This is the English version of an article first published in Polish: read the Polish original.
People walking along Wilanów Lake usually look at the water from the shore. Few know that a few dozen metres further, in the park by the Pompownia pumping station, there is a jetty you can actually paddle out from. Przystań Wilanów, run by the "Dom Wisły" foundation, rents out kayaks and rowboats every day for the whole season, no booking needed.
How much it costs and how long you can paddle
The price list is simple and split into time blocks. A kayak costs 40 zloty for half an hour, 50 zloty for an hour, and 60 zloty for two hours. A rowboat costs more: 80 zloty for half an hour, 100 zloty for an hour, 120 zloty for two hours. You can add a third seat to a kayak for 5 zloty if three people want to go out together. The season runs from late April to early October, and in peak summer, from 29 April to 31 August, the rental is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00. Hours get shorter in September, and the last rental is always an hour before closing, so it is worth showing up with time to spare rather than right at the end of the day.
Wilanów Lake is not large, so even an hour is enough to circle it at an easy pace and see the area from a completely different angle than from the walking path. It is also one of the few attractions in the district that needs no sign up and no app, you just show up with cash or a card and a bit of free time. The rental's contact number is +48 570 143 943, useful if you want to check ahead that there is space or that the weather has not closed the rental for the day.
For families with kids this is a natural add on to a walk through the park by Pompownia or an evening trip to Plaża Wilanów. No own gear or experience needed, kayaks and rowboats require no licence. Just remember a change of clothes and something to cover your things with, water off the paddle ends up in the boat sooner or later.
