Martwa Wisła in the context of Ostrów Island

The Vistula (/ˈvɪstjʊlə/; Polish: Wisła [ˈviswa] ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at 1,047 kilometres (651 miles) in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers 193,960 km (74,890 sq mi), of which 168,868 km (65,200 sq mi) is in Poland.

The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in the south of Poland, 1,220 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level in the Silesian Beskids (western part of Carpathian Mountains), where it begins with the White Little Vistula (Biała Wisełka) and the Black Little Vistula (Czarna Wisełka). It flows through Poland's largest cities, including Kraków, Sandomierz, Warsaw, Płock, Włocławek, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Świecie, Grudziądz, Tczew and Gdańsk. It empties into the Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany) or directly into the Gdańsk Bay of the Baltic Sea with a delta of six main branches (Leniwka, Przekop, Śmiała Wisła, Martwa Wisła, Nogat and Szkarpawa).

The Gdańsk Shipyard (Polish: Stocznia Gdańska, formerly Lenin Shipyard) is a large Polish shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk, northern Poland. The yard gained international fame when Polish trade union Solidarity (Solidarność) was founded there in September 1980. It is situated on the western side of Martwa Wisła and on Ostrów Island.

The Leniwka (Polish pronunciation: [lɛˈɲifka], German : Mühlengraben) is the former name of the western branch of the Vistula (now Vistula) in northern Poland. It is 55.4 kilometres (34.4 mi) long, and flows into Gdańsk Bay, forming the borders of Sobieszewo Island. The Leniwka begins behind the lock in Biała Góra, where the Nogat, the eastern branch, also originates. The current Martwa Wisła is part of the Leniwka.

The Motława (German: Mottlau; Kashubian: Mòtława) is a river in Eastern Pomerania in Poland. Its source is in Szpęgawskie Lake, northeast from the town of Starogard Gdański. The Motlawa goes through Rokickie Lake to Martwa Wisła, a branch of the Vistula. The total length of the river is estimated at 68 km, and its drainage basin is 1511.3 km.

The city of Gdańsk is situated at its mouth in the Martwa Wisła. In Gdańsk, the Motława ferry crosses the river, a service that has run since the year 1687.

The Port of Gdańsk is a Polish seaport located on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay in the city of Gdańsk, extending along the Vistula estuary Martwa Wisła, Port Channel and Kashubia Canal. It is one of the largest seaports on the Baltic Sea.

The Port of Gdańsk is divided into two parts, the Inner and Exterior Port.