This third biggest Polish river is surrounded by both beautiful and diverse landscapes, along its entire run through Lubusz. When planning to raft down Warta – assuming that you wish to end your trip in Kostrzyn – we recommend considering two options. The first one is an unhurried, two-day raft from Santok (30 kilometers per day) with spending the night at an agritourist farm or camping on the river bank (the meadows in Kołczyn are perfect). The second possibility is a faster raft from the harbor in Gorzów. This variant is a 48 km long raft.

The first of the proposed routes begins at the mouth of Noteć falling to Warta, in Santok. This village is one of the most interesting and most beautifully situated ones in the region. The confluence of two considerable-sized rivers was the reason why it was inhabited already in the seventh century. There was a fortified Slavic town here. Later, from the tenth century, it became one of the most important fortresses of the north-western Polish borderlands. The chronicler Gallus Anonymous called it “the key and the watchtower of the kingdom”. To this day, a lot of valuable relics have been found here, therefore, there is a Santok Burgh Museum (Muzeum Grodu w Santoku). On the flood plains, a nature reserve called Santockie Zakole (the Santok River Bend) has been created. Further on, Warta meanders at the feet of the steep, picturesque heights that stretch as far as Gorzów. As you pass this city, you will notice the interesting Gorzów Promenade. Then, Warta enters the earlier described region of the New America (see p. 60), a perfectly flat area with several scattered settlements. Next, you will pass a ferry crossing, below which no more human presence will be seen. Instead, the river enters the ornitological gem of Europe – the Warta Mouth National Park. Rafting through this section of the river in April or May, as well as in October or November will be the most memorable one. As you pass the rushes, bog habitats and riparian forests, you will reach Kostrzyn, where you can comfortably end your trip, for example in the marina “Deflin”. The calm waters and good opportunities of road access make it possible to start rafting down the Warta River at almost any arbitrarily chosen section.

Information on canoeing on Warta:

Klub Żeglarski Delfin, ul. Sikorskiego 1, Kostrzyn nad Odrą, tel.: +48 600859765, www.klubdelfin.pl

Kostrzyński Klub Sportów Wodnych, ul. Sikorskiego 1, Kostrzyn nad Odrą,
tel.: +48 609765610, www.kksw.org

Kajakowo 1, Gudzisz 1, tel.: +48 95 7472930, +48 609136399, www.kajakimysla.pl

Biuro Turystyki Przyrodniczej Dudek, Stacja Pomp 2, Słońsk, tel.: +48 95 7572212; + 48 607081317,
www.hoopoe.com.pl