reaches the sea at Darłówko. Of its five larger tributaries, the Pokrzywna, Studnica, Reknica and Grabowa are suitable for paddling.
Route difficulty and campsites
In the upper and middle course the route is quite difficult and strenuous: numerous fallen trees and portages at power stations and mills. On these sections it's not a river for beginners (unless they paddle with experienced people). Only below Korzybie does the Wieprza become easy and convenient, even for larger groups. You can paddle it all year round, including winter. The infrastructure is modest but developing – two organised camps (Broczyna, Kawka), the rest are wild spots (an asset, but it requires preparation).
Route description – what awaits you on the water
There are two convenient starts. The first – via the Pokrzywna tributary from the bridge in Glewnik (near Trzebielino): the river runs briskly, you can surrender to the current and soak up the nature; this extends the trip by a day (~14 km). The second – from Broczyna (Mnich car park): from here it's 93 km and 4 days of paddling to the mouth.
Forests, heather and a series of portages
At first you paddle through beautiful deciduous forests, then pines and spruces growing from a carpet of heather and bilberry – an unmistakable sight and scent. The carefree mood is interrupted by portages at power stations: Biesowiczki, after ~3 km Kępka, and in Kępice a longer one (about 500 m) – here it's worth using a shuttle from the locals.
Sławno and the most beautiful finale
The Wieprza flows around Sławno; a mill canal leads to the centre through a park (watch out for the sill by the old mill – it's best to float the kayaks down empty). From Tyń the most beautiful part begins: the river winds in bends, narrows and speeds up. In Darłowo it forks – via the right branch you can end the trip or paddle on to the sea. Note: before entering the harbour canal, call the harbour master's office for permission; the finish – on the beach in Darłówko.
Suggested route
- Glewnik – Broczyna
- Broczyna – Kawka
- Kawka – Lake Obłęskie (Kępice)
- Lake Obłęskie – Pomiłowo (Sławno)
- Sławno – Chudaczewko
- Chudaczewko – Darłówko Zachodnie
Top attractions
- An old concrete bridge with the coats of arms of the Prussian nobility in Biesowiczki
- A neo-Gothic palace and a hydroelectric plant in Biesowice
- The hydroelectric plant in Kępice, the „Janiewickie Bagno" bird reserve
- Sławno – the oldest town in the region, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1321)
- A Gothic church in Stary Kraków
- The sliding bridge over the harbour canal and the finish on the beach in Darłówko
Photo gallery – Wieprza
See what a kayaking trip on the Wieprza looks like: wild rapids and gorges, forest backwaters, portages at power stations and the finish on the Baltic beach in Darłówko.
