This article deals with Polish river ships. Rivers were the main export routes for Polish agricultural and forest products from the 15th century on. The river routes led to a series of ports on the Baltic. The period from the 16th to 18th century was the era of splaw shipping, which was centered on the Vistula. Descriptions are provided of how goods were moved to ports on the rivers, port facilities, organization of voyages, and volume of shipping. The river boats evolved out of earlier rafts and dugouts used in the Polish culture area. The bulk of the article concerns the form and function of various craft used on Polish rivers throughout history. The partitioning of Poland in the late 18th century eventually led to a decline in Polish boatbuilding and shipping.