The author disagrees with views of cascade designers, and states that this project has no justification. He puts forward a question whether the Vistula should be controlled at all and why, what should we understand as the development of civilization, and what romanticism and realism mean in regard to nature. Realism is based on preserving things which are rare, unique, of increasing value, and those which are being irreversibly destroyed elsewhere. This includes preservation of natural river courses in valleys, together with their habitats and biological diversity. Designing projects aimed at complete reshaping of river courses, their draining and damming is a romantic fantasy being also costly and having no future.