5 Zlotys The Vistula Spit Canal

Reverse

The building of the Nowy Świat port captaincy.
Main Harbour and entrance to the canal from the Vistula lagoon.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
KANAŁ ŻEGLUGOWY
PRZEZ MIERZEJĘ WIŚLANĄ
NBP
PP

Translation:
SHIPPING CANAL
THROUGH THE VISTULA SPIT

Designer: Paweł Pietras

Edge

Irregularly reeded with inscription: “NBP”, repeated eight times, every second one inverted by 180°, separated by stars

Script: Latin

Lettering: NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶NBP✶

Comment

A 1.2-kilometre-long canal that crosses the Vistula coastline connects the lagoon of the same name with the Baltic Sea. Thanks to the canal, Polish ships no longer have to navigate Russian waters if they want to reach the sea.

The first stage of construction of the new waterway
connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of
Gdańsk took less than three years to complete, but
the preparations for the project had begun much
earlier. The very idea of building a canal dates back
to the reign of King Stephen Bathory and after World
War II it was revisited by Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski,
the builder of the harbour and the city of Gdynia:
Two tasks of great economic importance are staring us
in the face. One is to dig a canal across the Spit locking
the Elbląg Bay, near Kahlberg, thus producing a straight
and direct exit to the Baltic and enlivening the small
fishing ports on that Bay.
Initial design work started as early as 2007, when
a feasibility study concerning the potential project
commenced. Three other locations were considered
apart from the one that was eventually accepted. However,
they were excluded due to the vicinity of nature
reserves, forest parks or developed areas. The choice
of the location also depended on the topography
of the area and the length of the future canal.
The building of the Vistula Spit Canal is the most
complicated hydrotechnical engineering project in
Poland. Absolutely unique solutions were used in the
making of the canal, such as innovative concrete blocks
for the construction of breakwaters. They had only
been used once earlier in the Netherlands. Poland was
the first place in the world where such blocks were also
deployed under the water.
Great emphasis was also laid on ensuring smooth traffic
flow. The new road system comprises two swing bridges
ensuring uninterrupted traffic even during the lockage.
The building permit design was an interdisciplinary one
comprising elements of hydrotechnical engineering,
highway engineering, bridge engineering, architecture
and installations. The Nowy Świat Harbour Master’s Office
is the centre of the facility but its most important element
is the lock with two double lock gates. An artificial island
was created in the Vistula Lagoon for depositing spoil.
Ultimately, the island will be left deserted and serve
as a refuge for birds.
The canal connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf
of Gdańsk was officially opened on 17 September 2022,
but the whole project also comprises the rebuilding of
the existing fairway on the Elbląg River, the construction
of a new swing bridge in Nowakowo and the deepening
of the fairway on the Vistula Lagoon and the Elbląg
River. The whole future waterway will be nearly
23 km long. The Maritime Office in Gdynia is
the investor financing all the stages of the project.
The reverse of the 5 złoty coin of the series
“Discover Poland” – “The Vistula Spit Canal” features
the Nowy Świat Harbour Master’s Office building
and an entry to the canal from the Vistula Lagoon.
Magdalena Kierzkowska
Maritime Office in Gdynia

Interesting fact

Price

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 5 Zlotys (The Vistula Spit Canal) 2023 coin.