khaleej times Friday, December 10, 2010 TRAVEL 11 Free float on the Dunajec An 18-km river ride Along the Polish-slovAk border is like A tolkienesque journey in admiring Slovakia on the right bank and bottleneck and this place is called the Rob- A Raftsman Kalpana Sunder Poland on the left. The countries are, by all ber’s Jump. Legend has it that Janosik, who punts his way accounts, good neighbours. was a Slovakian Robin Hood defending the with a long Our raft mates are a boisterous group of local highlanders from their rich oppres- wooden pole t is a Polish golden autumn day. Hungarians, with a repertoire of jokes that sors, jumped across the river here to avoid along the green Shades of bronze, russet, brown are translated by our guide. They make the being caught by the police. Cut into the Dunajec River and red, cloak the surrounding for- ride pleasurable with raucous bursts of rocky ribs are silhouettes called the Monks ests like a burst of pyrotechnics. laughter which threaten to rock the raft! because of their shape. Our raftsman in a jaunty round On the right is the Pieneny way — a narrow On the Slovakian bank we see the Hun- brimmed black felt hat with cowry ledge open to walkers and cyclists running dred Year source — a spring that accord- shells, a white shirt and a fancy embroi- along the whole length of the gorge. There ing to legend allows the person who drinks Idered waistcoat with coloured flow- are emerald green meadows filled with the water here to live to a 100 years. Down ers punts his way expertly butterflies, wildflowers, eagles and black the source the river turns 180 degrees and with long wooden storks soaring above, red-roofed wooden reaches its lowest point — the Dungeon. poles through the green chalets and mountain shelters and the glo- The trip ends at the village of Szczawnica Dunajec (pronounced rious pure air. There are quaint wooden where we have lunch at an 18th century Doo-na-yets) River. The Catholic churches on the Polish side facing Highlander restaurant with some tradi- Dunajec, a tributary of their Evangelical counterparts across the tional Polish food — oscypek or traditional Robber’s Jump: Slovakian the Vistula River in Poland waters in Slovakia. The Slovakian village of smoked goat’s cheese with cranberry sauce. Robin Hood jumped across flows through the chalky Czewony Klasztor is the starting point for From the river it’s on to a medieval castle the river to escape the police white turrets of the Pieniny Slovakian rafts. Cyclists wave to us from next. Picturesque Niedzica Castle looks while defending the locals mountains. Rafts have been the Slovakian side. Our boatman says that straight out of a Gothic novel, perched high plying the Dunajec since the the Slovaks are not as well trained as them above a dam built on the Dunajec River. For 17th Century. The ride originat- and often overload their rafts (Polish rafts- many years the owners of the castle were ed in the logging industry. Trees men have to undergo training under a mas- Hungarian. Today, it functions as a museum were felled and logs were floated ter rafter for three years and then take an and has panoramic views of the mountains down the river to the sawmills. exam to get a licence). and a reservoir by the Dunajec. This 18-km stretch from the village We reach a swish, ultra-modern bridge Niedzica has a beautiful courtyard, res- Sromowse Katy is one of the most over the river at Sromowce Nizne linking taurant and even a hotel where you can picturesque rides in Central Europe Slovakia and Poland. Thanks to the porous stay in private, antique-furnished guest- and there are about 500 fliscacy or borders of the EU, many Polish visitors can rooms and be pampered like a king. It also raftsmen who ferry tourists from April now visit the famous Red Monastery so has a torture chamber and rooms furnished to October, down this winding stretch. named for its red roofs. According to lore, with hunting trophies. Like any other self- White water rafting this is not; more a there was a monk called Cyprian here who respecting castle, Niedzica too has its share gentle float punctuated by some bumpy was into alchemy, botany and astrology — of tales and legends. The most fantastic rides, taking in the impressive surround- and could actually fly! one we hear is how one of the owners of this ings. The raft is made up of five canoes Suddenly the river bends sharply. The castle travelled to the New World and fell in tied up together made from hollowed tree true gorge has begun. For the next three love with an Inca princess. When her father trunks and assembled like pontoons. There kilometres the river bends in about seven was murdered by the Spaniards, the prin- Passengers awaiting their are 12 passengers sitting on three rows of meanders. We are surrounded by narrow cess fled to Hungary with her new husband turn to raft across the river seats and an assistant raftsman called the steep limestone cliffs like intimidating with valuable Inca scrolls and treasures. It between Slovakia on one side pomocnik at the stern. corridors and it’s suddenly cool as the sun is believed that in the depths of the castle and Poland on the other Almost the whole Tolkienesque jour- is blocked out. The play of light and shade somewhere, some Inca treasures are still ney is along the Polish-Slovak border. It’s casts mysterious shadows on the cliffs. It’s buried. It’s a fitting romantic ending to a strange to see a river as a natural boundary one of those ‘once in a lifetime moments’. day filled with wondrous moments. between two countries, as we take turns Gradually, the Dunajec narrows into a [email protected].