Drawa National Park

Drawa National Park, created in 1990, protects about eleven thousand hectares along the Drawa and Plociczna rivers, and its distinguishing feature is the water: unlike most lowland Polish rivers these run fast and clear over sand and gravel with a good gradient, so they behave more like mountain streams than plains rivers, with riffles, sharp bends, fallen trees and cold clean water holding grayling, trout and otter. That makes the Drawa one of the classic Polish kayak routes, run over three to five days with campsites along it, and the park is best experienced from the water rather than from a road. The forest around is pine, beech and old oak, with a stand of ancient beech at Radecin. There are lakes within the park, including the meromictic Czarne, whose deep layer never mixes with the surface. Campsites are designated and wild camping is prohibited.

Background

Drawa National Park lies in north-western Poland, where the Greater Poland, Lubusz and West Pomeranian Voivodeships meet, as part of the large Drawsko Forest. Named after the River Drawa, 40 km of which flow through it, the park was founded in 1990 and later enlarged to 113.42 square kilometres, over 80 percent of it covered by forest. Its highest hill, at 106 m, stands near Martew lake in the north. Its lakes include the meromictic Czarne, its oaks reach 400 years of age, and it is home to 129 bird, 40 mammal, 7 reptile and 13 amphibian species. Once on the border between Poland and Western Pomerania, the area was long thought unfit for settlement, and its forests have been cleared for it only since the 17th century.

Source: Wikipedia, "Drawa National Park"

What's there

• Fast clear lowland rivers - the Drawa and Plociczna running over sand and gravel with a gradient.
• A three to five day kayak route - the classic way through the park, with designated campsites.
• Old beech at Radecin - a stand of ancient trees within the forest.
• A meromictic lake - Czarne, whose lower layer never mixes with the surface.

When to go

May to September. Three to five days by kayak.

Good to know

The park is best seen from the water - road access shows little of it. Wild camping is prohibited and campsites must be used. Fallen trees and sharp bends need some kayak competence. The rivers are cold year round.

Nearby

Drawsko lakeland is north-east; Choszczno is west.

Key facts