The Prądnik (also called Białucha in its lower course) is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, running through the

Kraków-Częstochowa Upland The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland or Polish Jura ( pl, Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska), is part of the Jurassic System of south–central Poland, stretching between the cities of Kraków, Częstochowa an ...

in Poland's

Lesser Poland voivodeship Lesser Poland Voivodeship or Lesser Poland Province (in pl, województwo małopolskie ), also known as Małopolska, is a voivodeship (province), in southern Poland. It has an area of , and a population of 3,404,863 (2019). It was created on 1 ...

. The river is a left tributary of the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...

. The source of the river lies in the village of Sułoszowa in the Olkusz Uplands. It flows in a deep

gully A gully is a landform created by running water, mass movement, or commonly a combination of both eroding sharply into soil or other relatively erodible material, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces. Gullies resemble lar ...

through the

Ojców National Park Ojców National Park ( pl, Ojcowski Park Narodowy) is a national park in Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, established in 1956. It takes its name from the village of Ojców, where it also has its headquarters. Chopin ...

. The lower run in Kraków was designated an

ecological reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

in December 2008. Until 1655, when the Vistula changed its course in the vicinity of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, the Prądnik joined the Vistula's old riverbed near what is now Blich Street. However, in modern times the lower run of the river is regulated and empties into the Vistula in the Kraków's borough of Dąbie. Apart from the official names, the river is variously known as Prątnik, Promnik, Sałaszówka or Sułoszówka. Prądnik passes through several towns and villages, giving names to some of them. The list includes Sułoszowa,

Pieskowa Skała Pieskowa Skała (; Polish for ''Little Dog's Rock'') is a limestone cliff in the valley of river Prądnik, Poland, best known for its Renaissance castle. It is located within the boundaries of the Ojców National Park, 27 km north of Krak� ...

Ojców Ojców is a village in Gmina Skała, in Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is one of the sights of the Eagle Nests Trail (''Szlak Orlich Gniazd''), as there are the ruins of a gothic castle near the village. Th ...

, Prądnik Korzkiewski, Giebułtów, Januszowice, Pękowice and Zielonki, as well as Kraków's boroughs of

Prądnik Biały Prądnik Biały is one of 18 districts of Kraków, located in the northwest part of the city. The name ''Prądnik Biały'' comes from a village of same name that is now a part of the district. According to the Central Statistical Office data, ...

Prądnik Czerwony Prądnik Czerwony is one of 18 districts of Kraków; known as Dzielnica III (District 3), located in the northern part of the city. The name ''Prądnik Czerwony'' comes from a village of same name (first mentioned in 1105) that is now a part of t ...

, Stare Miasto and Grzegórzki. The stream Sąspówka is a right tributary.

See also