The Brodnica Lakeland (Pojezierze Brodnickie) is a glacial landscape of pine forest, ribbon lakes and slow rivers stretching east from the town. It's much less developed than the Mazurian lakes further north and considerably quieter, with small holiday villages, kayaking on the Drwęca, and easy cycling on forest roads.
Popular launch points for canoeists are at Tomaszyn, Bachotek and Strzemiuszczek, where rental yards run multi-day trips down to where the Drwęca empties into the Vistula. The Brodnica Landscape Park covers a large part of the area and has marked walking trails through old beech and pine stands. It is one of the best stretches of low-key, undeveloped nature in northern Poland.