Odra Trail – Wrocław Water Junction

Grudzień 14, 2016

ODRA TRAIL:

Stopień wodny Opatowice, Śluza Opatowice
Stopień wodny Bartoszowice, Śluza Bartoszowice
Przystań ZOO, Port STANICA, Port RANCZO
Przystań Zwierzyniecka, Most Zwierzyniecki, Kanał Miejskiego
Szczytniki Barrage, Szczytniki Lock
Wyspiański Shore
Ujście rzeki Oława, Port Węglowy, Odra Centrum
Grunwaldzki Bridge
Kanał Żeglugowy, Śluza Zacisze
Boulevard of Lech and Maria Kaczyński
Gondola Bay
Boulevard of Xawery Dunikowski
Włostowic boulevard
Most Tumski, Mosty Młyńskiej
Sand Bridge, the Tamka Island
The upper barrage, Sand Lock
Słodowa Island
Most Uniwersytecki, Marina
The lower barrage – Burgher’s Lock
Mieszczański Stopień Wodny, Elektrownie wodne
Port Miejski, Kępa Mieszczańska
Stopień wodny Różanka, Śluza Różanka
Barrage Psie Pole, The City Lock
Most Milenijny, Zimowisko Barek Osobowice 1
Port Popowice
Zimowisko Barek Osobowice 1
Stocznia Kozanów
Stopień wodny Rędzin, Śluzy Rędzin
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Odra is the second longest river in Poland and the thirteenth in Europe, counting 860 kilometres. The river enters Wrocław from the south-east at the level of Opatowice and reaches the centre of the city, exiting the capital of Lower Silesia only after almost 26 kilometres.

Wrocław Water Junction – developed since the Middle Ages, was brought to its final look only at the beginning of the twentieth century. It consists of a few shipping lanes, among which is not only the main channel of Wrocław part of Odra river, but also its branches (Southern, Northern and Stara Odra), channels (City, Sailing and Flood Canals), as well as tributaries of rivers: Oława, Ślęza, Bystrzyca and Widawa, that have their estuaries in the city. Wrocław Water Junction, of total length of approx. 45 km, was facilitated with several barrages with many interesting hydro power constructions, including 10 locks (the oldest are chamber locks Śluza Piaskowa and Śluza Mieszczańska built in the years 1791-1794), more than a dozen weirs (including a kind of relic of hydro-technical thought, still operating needle-trestle Psie Pole weir), two hydroelectric power plants from the 20s (designed by Max Berg, the architect of the Centennial Hall) and over a hundred bridges and footbridges (the most famous being an over a century-old suspension bridge Grunwaldzki).

The oldest and most interesting part of the Wrocław Water Juction is Śródmiejski Węzeł Wodny, its city centre part, which is unique in Europe. In the Middle Ages, in the place where the river is splitting into two troughs, Northern and Southern, built were two dams: upper – Piaskowy and lower – Mieszczański. In the eighteenth century, after the construction of two chamber locks, this part of the river became the main shipping lane of Wrocław for a hundred years. Today, it is used mainly by white fleet. From the river passengers can admire the panorama of the Odra islands Piasek and Ostrów Tumski and representative baroque buildings of the University of Wrocław and Ossolineum.

Still developing river transport forced city authorities to create a new water route, bypassing the city centre. In the years 1892-1897 created was the City Canal with capacity that quickly proved to be too small and just a few years later, in 1912-1917, built were Sailing Canal and Flood Canal, parallel to it.