Discover Gdańsk: Lakes, River Landscapes and Cultural Routes

Gdańsk County is home to a wide variety of landscapes and places to visit: in the west, the Gdańsk Heights on the edge of the Kashubian Lake District, forests, lakes and the winding Radunia shape the scenery. To the east lie the Żuławy Gdańskie in the catchment area of the Martwa Wisła. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Gdańsk, you can first consider whether cycling routes, nature or historic buildings will be the main focus of your outing.

Lakes, hills and river landscapes

The western landscape is characterized by gently rolling moraine plains, small hills and lakes in tunnel valleys. The Radunia and its tributaries have carved gorges and winding courses. To the east, the scenery takes on a different character: the Żuławy Gdańskie are part of the larger Żuławy Wiślane area. The Żuławy Gdańskie Protected Landscape Area covers 27,491 hectares within Gdańsk County and protects the distinctive cultural landscape of the Żuławy.

The Dolina Raduni Protected Landscape Area has its own focus. Covering 925 hectares, it protects the valley floor and slopes of the Radunia, as well as adjoining woodland and farmland with basins and gorges. Four named nature reserves add to the picture: Jar Reknicy, Bursztynowa Góra, Wyspa na Jeziorze Przywidz and Dolina Kłodawy. These landscapes offer different themes to shape your trip around, without requiring a single type of outing to take center stage.

Cycling routes and tours at your own pace

The 18.5-kilometer “Szlak Trzech Jezior” is one option for a circular cycling tour. The route follows Lakes Przywidzkie Małe, Połęczyńskie and Głęboczko in the municipality of Przywidz. The 13-kilometer “Dolina Reknicy” cycling route is also a circular route. It starts and ends in Przywidz and runs through the preglacial valley of Lake Głęboczko and the Reknica River.

If you’d rather explore woodland and hills than take a lakeside route, the 12-kilometer “Wzgórza Przywidzkie” circular route offers a different kind of ride. It runs mostly through forest along the highest elevations in the municipality of Przywidz and passes a burial mound cemetery. For the “Szlak Motławski,” it’s worth checking the exact distance: the route is 37 kilometers long in total, 24.7 kilometers of which are in Gdańsk County. This section is flat and runs along asphalt roads or concrete slab paths with little car traffic.

You can also explore a range of interests on foot or on the water. The 20-kilometer “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych” is intended for walkers, cyclists and paddlers. The “Szlak Elektrowni Wodnych” is a walking and cycling route that takes visitors past a group of eight hydroelectric power stations built along the Radunia River between 1910 and 1937. Six of these power stations form the Radunia cascade; they are considered notable examples of interwar industrial architecture.

Arcaded houses, Mennonites and history

The “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych” links several landmarks in architectural and regional history. It leads to seven arcaded houses, including the most impressive one in Trutnowy; churches in Osice, Trutnowy and Koźliny; the ruins of a Gothic church in Steblewo; and an 18th-century granary in Koźliny. The half-timbered arcaded house in Trutnowy was built between 1720 and 1726 by Dutchman Peter Lettahn for Georg Basener.

The 34-kilometer “Szlak Śladami Mennonitów” offers another historical perspective. Its stops include arcaded houses in Krępiec and Trutnowy, churches in Wróblewo and Kiezmark, a bell tower in Wiśliny and a Mennonite stele in Wocław. The route passes through landscapes with the meandering Motława, numerous canals and smaller waterways, as well as extensive meadows dotted with willows typical of the region. For a trip focused on architecture and landscape, this route combines both themes without limiting you to a single attraction.

In Pruszcz Gdański, the Faktoria Handlowa focuses on the history of the Amber Road. It is a reconstruction of a trading settlement that existed around 2,000 years ago and also serves as a modern exhibition and educational center. Archaeological finds related to the history of the Amber Road are displayed there, along with scenes of everyday life in a settlement from the 1st century AD.

Canoe trips are another suggested outing: they can be taken from Gdańsk to Tczew along the Motława route, which passes through Gdańsk County. This means that, alongside cycling and cultural routes, trips on the water are another way to plan your journey.

More destination pages

More destination pages: Wiślina, Trzepowo, Gdańsk, Swibno, Elganowo, Ostrowite, Straszyn, Pomlewo, Juszkowo, Postołowo, Kłodawa, Pruszcz Gdański, Koszwaly, Przejazdowo, Suchy Dąb, Łęgowo, Otomin, Grabiny-Zameczek, Cedry Wielkie, Pszczółki, Żukczyn, Miłowo, Ząbrsko Górne, Przywidz, Pręgowo Górne, Cedry Małe, Buszkowy Górne, Kleszczewo and Warcz.

For the broader travel overview: Pomerania.