Klimkówka Reservoir (Lake Klimkówka)

The Klimkówka Reservoir (Zalew Klimkówka, commonly called Lake Klimkówka) is an artificial lake on the Ropa river in the Beskid Niski, near the villages of Klimkówka, Łosie and Uście Gorlickie in Gorlice County, Lesser Poland. Construction of the dam began in the 1970s and the reservoir was filled in 1994. The dam closes the valley at its narrowest point, where the Ropa cuts between Kiczera-Żdżar (610 m) and Ubocz (623 m) in the so-called Gorlice Pieniny.

The reservoir covers 306 ha, is about 6.5 km long and 300–800 m wide; it is up to 31 m deep (13 m on average) and holds 42.6 million m³. The dam is 37 m high and 210 m long. The normal water level is about 395 m above sea level, but it varies with the season. The upper end of the reservoir, where the backwater ends, reaches almost to Uście Gorlickie, and the shoreline is fairly indented, with many small bays. The lake provides flood protection and drinking water for Gorlice and Jasło, and a small 1.1 MW hydroelectric plant works at the dam.

The whole built-up area of the old village of Klimkówka and the former road from Ropa to Uście Gorlickie disappeared under the water — the new road was built high above the lake on the left bank. The north-eastern shores are steep and mostly wooded, the south-western ones low and easily reached from the road. During construction in 1976 scenes of the TV series "Znaki szczególne" were filmed here, and the freshly filled reservoir with its still wild shores played the Dnieper in Jerzy Hoffman's film "With Fire and Sword".

What to see and do

• A day by the water — on a headland about 1 km from the dam there is a holiday centre with a marina, boat and kayak hire, a bathing beach and cafés; water rescuers are on duty here.
• Peace and quiet — the lake is a quiet zone: motorboats and jet skis are banned, so the water is calm even in summer.
• The dam and the views — from the dam and from the road above the left bank you see the reservoir winding between the wooded hills of the Beskid Niski.
• Lemko churches nearby — wooden churches in Brunary and Kwiatoń are easy to combine with a trip to the lake.

How to get there

The lake lies along the road from Gorlice to Uście Gorlickie, so it is easiest to reach by car: the south-western shore is accessible straight from the road. For a walk, the Flasza – Klimkówka Zapora route leads to the dam, and the Homola – Magura Małastowska trail runs over the hills above the lake. Walks along the shore are easy and suit families with children.

Season and safety

The best time is June to September, when the beach and boat hire are open. Swim only at the supervised beach: the water level of the reservoir changes and the banks are steep in places. The reservoir and dam are managed by the Regional Water Management Board in Rzeszów (Wody Polskie). Do not walk on the ice in winter. In an emergency call 112.

Nearby

• Church of St Michael the Archangel in Brunary — a wooden Lemko church 5 km away.
• St Paraskevi's Church in Kwiatoń — one of the most beautiful wooden churches of the Beskid Niski.
• Church of the Protection of the Mother of God in Owczary — another wooden church nearby.

Photos: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Czarusek, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Kroton, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.