Poland: The last raftsmen | European Journal

Five hundred raftsmen still work on the Dunajec River in southern Poland. They used to transport goods. Now they carry mainly tourists, but tourists are staying away these days.Rafts have been plying the Dunajec since the 17th century. The same families have been working the river for many generations. More and more goods are now being transported by road and rail. Tourism is the raftsmen's last hope. But visitors cannot always be relied on to show up in large numbers.