Przewięź Lock on the Augustów Canal

On 9 June 1999 Pope John Paul II sailed through Przewięź Lock aboard the boat "Serwy" on his way from Augustów to Studzieniczna. This unassuming, hand-operated lock from 1826–1827 links Lake Białe Augustowskie with Lake Studzieniczne and survives in its original state. It lies within the town of Augustów, in the district of Przewięź that gave it its name.

History: lock no. 2 in Prądzyński's plan

The Augustów Canal was meant to give the Kingdom of Poland, then under Russian rule, a route to the Baltic that avoided Prussian customs duties. Lieutenant Colonel Ignacy Prądzyński began surveying the route in 1823, and his very first design planned a cut with lock no. 2 between Lake Białe and Lake Studzieniczne. In the end Przewięź became the sixth lock counting from the Biebrza river, at km 43.6 of the waterway. Construction was led by Lieutenant Colonel August Szulc. The locks were to be faced with red brick and white sandstone – a deliberate nod to the Polish national colours.

Facts and figures

• chamber 46.17 m long and 5.96 m wide,
• a water-level difference of just 0.86 m,
• wooden gates, operated by hand.

The whole canal is 101 km long, 82 km of it in Poland, with 18 locks – 14 on the Polish side, 3 in Belarus, and the border runs through Kurzyniec lock. Przewięź is among those that survive in their original state.

Cruising through the lock

Przewięź lies on the "Papal Route" of the Żegluga Augustowska boat company: Augustów harbour – Netta river – Lake Necko – Klonownica – Lake Białe – Przewięź Lock – Lake Studzieniczne. In summer, the 16:00 cruise stops for about 20 minutes at Studzieniczna, by the sanctuary the Pope visited in 1999. Tickets cost PLN 90, children aged 7–12 PLN 60, under 6 PLN 15 (operator's price list, October 2026). The company carries almost 100,000 passengers a year.

Tripto tip

It is most interesting when a boat or kayaks pass through – you will see the gates opened by hand and the water levels equalise. Out of season the canal locks work on a limited schedule: from 1 November 2025 the water authority (Wody Polskie) operated them only on weekdays 8:00–14:00, with one day's notice, until the canal froze. You can look at the lock for free at any time; a walk takes 20–30 minutes. Keep an eye on children by the chamber – the banks are high.