Sromowce Niżne. Raftsmen inaugurated the 89th season of rafting on the Dunajec gorge

The mass was celebrated by Bishop Leszek Leszkiewicz at the starting pier in Sromowce Niżne. The bishop blessed the boats that will carry tourists. Which, as the raftsmen predict, will not be lacking.

– We are counting on a successful season, and due to the geopolitical situation, we expect mainly domestic guests. In recent years, guests on the Dunajec gorge have been great, because we transported about 300 thousand. tourists in the season, and the record was broken two years ago, when the attendance exceeded 340,000. people – said the president of raftsmen, Jerzy Regiec.

He added that currently there are 90 boats sailing on the Dunajec, and from next weekend the fleet will be increased to 150. Before the season, the raftsmen traditionally checked the patency of the Dunajec riverbed and checked all technical devices.

This year, tourists will pay more for rafting on the Dunajec gorge: an adult ticket in the high season from July 1 to the end of August will cost PLN 99, and a reduced ticket PLN 69. In the low season, we will pay PLN 93 and PLN 65, respectively. The price of the ticket also includes the entrance ticket to the Pieniny National Park. School groups can get discounts. A ticket for 10 primary school students with two guardians costs PLN 860, and for high school students PLN 900.

Rafting down the Dunajec gorge on wooden rafts starts in Sromowce-Kąty and has two variants: a shorter one – to Szczawnica and a longer one – to Krościenko. The route to Szczawnica is 18 km long and it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to cover it. The trip to Krościenko lasts 2 hours and 45 minutes and is five kilometers longer.

The Polish Association of Pieniny raftsmen has been organizing rafting trips along the Dunajec gorge since 1934, but the first tourist rafting trips were organized here in the mid-nineteenth century. About 500 raftsmen are active in the organization.