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Rafting through Dunajec Gorge

They are the mountain-man version of the gondoliers of Venice and during a wild and wet two- to three-hour rafting trip down the Dunajec river on the Polish-Slovak border, the Flisacy have plenty of time to exude their rugged charm.

Clad in a round-brimmed black felt hat decorated with small white cowry shells, a white shirt, beige slacks and a dark blue felt waistcoat cheerfully hand-embroidered with colourful flowers, Jurek sinks a two-metre long wooden pole into the swirling greenish-brown waters of the Dunajec and grins. 'I've been doing this since I was a kid and I can't get enough,' says the 56-year-old, whose leathery, weathered complexion and wiry physique are testament to a life lived in the outdoors.

He's one of 500 Fliscacy who take some 200,000 tourists each year on a winding 18 kilometre-long journey down the Dunajec river gorge cutting though the Pieniny mountains between Sromowce Wyżne and Szczawnica. Just 30 kilometres east of Poland's popular Tatra mountain range where the resort town of Zakopane is a draw for foreign tourists, the Pieniny National Park is still virtually unknown to outsiders.

The rafting trip with the Flisacy is also a true experience of the 'New Europe' as tourists can turn their heads right to admire Slovakia on the river's right back and then gaze left upon Poland. Both former communist states joined the European Union in 2004. Rapids which bob the Flisacy's wooden rafts filled with up to 12 people give way to more peaceful stretches of the river when day trippers can sit back, relax, crack open a beer if they happen to have packed one or two, and admire breathtaking mountain scenery along the winding waterway.

About half-way through the trip the majestic jutting peaks of the Three Crowns mountains come into view. Lying at their foot is the Polish village of Sromowce Niżne where an ultra-modern, 90-metre-long pedestrian bridge spans the Dunajec linking Poland and Slovakia. Local authorities originally came up with the idea of building it in 1914, but only now could they afford to do so using generous EU structural funds. Opened this August, the walkway is a hit with thousands of mostly Polish tourists eagerly crossing-over to the picturesque Slovak village of Cerveny Klastor (Red Monastery), where there actually is an ancient monastery now converted into a popular eatery. A stroll further into the village reveals it as an exquisite mountain meadow paradise.

The Flisak trade on the Dunajec river is centuries-old. Head of the Polish Association of Pieniny Flisaks, Jan Sienkiewicz, is proud of the tradition safeguarded by his organisation. Originally, Flisacy used their wooden rafts to fish the once plentiful salmon in the river or to transport goods downstream. They also shepherded log-booms down the Dunajec. The rivermen began to take tourists onboard in 1832 and registered as an association in 1934.

'This actually makes us one of the oldest NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Poland,' Sienkiewicz chimes. The organization currently has 800 registered Flisaki rafters, but with many in retirement only 500 are still working some 240 rafts. It takes training and safety seriously, with men just starting on the river having to apprentice with a master for three years before being able to take an exam to guide a raft independently.

Masters earn their credentials after six years on the river. The rafting season lasts April 1 to October 31. Rafts, although fewer, also work the river from its Slovakian shores. 'You have to be careful with them,' Sienkiewicz frowns. 'They don't have the formal training and often overload the rafts with 18 passengers.'

Flisacy bid day-trippers farewell at the Polish mountain village of Szczawnica where highlanders also run several restaurants serving local delights. A speciality is grilled Oscypek, a special sheep-milk cheese, served with cranberry sauce. An ideal way to end the day is with a pint of beer, a fresh fried trout and a sunset over the Dunajec and the mighty Pieniny.

Tagi: Dunajec, Sromowce Wżzne, Szczawnica, rafting, Zakopane, Pieniny

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