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Below the heights of the Pieniny the fast-moving Dunajec twists and turns below great limestone rockfaces and craggy peaks. The river is a magnet for canoeists , who shoot fearlessly through the often powerful rapids; for the less intrepid, the two- to three-hour raft trip provides a gentler though thoroughly enjoyable version of the experience. Tourists have been rafting down these waters since the 1830s, a tradition derived in turn from the ancient practice of floating logs downriver to the mills and ports. Contrary to what the tourist brochures lead you to believe, this is not exactly white-water rafting - the journey is smooth-going, giving you the chance to appreciate the scenic surroundings of forest, fields and sheer limestone crags - the real pluses of the experience. Run by the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Flisakow Pieninskich (Association of Pieniny Raftsmen; tel 018/262 9721, ), the trips begin at KATY , a few hundred metres east of Sromowce Wyzne; regular buses run to Katy from Szczawnica and Nowy Targ. Weather and water levels permitting, the rafting season runs from early May to late October, operating 8am to 5pm between May and August; finishing at 4pm in September and 2pm in October. In season, rafts leave as soon as they're full, and the earlier you get here the less likely it is you'll have to queue up. Rafts run to Szczawnica at the eastern end of the gorge, where a courtesy bus will bring you back to Katy if you so desire. Individual travellers should expect to pay about 40zl per person, although it's worth bearing in mind that most of the travel agents in Zakopane offer trips, which usually include a stop-off at Niedzica castle as well - excursions cost anything between 70-150zl depending on whether food is laid on. The rafts are sturdy log constructions, made of five pontoons held together with rope and carrying up to ten passengers, plus two navigators (in traditional Pieniny costume). Here, as further east, the river forms the border with Slovakia, and at several points, Slovak villages face their Polish counterparts across the banks, with their own rafters and canoeists hugging the southern side of the river. After plenty of sharp twists and spectacular cliffs, the rafts end up at Szczawnica, from where buses return to Katy until 4pm, from a stop a few minutes' walk from the landing stage
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