Lake Charzykowskie

Lake Charzykowskie covers more than 13 km², is over 30 metres deep, and its north-eastern shore touches the boundary of Bory Tucholskie National Park. This is where Polish inland sailing began: in 1922 the Chojnice Sailing Club was founded in Charzykowy, and it is regarded as the oldest sailing club in Poland.

The lake in numbers

It is a long, narrow glacial lake with the Brda river flowing through it. Its surface is given as 1,336–1,364 hectares, its average depth as 9.8 m and its maximum depth as 30.5 m. Some maps use the alternative name Lake Łukomie, and in Kashubian it is called Charzëkòwsczé Jezoro. To the north the Brda links it with Lake Karsińskie. Together the two cover about 2,039 hectares, which would make them the 12th largest lake in Poland.

The lake lies in the buffer zone of Bory Tucholskie National Park, within Zaborski Landscape Park and the Natura 2000 site "Great Brda Outwash Plain". There are several islands, and pine forests line the shores.

History: the cradle of Polish sailing

Before the First World War Charzykowy was a fashionable summer resort with guesthouses and villas owned by wealthy people from Chojnice. Between the wars the lake was the largest in western Poland and the village became the main centre for sailing and ice yachting. The club founded in 1922 by Otto Weiland organised regattas, and Polish sailing championships were held here in 1925–1927, followed by the ice-yachting championships in 1928.

The area's history goes back much further. On the south-western shore there are two hillfort sites: an older one on Góra Zamkowa, from the Iron Age, and a younger one at Wolność, dated to the 8th–10th centuries.

Things to do

• Sailing and kayaking: Charzykowy has clubs and marinas, and in summer there are regattas and a festival of sailors' songs.
• Beaches and rentals in Charzykowy, Łukomie, Kopernica, Funka, Stary Młyn and Małe Swornegacie.
• Boat trips: an electric-powered excursion boat sails the lake, suited to its location next to the national park.
• National park: the headquarters of Bory Tucholskie National Park is in Charzykowy, and trails lead from there into the forest.

Tripto tip

Charzykowy is the most convenient base, and city buses run there from Chojnice. Half a day is enough for a swim and a walk, but with a boat trip, a bike ride and a visit to the national park you can easily fill a whole day. To the north-east the lake borders the park's strictly protected zone, so if you go out by boat or kayak, check the rules for that stretch. Outside the summer holidays it is much quieter by the water.