Puszcza Zielonka Kayak Trail

A short drive from Poznań you can paddle through five lakes, a narrow stream and belts of reeds without meeting a single weir. The Puszcza Zielonka kayak trail is 11.3 km long and links Pobiedziska with Tuczno. The current is so gentle that the route takes about the same effort in either direction – a good choice for a first family paddle.

History of the trail

The idea of a marked route appeared in the first decade of the 21st century, and the trail opened on 20 May 2012. It cost PLN 743,937, of which PLN 450,000 came from EU funds. The work included portages, bypass channels, earth dykes, camping spots and information boards. The aim was to open up the southern part of the Zielonka Forest to people from the Poznań area for weekend breaks.

The route

• Start on Lake Biezdruchowskie in Pobiedziska.
• About 1 km downstream on the Główna River.
• South of Nadrożno, turn into the Struga Wierzenicka stream and paddle gently upstream.
• Then lakes Jerzyńskie, Wronczyńskie Małe, Wronczyńskie Wielkie, Stęszewskie and Kołatkowskie – the last two are often treated as one.
• Finish in Tuczno.

Difficulty and conditions

There are eight short, easy portages at narrow culverts and local roads, each with a landing for putting in. Water levels are controlled by small sluices and can be low at times. Along almost the whole route runs a belt of reeds with protected plants and rare amphibians and birds. The trail passes through the Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park (Lake Biezdruchowskie lies just outside it), so nature-protection rules apply.

What you'll see along the way

• Wronczyn, with an 18th-century wooden bell tower – the oldest wooden building in the park, which survived a fire that destroyed the church – plus a former manor distillery and the manor of Maksymilian Jackowski.
• The manor house in Jerzyn.
• Beaches on Lake Biezdruchowskie, in Tuczno and in Wronczynek.
• In Pobiedziska: the Pobiedziska Stronghold (Gród Pobiedziska) and an open-air museum of miniatures.

Tripto tip

The trail itself is free. Allow several hours of relaxed paddling for the full route with portages. Kayak rentals have operated at both ends, on Lake Biezdruchowskie and in Tuczno, but we could not confirm current offers and prices – check before you go whether the rental is open and whether it will collect the kayaks at the finish. Pobiedziska has a railway station. Keep out of the reed beds and do not disturb nesting birds.