Passing of the Wisła Rafters Banner

Описание: The 19th edition of the rafting procession, organised by the Krakow Museum and opening of the 2025 season at the Museum Pier branch of the Museum of Kraków., took place this weekend.

A ceremony took place under the Town Hall Tower, where raftsmen, and skippers of other sections of the royal raft relay, passed on a symbolic flag to each other as a sign of taking command of the next section of the river. The event was accompanied by a performance by the band Kapela Siwka.

The Royal Rafting on the Vistula is an annual rafting event which was initiated 19 years ago by Jarosław Kałuża. It consists of rafting down the entire navigable length of the Vistula  (Wisłą) - from the “zero” kilometer at the mouth ofPrzemsza, near Oświęcim to Gdańsk.  Originally on a single barge called “Solny”, however for several years now the rafting has taken the form of a “water relay”.

Historically, it refers to the Vistula rafting, when rafters from the vicinity of Kraków, taking advantage of the high water during the spring thaw, floated goods down the river.

The skippers, or captains, of the individual sections pass on the rafting flag to each other. The first handover of the flag – from the skipper of the Oświęcim – Kraków section to the skipper of the Kraków – Sandomierz section – took place ceremoniously on the Main Market Square, and the event was graced by the ringing of the Bolesław bell.

Then, everyone in a colourful procession, accompanied by raftsmen's music, went to the Museum Marina (Rodło boulevard, at the mouth of the Rudawa River) to jointly raise the flag on the mast of the museum barge "Szwajcarka", which was a symbolic start of the season on the Vistula.