What the Augustów Canal is
The Augustów Canal is an artificial waterway 101 km long (80 km of it in Poland, the rest in Belarus) linking the Vistula basin with the Neman. It was built at the start of the 19th century, when Prussia blocked the traditional routes for floating timber and grain from the Kingdom of Poland to the Baltic ports. The military engineer Ignacy Prądzyński designed an alternative: rivers and lakes joined by artificial cuts and 18 locks.
Most of the hydraulic works survive in their original form. Wooden lock gates, mechanisms still raised by hand by the lock keepers, stone walls — much of it works exactly as it did 200 years ago. That is a rarity in Europe and the reason the canal has been a Polish Monument of History since 2007 and a candidate for the UNESCO list.
What you can do on the canal
An excursion boat trip
The most popular option — you set off from the passenger harbour in Augustów, pass 1–4 locks each way and are back after 2–4 hours. On board there is a guide's commentary, a café and a viewing deck. The operators are Żegluga Augustowska (the boats Tadeusz Kościuszko, Serwy and Hańcza) and several private owners.
The most popular routes:
- Augustów – Studzieniczna (about 2 hours, through the Przewięź lock) — short, ideal for an afternoon
- Augustów – Swoboda (about 4 hours, through the Przewięź and Swoboda locks) — a full day
- Augustów – Paniewo (about 6 hours) — for the determined, through the loveliest lock, Paniewo (the only two-chamber lock in Poland)
A kayak trip
The classic trip down the Augustów Canal takes 1–7 days and covers the finest stretches: the river Netta, Lake Białe, Lake Studzieniczne, then the canal and Lake Serwy. Kayak hire is available in Augustów and Studzieniczna (from about 80 zł a day). The most popular stretch is Augustów – Płaska (3 days, about 50 km, 7 locks). For families with children the one-day Augustów – Studzieniczna trip is better (about 10 km, one lock).
Your own yacht or motorboat
The canal is open to small craft. You buy a ticket for each locking (a dozen or so złoty per lock) and report to the lock keeper. Augustów has several marinas where you can hire a motorboat without a licence (up to 5 hp) or a sailing yacht.
The finest locks
- Augustów lock (1) — the first after leaving the harbour, clearly seen from the jetty
- Przewięź lock — the most photographed, surrounded by old trees
- Paniewo lock — the only two-chamber lock in Poland, with a drop of about 7 metres
- Kurzyniec lock — deep in the forest, reachable only for a few hours
- Niemnowo lock — by the Belarusian border, with the greatest drop (12 m); documents required
How to get there and practical info
- Harbour address
- ul. 29 Listopada 7, 16-300 Augustów
- Boat tickets
- 50–110 zł per person depending on the route
- Season
- May–September, daily in July and August
- Kayak hire
- From about 80 zł a day
- Locking your own craft
- A dozen or so złoty per lock
- Parking at the harbour
- Charged in season, about 5 zł an hour
Gallery
Photos taken on site. Photo: Marek Marcola.
When to go
The first trips start in mid-May. Few people and lower prices, but the canal is still cold.
The height of the season — daily trips and every lock working. Crowded; book ahead.
September and the first half of October — golden woods, warm days and fewer visitors. The best moment for photographers.
The canal is closed to visitors. You can walk the banks or, in a hard frost, skate on the lakes.
Other sights in Augustów
Straight-line distances from „The Augustów Canal" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
Places from our list that have The Augustów Canal within walking distance or a short drive.
