Olsztyn is situated on three rivers – the Łyna, Wadąg and a small Kortówka. The biggest of them all – the Łyna – rises near the village of the same name and flows through Olsztyn Lake District and Sępopol Plain. Its Polish part is 190 km long, as it joins the Pregoła on the territory of the Kaliningrad District. The river is beautifully meandering through Olsztyn, creating picturesque views you can admire near the Old Town. Then, it flows north through Dobre Miasto, Lidzbark Warmiński and Bartoszyce. In Olsztyn, two smaller rivers join the Łyna, of which the Wadąg should be paid a special attention. The river, as the Dymerski Canal, rises in the south-east of Biskupiec and flows through Lake Kraksy, Dadaj, Tumiańskie, Pisz and Wadąg. The total length of the river is 68 km. Kortówka, which took its name from the district Kortowo, is, in turn, a small river rising in Lake Ukiel, playing an important role in the research on methods of lake recultivation. 

The rivers of Olsztyn, due to their unique character, attract canoeists and kayakers. From May to September they organise canoe trips “on the Łyna through Olsztyn”. The route is easy and suited even for beginners. It starts at the foot of Olsztyn Castle, in the meadownear the restaurant „Nad Wodospadem”. A three-kilometer-long route goes through the picturesque Łyna canyon in Municipal Forest. The final destination is a charming place, where the Łyna joins the Wadąg. The trip takes about 1,5 hour and ends with a grill party. The canoes are awaiting the participants at the starting point and you are not obliged to take care of them when the trip is over. After a grill party the organisers provide a bus service to the city centre. For more information contact a travel agency „Szarpie Travel”. Antoher canoe trip worth recommending follows the Łyna to the Campsite no 173 in Dywity. Especially attractive and most popular version is an eight-kilometer long route, covered in 2–2,5 hours. It starts at a set time at the Castle. The route goes through the Łyna Valley, being a part of Municipal Forest. Be prepared for the areas of fast current. After an hour you reach the water power station. Further on, the river gets broader and the current becomes nearly imperceptible. Having passed the bridge near the village Redykajny, you come across a 200 m wide pool. After a while you reach the campsite, where you can make a grill. You can stop here and stay overnight in a camp house or a tent and continue north the next morning. The trip is organised by Mazuria Campsite no 173 in Dywity.

More information:

•  Oddział Warmińsko-Mazurski PTTK /89 527-36-65/
• Szarpie Travel /89 527-47-67/
• Stajnia Janczary /89 514-82-22/
• "Euro-Wadąg" Krzysztof Maculewicz, kom. 784-84-30-00, www.kajaki.olsztyn.pl