The season for this Polish attraction is ending soon. It’s perfect for seniors
This year’s rafting season on the Dunajec River lasts until the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to admire the picturesque mountain ranges.
Many tourists enjoy admiring the beauty of the Polish mountains, but not all of them enjoy hiking or their health does not allow them to do so.
A good alternative may be the flagship attraction of the Pieniny, a mountain range in the Carpathian chain – rafting on the Dunajec River. This is an excellent option for tourists who, in the peaceful surroundings of the water, can admire, among others, Trzy Korony, the highest peak of the Pieniny and one of the Polish wonders of nature, the Dunajec Gorge, between Sromowce Niżne and Szczawnica.
Rafting on the Dunajec River. Beautiful views and closeness to nature
We board the raft at the raftsman’s port in Sromowce Wyżne – Kąty. We choose the destination port: Szczawnica (shorter trip, 2 h 15 min) or Krościenko (2 h 45 min).
On the shorter route, tourists will admire the hills on both the Polish and Slovak sides, because the Dunajec is a natural border strip. On the Slovak side, you can see the Upranek headland, and on the Polish side, Macelowa Góra and other peaks, including Flaki and Zamczysko. The trip can be continued towards Krościenko.
Boats depart after a minimum of 11 people have gathered. In the case of a smaller number of interested people, it is possible to sail the boat after paying the basic cost. You should not worry about space – depending on the intensity of tourist traffic, the raftsmen have up to two hundred rafts.
Return from Szczawnica and Krościenko
The local infrastructure is adapted to tourists. When buying a ticket for the rafting trip, you can also buy a return ticket for PLN 19. Return buses from Szczawnica and Krościenko leave on average every 40 minutes.
The rafting season lasts from April 1 to October 31, so we still have a few months to plan a summer or autumn trip. In August, an adult will pay PLN 122 for a regular ticket to the station in Szczawnica (with return transport), and PLN 116 in September. Rafters remind us that the lack of online tickets does not mean lack of availability. The pool of tickets is available on site.
Rafting down the Dunajec River is also a good idea for a one-day trip from Zakopane.