CANOEING
Łyna, named Alne by the Prussians who once lived in Warmia, is the longest river in Warmia and Mazury; the sources of the river are located in the vicinity of Łyna - 55 km south of Olsztyn. Its total length is 263.7 km, 190 km of which are located in Poland. Theoretically, you can run the river as far as the Russian Pregoła and along it to the Baltic Sea.
The river has retained its beautiful pristine nature and is perfect for canoeing. It is also an attractive reservoir for fishing enthusiasts.
Route I: Kotowo - Bartoszyce Power Plant
Source: www.gminalidzbark.com
The Kotowo Power Plant is the newest hydropower plant in Łyna, commissioned in 2010. Water damming height over 5 m, power plant capacity 0.5 MW Bridge on the road from the left-bank Kotowo to the right-bank Marun.
Episode 1:
Kotowo - Budniki Power Plant - Stanica Perkujki
Distance- 7.8 km
Trip time- approx. 2 hours
The river meanders strongly, the surroundings are more and more picturesque. The current starts to be quite fast, but calm. We overcome the space without excessive effort, limiting ourselves only to controlling the canoe. The steep banks sometimes rise 20 m above the water level.
Perkujki watchtower is situated on the right bank of the river, connected by a paved road with Bartoszyce - 5 km.
Perkujki watchtower
The riverside hostel in Perkujki was arranged in 2008 by the Association. Revive the Łyna's
A good point for a break in the stage to Bartoszyce. Very picturesque surroundings, forest and the Łyna river flowing at the turn. The current continues rapidly, the banks are still high and steep, forested.
Right next to the riverside there is a chapel built in honor of John Paul II and a young spruce, which grew from seeds consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to Poland - Karol Wojtyła traveled the Łyna River route several times.
Distance to the next marina - 9.3 km
Episode 2:
Watchtower Perkujki - Lipina - Watchtower Bartoszyce
Distance- approx. 9.3 km
Trip time- about 2.5 hours
About 1 km from the Perkujki - Lipina hostel - a large village of Ardapy on the left bank. Here begins the gorge of the river through the steep banks (especially the right side), the so-called 30 m high rocks - fantastic views.
On the right, we pass the area of the military unit and allotments. From here it is only a moment to Bartoszyce, where it is worth spending some time exploring.
We pass the double bridge on the national road No. 51. We are in the center of Bartoszyce. Behind the bridge, by the second footbridge, there is a good landing spot.
Watchtower in Bartoszyce
It is located close to the old town, a good landing point to visit Bartoszyce. The marina is located next to a walking path, a place eagerly visited by locals. When planning the stages of the trip, it is definitely better to choose another marina in Szylina Wielka for a camping trip.
Distance to the next marina - 8.5 km
Source: www.gminalidzbark.com
Bartoszyce
Located on the former territory of the Prussian Bart tribe in the historical land of Lower Prussia, founded in 1326.
The most important monument is the three-nave Gothic basilica. St. John the Evangelist. The history of the church, which first served Catholics, after 1525 - Evangelicals, and now is Catholic again, reflects the complicated fate of Warmia and Mazury. It is worth paying attention to the preserved medieval urban layout of the Old Town. The gothic Lidzbark Gate has survived from the town fortifications.
Stone Babies: Bartek and Gustebald are interesting and unique. These are statues of men and are a remnant of the Prussian tribes. The statues of Bartoszyce are one of the twelve surviving Prussian Babes.
The original location is the World War I cemetery, as the graves are located on a hill above the Łyna River on 7 terraces.
An interesting fact is that in the years 1966-1968 Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszkoas a seminarian, he served in a special high-security unit in Bartoszyce.
One of the main border crossings with Russia (Kaliningrad District) is located near Bartoszyce in Bezledy.
Route II: Bartoszyce - Stopki
Episode 1:
Watchtower Bartoszyce - Watchtower Szylina Wielka
Distance- 8.5 km
Time- Approx. 2.5 hours.
We pass a railway bridge with a height of about 18 meters on the Korsze - state border line, and a few hundred meters further a footbridge over the river. A fairly fast current under the bridge.
Below, as far as Sępopol, the river is calm, although some rapids form. The banks are mostly low, from time to time slopes several meters high appear. In the initial section, the forests on the banks are slowly giving way to open spaces.
Stanica Szylina Wielka
We recommend camping, the area is picturesque and well-kept. The marina is private and fees apply. A place adapted for canoeists by the Association. Revive the Łyna. There are, among others tourist shelter and a place for a bonfire.
Distance to the next marina - 13.1 km
Source: www.gminalidzbark.com
Episode 2:
Stanica Szylina Wielka - Stanica Sępopol Stadium
Distance- 13.1 km
Time- about 3.5 hours
After about 3.5 km we pass Osada Pieny, on the right bank a pond and a manor house. In the next section of the trail, the right banks are forested, and the left banks are mostly forestless. Just before Sępopol, we pass the mouth of the North Pisa River on the right bank and we flow almost exclusively through the open, typical agricultural area of the Old Prussian Lowlands.
In Sępopol, it is worth replenishing your supplies, as there are no such possibilities in Stopki (state border).
Watchtower in Sępopol
The marina is located next to municipal sports fields, it is possible to use the sanitary infrastructure. On the other side of the river, there are unusual mounds, which are the remains of an old Prussian stronghold, and these are just some of the interesting places in Sępopol.
Distance to the next marina - 11.2 km
Sępopol
It is located in the Sępopol Lowland at the mouth of the Guber River to the Łyna River. The surrounding area is distinguished by a typically agricultural landscape. Here are the most fertile lands in the region.
The town, founded in 1351, is small (about 3,000 inhabitants). In its oldest part, located on a peninsula, there is a gothic church. st. Michael the Archangel with a 56-meter tower. The interior of the temple is richly equipped. A portrait of Martin Luther has been preserved on the door of the pulpit, as it was an Evangelical church for over 400 years. The entire church complex is very impressive, it is surrounded by gothic walls with a tower and a neo-gothic presbytery.
Episode 3
Stanica Sępopol Stadion - Stanica Stopki
Distance- 11.2 km
Time- approx. 3 hours
The last episode of the trip. After approx. 1 km of rafting through the city, we approach the road bridge, one span lies in the current as a result of military operations and the conditions are very difficult when the river is low. We advise you to exercise caution and send a foot reconnaissance patrol to investigate the day's conditions.
After about 5 km, one of its largest tributaries flows into the Łyna - the Guber River. From that moment the Łyna lazy, the rafting becomes a gentle, canoe walk, sometimes you even get the impression that the water is not flowing. This is the result of the existence of a dam in Frydląd (Pravdińsk) established in 1923 in the Kaliningrad District.
After about 2 km, on the right, the buildings of the village of Miedna, and after 15 minutes of canoeing, another village (right) of Masuny (you can go to the far-reaching ruins of the Junker's palace from 1910 in Masuny), and on the left, the buildings of the former State Farm of Stopki.
After about 20 minutes, we reach the end riverside hostel in the village of Stopki. A paved road from the Sępopol - Ostre Bardo road leads to the riverside hostel.
Source: www.gminalidzbark.com
It is the last place on the Łyna in Poland with access; end your trip here. You can go further on the trip (approx. 4 km), section to the border with Russia, informing the Border Guard in advance. Returning is not a problem, because the water is almost standing here.
Before the border, the river banks are slowly getting higher, on both sides there is a forest, a left turn. From a distance you can see a rope stretched across the river with a net spread. This is the game of the state. It's time to go back.
Stopki Harbor
Bar and boat dock. Fees are charged at the private dock.
Footers
The last Polish town on the Łyna route is located 4 km from the border with Russia. The river in Stopki is nothing like the Łyna River from its earlier course: it slows down and overflows widely, sometimes reaching 200 m in width, creating an artificial lake.
The reservoir is about 30 km long thanks to the dam. Built in Frydląd (now Prawdinsk) in the 1920s, it is 850 m long and 14 m high and is the largest power plant in Łyna.
