About this place
Five inclined planes overcome nearly one hundred metres of height difference without a single lock. A ship rides onto an underwater carriage, which hauls it on rails over the hill — powered entirely by falling water.
The system has run without interruption since 1860 in its original construction. It is one of very few such installations in the world and the only one in Europe still used for passenger shipping.
The Buczyniec plane can be seen from the bank in an hour. The full cruise from Elbląg to Ostróda takes eleven hours and passes through all five.
Good to know
- The one-way cruise takes a whole day — check the return bus.
- Outside the navigation season the planes stand idle and no ships run.
- By the plane there is a small exhibition and a viewpoint over the machinery room.
Gallery
