The Spychowo-Krutyń route is 25 km long and you need 8 hours to complete it. This section is recommended to experienced kayakers not only because of its length, but also because of Lake Mokre, the size of which and strong waves in bad weather conditions may scare the inexperienced ones.
We provide transportation of trip participants and their kayaks to the set off point in Spychowo (right by the road bridge).
When you start at Spychowska Struga (different sections of Krutynia have their individual names such as Sobiepanka, Grabówka, Dąbrówka, Babięcka Struga or Spychowska Struga) you enter the Spychowskie Lake for a while, however very soon you leave it behind. Remember to swim along its left shore and then follow the river current along the buildings of Spychowo. The river flows into Lake Zdrużno, which you leave very quickly behind as you turn right, just right by the reeds.
Head left and enter the Lake Uplik - a quite long lake surrounded by the forest. On its right shore, there’s Czaplisko-Ławny Lasek, a reserve of nature established to protect the 200-year-old pine forest. Gray herons used to nest in the reserve, but they moved to the opposite shore of Lake Uplik.
Before you enter Lake Mokre, you can stop in Zgon. Don’t be scared by the name (Zgon means death in Polish) as it doesn’t refer to death but to scolding cattle to a watering place by Mokre. Although some say that the forest animals were often killed by hunters waiting for easy prey.
Go under the road bridge, turn left and enter the wide Lake Mokre waters. It’s one of the biggest and the deepest lake on the route. Its fairly simple and wide basin seems to be endless at first, however, in cloudy weather, it may be scary. The devil’s not so black as he’s painted, though. In good weather conditions Lake Mokry will ravish you with stunning nature. It is surrounded by the Puszcza Piska forest, which, having passed the village of Zgon, seems to be pristine. The mild and sandy shores of the lake create perfect conditions for swimming. It sometimes has its humours as well. In windy conditions, it can greet you with a pretty strong wave, which can bring a bit of trouble and prevent you from admiring the views. On the other hand, it will allow you to experience a real adventure, if you are not afraid of challenges. Usually in the afternoon the wind diminishes and allows you to calmly go through the lake. The lake raises both respect and admiration.
In its book Na tropach Smętka, Melchior Wańkowicz describes the kayaking trip down the Krutynia river: “Right at the entrance from Lake Mokre a colourful mentel (butterfly) sat on our kayak’s beak, as if emphasizing the fact of us entering some kind of magical land. Poor willows on the banks gave way to delicate birches with their tiny leaves flowing over the brown and transparent water.”
Lake Mokre is surrounded by three reserves of nature: Królewska Sosna, Zakręt and Krutynia. Look out for white-tailed eagles, eagle owls, herons and kites.
You should also get off your kayak and walk around the reserves. In the Królewska Sosna reserve you can look for a 300-year-old great pine and an oak called the “Oak by Mukre” named after Karol Małłek. Małłek used beautiful words to describe it: “(...) a thousand-year-old giant firmly buried in the ground has grown widely. It remembers the entire history of this land and the history of the Masurian people. Had it ever spoken with a human voice, how many wonderful secrets it could have revealed, how much beauty of the past it would have discovered, to how many people it would have recalled all the things they don't want to remember! The thousand-year-old oak rustles with language of the forest and only those who can listen understand its oak speech.” On the other hand, the Zakręt reserve is famous for floating islets, peat detached from the shore, which travels with the wind through a mid-forest lake.
long trip through Lake Mokre you can stretch out there as you need to carry your kayak over to Lake Krutyńskie. Here starts one of the most beautiful sections of the route. Unlike Lake Mokre, Lake Krutyńskie is very narrow and winding. At first, it’s difficult do say whether its a river or a lake. The area of Lake Krutyńskie, along with the Krutynia river, up to the Krutyń village, is the area of a strict reserve of nature. This section will make you stunned with the nature’s diversity. Fallen trees, a landscape untouched by a man, rich vegetation, a huge amount of waterfowl and clear water, which allows to observe fish swimming under kayaks, makes the river seem completely wild here. Despite the many tourists, you might have the impression of being the first person to discover the area.
Going down the river you slowly approach the first buildings of Krutyń. Pass a large concrete bridge and finish the today's adventure on the left bank of the river.
Price 130 zł/kayak, 160 zł/canoe