The best hiking routes in Park Krajobrazowy Ujście Warty

Park Krajobrazowy Ujście Warty is a landscape of wide river valleys and reclaimed wetlands where the Warta River approaches the Oder. Unlike the forested hills found in other parts of western Poland, this park is flat and dominated by open meadows, drainage canals, and willow-lined dikes. The terrain is shaped by historical drainage projects and seasonal river flooding, which you will notice in the network of straight ditches and elevated embankments that cut through the low-lying pastures.

Walking here means navigating a mix of dirt tracks, grassy dikes, and gravel paths. There are no boardwalks over the wettest sections, so paths often follow the higher, drier embankments that keep you above the marshy fields. The ground underfoot varies from packed clay on the dikes to sandy soil on the agricultural tracks, with no significant elevation changes to speak of. It is a working agricultural landscape where cattle grazing keeps the vegetation low, offering long lines of sight across the pastures rather than enclosed woodland trails.

In April and May, the lower meadows are often shallowly flooded, turning large sections of the park into temporary lakes that attract thousands of migrating waterbirds. The park is best suited for those who appreciate open, flat riverine landscapes and birdwatching, rather than hikers looking for deep forest cover or varied terrain. While the main dikes near the river channels are popular with local anglers and birdwatchers, the secondary agricultural tracks deeper in the polder remain quiet down areas are often much quieter.