Crossing the Bug river

After our visit to Grabarka Holy Mountain we headed south. In front of us was the Bug river. There is a bridge, but there is also another way: a small river ferry. Guess which way we chose?

Of course, the one with the ferry. The last time we had the chance to cross a river this way was in Sieraków, where we crossed the Warta river. This time, on the Bug river, we could choose one of two ferries. The first one goes from Mielnik to Zabuże, the second one is more to the east and is between Niemirów and Gnojno. The second one was out of service, so we used the first one.

In the hot summer the water level in the river was very low. Fortunately there was enough water to carry the ferry with our car.

Before heading to the ferry we found a small sign with information about a viewpoint located on a tower nearby. We drove there to see everything from the top. The view was beautiful. Even though we were near the river, it was not visible from there due to the trees.

Our short break on the viewing tower ended and we drove further to Mielnik village.

Fun fact: Mielnik has an important place in Polish history. On 23 October 1501, King Alexander Jagiellon approved here the Union of Mielnik, which was meant to join Poland and Lithuania into one state. The Lithuanians did not accept it, so the union never came into force. Today Mielnik is also known for its open-pit chalk mine.

There we drove along Mostowa street and finally arrived at the river shore. “Ulica Mostowa” in Polish means “Bridge Street”. It was funny because there was no bridge, only a ferry.

We were lucky and without any waiting we were able to cross the river.

It was a small surprise for the kids. When we approached the ferry I asked how we could get to the other side of the river if there was no bridge. Kids were delighted that our car could sail across the river on a boat.

It is important to know that this ferry is free of charge. The ferry operates between spring and autumn, operating between 8am - 12pm, and 2.30pm - 6pm.

This ferry has no engine. It is powered by human strength. The operator uses a lever sliding along a steel cable to transport it to the other side of the river.

Good to know: according to news from April 2026, the Mielnik - Zabuże ferry still runs in season, but the crossing is no longer free. The Niemirów - Gnojno ferry is still out of service.