Only a century ago, it was an arduous and hazardous occupation, but it was also a source of quite handsome income. Today it is a tradition recognized by UNESCO as part of world heritage and it is a tourist attraction of the northern part of the Podkarpackie Region. And although the traditional rafts can be seen on the San River in Ulanów only once a year, you can enjoy trips with the rafters throughout the season from May to September.
Situated at the junction of the rivers Tanew and San, Ulanów was for a long time an important centre for trade and inland water transport. It is not without reason, therefore, that this town, founded at the beginning of the 17th century, was called ‘little Gdańsk’. Other local specialisations included pottery, boat-building, blacksmithing, weaving, and many other handicrafts.
Over a hundred years later St. Barbara Brotherhood was established; it was then divided into the guilds of senior rafters and helmsmen. Over the years, the rafters from Ulanów carried large quantities of various goods, to Warsaw and to Gdańsk. Apart from agricultural and wood products, they usually carried timber in the form of huge oak, pine and fir logs which had been acquired in the nearby forests. These were used to build masts for sea vessels. The trade produced good income for the rafters and for merchants in Gdańsk.
The rafters would come back home on St. Barbara’s Day; she was venerated as their patron saint, protecting them from a violent and unexpected death. Despite the fact that the money they earned this way had to cover their families’ needs for a whole year, the men would bring back from Gdańsk all sorts of goods that were not available locally, such as embroidery thread of various colours used for decorating costumes, as well as needles, scarves and beads.
Rafting disappeared as a means of cargo transport in the 1960s. People gradually forgot about the rafting craft, and the related customs, specific vocabulary and even dishes. It was not until 1991 that rafting reappeared, this time as a tourist attraction. The craft and the related customs were revived. Owing to the efforts of the reactivated brotherhood, rafts returned to the rivers San and Vistula. The first rafting trip called ‘Our Forefathers’ Trail’ set off from Ulanów on 27 June 1993 and continued along the Rivers San and Vistula covering a route of 724 km, and ending on 27 July in Gdańsk. Since then, nearly 50 raft trips have been organised along the San, Vistula and Oder rivers.
Services provided to tourists on a regular basis during the season from May to September include trips along the river San by galar, a traditional Polish flat-bottomed boat. The trips start at the boathouse located next to the bridge over the San River leading to Ulanów. During the trip you can hear fascinating stories about rafting in the old days and you can enjoy delicious Ulanów-style dishes. You can find out more about rafting traditions in the Ulanów Museum of Polish Rafting.
On a raft
The raft from Ulanów has unique appeal. It is possible that no one in the world is able to float timber this way anymore. At the start the raft is built, and then equipped with the necessary devices which are used to navigate and to stop the vessel. On the deck there are wooden sheds with the floor covered in straw. They provide shelter from rain, and this is where the crew can sleep. A special fireplace is built for cooking on the raft.
Those working on a raft have to follow strict rules, but it has to be this way when you are dealing with many heavy wooden logs and water, in a weather which is not always favourable. During a day of hard work, however, there are moments for relaxing. One of these is the extremely spectacular ritual of promoting novices to become ordinary or honorary rafters. According to tradition, this ‘rite of passage’ takes place on a raft and is quite challenging for the newbies.
UNESCO listing for rafters
In December 2022, at the annual meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, a representation of rafters from Ulanów received a certificate confirming that ‘The traditions of the rafters’ have been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
‘Wood rafting traditions from Ulanów’ was inscribed on the UNESCO National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014. Before this happened it was necessary to accurately document the over 400-year-old tradition of commercial rafting of timber and various goods from Ulanów to Gdańsk, and to report the contemporary operations of the reactivated St. Barbara Rafting Brotherhood.