EN 
The Zgon-Krutyń route is 12.5 km long and you need 3–4 hours to complete it. We provide the transportation for participants and kayaks from Krutyń to Zgon.
The route is characteristically diverse - you go down both the river and the lakes. It is recommended to experienced kayakers as Lake Mokre, despite its beauty, is not an easy lake to go kayaking. It is big and in windy conditions it’s not that hard to flip over. The lake raises both respect and admiration.
To describe the beauty of the route, we must use the words of poets and writers. Melchior Wańkowicz, who took the Krutynia route before the II WW, wrote the following in his book Na tropach Smętka: “(...) a kingdom of raw greenness. The boat is a dot in this monotonous greenery and the burden of taming nature is no longer ours - a man is ready to fear it.” But we can assure you - you have nothing to be feared of. Keep your eyes wide open to admire all the magnificence of nature, which Krutynia brings at your fingertips. However, it’s always appreciated when you show some respect and admiration to it.
The section begins in Zgon. Lake Mokre is the first on the route with its surface of 846 ha. It’s nearly 8 km long and 1.6 km wide. It’s situated in the Masuria Natural Landscape Park. There are 5 islands. 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.
In good weather, Lake Mokre will ravish you with beautiful 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. Let’s use Małłek’s words again: “The eastern shore of Mukru has been cut by nature into fanciful smaller and larger coves. Blue water is masterfully embroidered by the forest wall reflected in it. Here and there you can see islands scattered and overgrown with all kinds of greenery, from grasses and rushes to pines and oaks.”
However, Lake Mokre 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.
At the end of the lake, turn right and approach the dam. After a long trip through Lake Mokre you can stretch out there as you need to carry your kayak over to Lake Krutyńskie. And this is the beginning of 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 90 zł/kayak, 130 zł/canoe
