Vistula Boulevards in Kraków

The Vistula Boulevards in Kraków are a historic complex of hydraulic structures along the Vistula. From a technical point of view they protect the city from flooding, and today they are also one of the more important places for walks and bike rides in the centre. The complex was entered in the heritage register in 2011.

How the boulevards came about

In 1878-1880 the old bed of the Vistula was filled in, and in 1905-1909 its main channel was regulated and brick-built boulevards with imposing retaining walls were erected. The heritage register dates the complex to 1907. In 1961 the dam at Dąbie was completed, which raised the water level in the river.

The structure consists of two levels of retaining walls: a high upper one and a lower one, which frames the channel and formed a loading quay. In the line of the upper walls there are steps for pedestrians and paved ramps for wheeled traffic. The railway sidings from the lower level have not survived. The walls proved their worth in the great floods of 1970, 1997 and 2010.

Sections on both banks

The left bank is made up of four boulevards: Rodła, Czerwieński, Inflancki and Kurlandzki. On the right bank there are five: Tyniecki, Poleski, Wołyński, Podolski and Lotników Alianckich. The Czerwieński Boulevard lies between the Dębnicki and Grunwaldzki bridges, and since 2008 the Avenue of Stars has run along it.

At the level of Wawel Hill the boulevards join the area of the Wawel Dragon sculpture, and on the other side of the river stands the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology.

Walking, cycling and the water

Walking paths and cycle routes run along the river, and the Vistula Cycle Route, part of the European EuroVelo 4 route, runs along the boulevards. The complex also lies on the Kraków Technology Trail, established on 6 April 2006. Since 2009 a water tram has operated, with stops at, among others, the Rodła, Czerwieński, Inflancki and Wołyński boulevards.

It is not far from the boulevards to Wawel Royal Castle, so a walk by the river combines well with a visit to the hill.

Practical information

• Location: along the Vistula in Kraków, on the section from the Rudawa to the Kotlarski Bridge.
• The area is open; check the water tram stops and timetable with the operator before your visit.
• Near the boulevards are numerous historic sites of the Old Town and Kazimierz.