Along the Biała Przemsza

Just downstream, the Biała River joins the Biała Przemsza. For many years, the Biała carried huge amounts of polluted water and mining sediments, dramatically changing the appearance and character of the Biała Przemsza. Just before the confluence, however, the Biała Przemsza is calm, flowing through a deep, forested valley and only occasionally picking up speed. Nearby stand some of the oldest trees in Dąbrowa Górnicza. Two monumental small-leaved lime trees (Tilia cordata), known as the Lipy Dobieckie, grow in a picturesque spot at the fork of the Biała Przemsza and Biała rivers in Kuźniczka Nowa. Their exceptional character comes from their age and size. Measurements taken several years ago showed trunk circumferences of 430 cm and 385 cm, with heights of 21 and 25 metres. Their ages were estimated at around 390 and 350 years, making them probably among the oldest trees in Dąbrowa Górnicza and among the older specimens of this species in Poland.

This is the mouth of the Biała River, mentioned earlier. Today, the waters of both rivers appear relatively clean, but in the past the Biała was far more polluted, carrying large amounts of sediment contaminated with hazardous heavy metals.

Okradzionów is a place where the history of the Biała Przemsza is closely connected with the use of water power. Old weirs, mill channels and buildings are still an important part of the riverside landscape. The former Frey Mill now houses the small “Maria” hydroelectric power plant, while nearby the Rydzewski water mill continues the area's long milling tradition. Here, the river has been shaped by people for generations, but it is still the flowing water of the Biała Przemsza that gives this place its unique character.

Sławków is one of the oldest towns in the region, with a medieval urban layout and a well-preserved historic centre. The Biała Przemsza flows swiftly almost through the heart of the town and has always been closely connected with its history. A new educational trail has recently been created in the Biała Przemsza Valley Park, including a route along the Walcownia Canal, which branches off from the river. The canal once served the nearby rolling mill, of which only ruins remain today. Sławków is also home to the only stretch of the Biała Przemsza where all caught fish must be released. The river is very popular with kayakers as well.

Below Sławków begins my favourite stretch of the river — the section where the Biała Przemsza meanders most dramatically. The river flows away from houses here, although it passes close to Euroterminal Sławków, a large intermodal freight terminal. As a result, despite the forested surroundings, this area can often be surprisingly noisy, with passing trains and the sounds of cargo-handling machinery carrying through the woods. The forests along the river are rich in wildlife. Red deer, wild boar, roe deer and moose can all be encountered here, and even wolves are present in the area.

Just before the bridge in Maczki, the Biała Przemsza flows through a section that was straightened many years ago. The main traces of this old river regulation are a series of low weirs, which can make life difficult for kayakers. The sound of water rushing over them can be heard from quite a distance. Nearby, just below the weirs, the Szczakowa Canal, also known as the Main Canal, flows into the Biała Przemsza. The canal drains a vast area of former sand-extraction workings. Its waters were always known for their exceptional clarity, and in the past both trout and grayling lived there. In recent years, however, the water level in the canal has fallen considerably.

This is one of the most distinctive and best-known places along the Biała Przemsza. Here, the river flows through a broad concrete channel beneath an old railway bridge. The historic railway bridge in Sosnowiec-Maczki, often referred to as a viaduct, was built between 1845 and 1848 and opened in 1848. Just downstream from the bridge, the remains of an unfinished hydroelectric power plant can still be seen.

In Sosnowiec-Bór, the Biała Przemsza is completely regulated, and it will remain this way all the way to its mouth. It is a rather sad sight, although nature is still trying to reclaim what it can, and even here some fish continue to survive. The 1950s marked the beginning of large-scale sand mining in Szczakowa and Maczki. Vast areas were heavily exploited, permanently transforming the landscape around the Biała Przemsza. The river itself and its tributaries were also affected. It was during this period that several kilometres of the river next to the Maczki-Bór sand mine were regulated. The channel was straightened and embanked, while the riverbed was lined with concrete slabs. As a result of shortening the river, a drop of about two metres was also created. Today, a small hydroelectric power plant operates at this site.