Flisacy opposed to a booth with alcohol on the Slovak shore of the Dunajec Borch

Although Pieniny Flisacy finished the holiday season with a very good result, because on the trip a breakthrough of the Dunajec hosted almost 244 thousand. Tourists, this Association of Pieniński Flisaks is alerting about the new problem – the sale of alcohol from the Slovak shore, which disturbs the safety and traditional nature of this attraction.

– The season was successful, the tourist traffic was good, even though the water level in Dunajec was low for most of the holidays. However, a very serious problem appeared – a booth with alcohol set at the Slovak shore. Kayaks or pontoons flow to it, and the drinks are served directly on the water. After alcohol, tourists behave noisely, unculturally, even vulgar – said the president of Flisak Jerzy Regiec.

As he emphasized, rafters strongly oppose such activities in a protected area, because the Dunajec Greater is the area of ​​the Pieniński National Park (PPN): – Dunajec's breakthrough is not a place for picnics and drunken quarrels. This is a nature reserve, where rare species nest, such as a black stork. If the situation does not change, there will be a tragedy eventually, “said Regiec.

Michał Sokołowski, the director of PPN, referred to the matter: “The park authorities express complete disapproval of sales and alcohol consumption during the trip. We have taken a number of actions: field inspections with the police, checking the sobriety of participants and applying to Slovak institutions with a request to liquidate this procedure,” said the park director.

PPN in a letter addressed to the Slovak commune of Czerwony Monastery and Slovak institutions indicated that The activity involving the sale of alcohol on the river creates a real threat to safety for people using kayaks and pontoons and for other rafting participants:

“In the light of Polish regulations, Dunajec is a public place where alcohol consumption is forbidden, as well as the use of floating equipment in a state of intoxication. Considering the safety of all participants, please urgently intervene, which results in stopping the sale of alcohol on the river” – wrote in the park's position.

According to PPN data, during two inspections on the Dunajec (24 July and August 14) about 150 people were tested – one of them, flowing a pontoon, was fined for intoxicated. Two minor helmsmen and rafting participants were also revealed without the required admission tickets to the park.

A spokesman for the Nowy Targ Police asp. staff. Łukasz Burek noted that The problem lies on the Slovak side: – This is the problem of the Slovak side because the booth with alcohol is already on the other side of the border. From time to time, we take action, we check the sobriety of water equipment to eliminate a intoxicated person from water movement. We know about the procedure, however, is happening on the Slovak website – a spokesman for a police in Nowy Targ told PAP.

Dunajec rafting, both rafting and kayaks or pontoons, takes place in the Pieniny National Park. Companies organizing rafting must have PPN consent and use only official marina.

Dunajec's breakthrough is one of the biggest tourist attractions of the Polish mountains, having a centuries -old tradition. The oldest records confirm the oldest tourist rafting on the Dunajec breakthrough in 1832. Initially, the rafting had the nature of social events organized for guests of nearby courts and castles. The popularity of rafting increased with the development of Szczawnica as a spa, and its propagator was Józef Szalay.

In 1934, the Polish Association of Pieniński Flisaks was established on the Dunajec River, which took up the organization of rafting. Currently, it brings together over 900 rafters, of which about 500 active. About 250 sets of boats are prepared in the season, and rafts run every day from April 1 to October 31, except for the first day of Easter and Corpus Christi.

The rafting route begins at the rafting marina in Sromowce Wyżne – Kąty or in Sromowce Niżne, and ends in Szczawnica. It lasts 2 hours 15 minutes or in Krościenko – 2 hours 45 minutes (PAP)

SZB/ DRAG/