Despite having sections with a rapid current, the river is friendly, well marked, and perfect for family trips and first-timers in canoeing.
A considerable difference IN elevation between the source and the mouth, where it flows into the Vistula, causes the Brda to have a swift current. The unusually diversified, meandering course of the river, the vast forests, the picturesque lakes, and primeval nature have for years been a wonderful attraction for the numerous water tourists visiting this land.
Since the interwar period, this trail has been considered one of the most attractive canoe trails in Europe. It was also one of John Paul II’s favourite trails.
The upper, very picturesque, course of the Brda may be difficult due to reeds. Before it flows into Lake Szczytno, inside a 300-year-old beech forest, which is a nature reserve, there are several hundred cormorant and heron nests. Beautiful lakes (Szczytno, Charzykowskie, Długie, Łąckie) are the middle course’s highlights.
Koronowskie Lake is the attraction of the middle course – it is an artificial water body formed after a dam was built on the Brda.
The lower course of the Brda from Męcikał is characterised by a greater slope of the river, which causes a rapid current. Down the river from Męcikał we will encounter one of the few permanent obstacles – the dam in Mylof.
Down from Rytel, the Brda flows through the pine trees of the Tuchola Forest, and near Tuchola it creates a scenic gorge called Piekiełko (nature reserve). The riverbed contains obstacles such as trees and large boulders, every one of which has its name given by rafters, e.g. Owczarz (Shepherd), Tłusty (Fatty), and Kierda.
The gorge ends with the biggest and most beautiful lake on the Brda, Lake Koronowskie, featuring a greatly-varied shoreline, numerous deep lagoons, and surrounded almost on every side by forests. The inviting banks of the Brda, which has a dry, sandy bed, are easily accessible from the water. You can camp along the way in one of the many charming glades, among the ancient woods.
