Smreczyński Staw Lake

A forest lake among moraines

Smreczyński Staw is a small glacial lake in the upper part of the Kościeliska Valley, at the mouth of the Pyszniańska Valley, at 1,226 m. It takes its name from the former Smreczyny mountain pasture. Unlike most Tatra lakes, which lie in bare rocky cirques, Smreczyński Staw is surrounded by forest and sits in a hollow between the moraines of two ancient glaciers. It is very shallow: about 0.75 ha in area, with an average depth of 1.8 m and a maximum of 5.3 m. According to TPN the lake is slowly disappearing: organic matter collects on the bottom and peat bog is creeping over the shores.

Above the forest rise the peaks of the Western Tatras — Smreczyński Wierch (2,086 m), Kamienista (2,126 m), Błyszcz and the slopes of Starorobociański Wierch, along which runs the border with Slovakia; to the right of the lake Bystra is clearly visible. Highlanders believed the lake was bottomless: legend says that when a farmer began digging a ditch to drain it and turn it into a meadow, a voice from the depths threatened to flood everything all the way to the sea. From the 1830s the lake attracted artists — Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski, Wojciech Gerson and Leon Wyczółkowski all painted it.

What to see

• Reflections of the peaks in the still water — best in the morning on a windless day.
• Wildlife: unlike other Tatra lakes it is home to amphibians — alpine and Carpathian newts and the common frog; dragonflies fly here in summer, and migrating birds rest on the water. The shores are boggy, with bog arum, a plant rare in the Carpathians.
• Forest after the bark beetle — along the way you see dead spruces killed by the European spruce bark beetle: a natural process monitored by TPN scientists.
• The PTTK “Ornak” hut on the edge of the Mała Polanka Ornaczańska meadow — with toilets, a kitchen and a canteen, a good place for a longer rest before heading back; from here you see pyramid-shaped Błyszcz and Slovakia's Bystra.

Practical information

Getting there. The walk starts at Kiry by the Kościeliska Valley entrance (TPN car park, 30 zł, and a bus stop). Follow the wide valley track to the junction by the PTTK “Ornak” hut, then take the black trail across the moraines — about 20 minutes to the lake. According to TPN, the loop Kiry – Polana Pisana – Kraków Gorge – Ornak – Smreczyński Staw – Kiry is about 14 km: roughly 3 hours out and 2 hours back. The track to Ornak is wide and gentle, suitable for families with children; the last stretch to the lake is a forest path. Horse-drawn carriages run as far as Polana Pisana, shortening the walk.

Tickets and rules. The TPN ticket costs 11 zł (reduced 5.50 zł). The lake lies in a strict protection zone: stay on the path, do not feed the birds and do not swim. Dogs, bicycles and drones are banned in the valley; from 1 March to 30 November trails may not be used between dusk and dawn. In winter the track to Ornak is accessible, but the path to the lake may be buried in snow — check the TPN tourist bulletin.

Nearby

• Kościeliska Valley — rock gates, the Ice Spring and the Kraków Gorge.
• Mroźna Cave — on the way, about 2 km from the valley entrance.
• Chochołowska Valley — the neighbouring valley of crocuses.

Official website: tpn.gov.pl

Photos: Downar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Katarzyna Grabowska, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Meggiii11, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Mira440, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons; Mateusz Giełczyński, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Sammler, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.