It is considered one of the most beautiful waterways in Poland and Europe. It has 43 direct tributaries and passes 19 lakes. It flows out of Lake Smołowe, in the central part of the Bytów Lakeland, a few kilometers east of Miastko, and ends its course in Bydgoszcz, where it flows into the Vistula in the Brdyuście district. Kayaking is possible on the Brda River for 233 km, starting from Lake Pietrzykowskie Duże, near Miastko, although the river is rarely used in its initial section. The extremely diverse, winding course of the waterway, extensive forests, picturesque lakes, primeval nature and numerous side trails have been attracting many water tourists to the Brda for years. The upper course of the Brda is a virgin stream flowing through a compact, sparsely populated forest complex. This section of the river, although very picturesque, is quite troublesome for kayakers. At low water levels, there may be shallows, which means that the kayak often has to be towed. In addition, numerous beavers effectively "help" in felling trees, blocking the river with them. In this area, kayak traffic is therefore much smaller, and the campsites are more spartan than in the middle and lower sections of the river. The gem is the "Przyton" reserve, through which the river stubbornly squeezes, overcoming numerous obstacles lying in the riverbed. This upper gorge section of the Brda River makes a great impression on water sports enthusiasts.

From Nowa Brda, the flow is almost without obstacles, and the riverbed gradually widens. At the northern ends of the Krajeńskie Lakeland, you have to sail through several lakes: Szczytno, Szczycienko, Krepsko and Końskie. Overcoming them is a real slog for kayakers.

In its middle section, the Brda initially flows eastwards through a series of beautiful channel lakes of the Charzykowski Plain - this is the beginning of the Tuchola Forest with the Zaborski Landscape Park and the Tuchola Forest National Park, which is part of it. The interesting course of the river, numerous lakes, diverse landscape and clean water are a magnet that attracts tourists, especially water sports enthusiasts. The Zbrzyca River, accessible for kayaks, flows into Lake Witoczno from the north, carrying water from over twenty beautiful Kashubian lakes. Below Męcikał, already in the Tuchola Forest, kayakers will encounter only one obstacle. It is the dam in Mylof, which directs part of the river's waters to the Great Brda Canal - an impressive hydrotechnical structure from the mid-19th century. This canal, which runs parallel to the Brda, in places along aqueducts, over several of its tributaries, can be an alternative kayaking route for those rafting down the Brda.

The Tuchola Landscape Park and the reserve "Dolina Rzeki Brdy" are the main attractions of the river's gorge. The dammed Brda in its lower reaches creates a picturesque, 30-kilometer-long backwater of Lake Koronowskie, the most beautiful and largest on the entire river route. This lake is characterized by an extremely diversified shoreline with numerous deep bays and is surrounded by forests on almost all sides. The Bydgoszcz section of the river is equally attractive. Bydgoszcz lies on the Brda and Vistula, the old and new Bydgoszcz Canal. There is a slalom track for whitewater kayaking, located in the city centre, in the shadow of the Gothic parish church, between the historic locks of the Mill Island. In Brdyuście - the place where the Brda flows into the Vistula - a regatta track and the last lock on the river were built. The final, navigable section of the Brda is a part of the waterway connecting the Vistula with the Noteć via the Bydgoszcz Canal. The trip can therefore be extended by continuing down the Vistula or Noteć rivers, or via the Upper Notecki Canal, Lake Gopło and the Silesian Canal - along the Warta river.

The Brda is an easy trail, accessible for beginners, a bit troublesome only in the upper reaches, although there are places, especially in the gorge section, where unruly tourists can be abused by the river and taught respect (more information on kayaking techniques, terminology, etc. in the book Kajaki od A do Z. Poradnik i porada). Of course, it is good to read (observe) the water carefully. It takes at least 10 days to complete the entire water route, but due to the possibility of turning off from the main stream, it is worth devoting even 2-3 weeks to the rafting. The Brda is one of the best developed tourist kayaking routes in Poland, and thanks to the good system of marking the river, kayakers feel safe and even without a map, they have a perfect sense of direction.