Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy (Black Lake)

A mausoleum for the Romantic poet Juliusz Słowacki was once planned for the small, dwarf-pine-covered island in this lake — the 1909 idea was dropped after protests by nature conservationists. Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy ("Black Pond"), lying above 1,620 m beneath the walls of Kościelec, is the largest lake in the Gąsienicowa Valley and the fifth largest by area in the whole of the Tatra Mountains. It is only about a 30-minute walk from the Murowaniec mountain hut.

Why so black

The lake is glacial and lies in a rocky cirque closed off to the north by a rock step, from which the Czarny Potok Gąsienicowy stream flows. Its name comes from the very dark, navy-blue colour of the water. This is caused by the shadow of the surrounding peaks and by cyanobacteria coating the boulders along the shore — the water itself is clear, with visibility down to 12 metres. The lake usually freezes in October or November and does not thaw until sometime between May and July.

History on the shore

Tourists have admired the lake since the early 19th century. Describing a trip in 1869, the painter and guidebook author Walery Eljasz compared it with Morskie Oko, ranking it second only because it has no trees around it. Artists including Wojciech Gerson and Leon Wyczółkowski painted it. Trout were introduced in 1881.

A shepherd's hut belonging to Maciej Sieczka, one of the first Tatra guides, once stood on the shore. In 1885 Józef Sieczka built a small two-room shelter next to it, where visitors could hire a raft to cross the lake. It burned down in 1920, leaving no trace. The island, about 310 m² in size, was proposed as Słowacki's final resting place — an idea supported by the novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz among others.

The trail from Murowaniec

From the Murowaniec PTTK hut, follow the yellow markers briefly, then turn left onto the blue trail at the first junction. The rocky path climbs gently through dwarf pine across the slope of Mały Kościelec. After about 10 minutes it crosses a wide scree field — it was here in 1909 that the composer Mieczysław Karłowicz was killed by an avalanche. The Karłowicz Stone, which marks the spot, is visible below the trail to the left.

The final stretch is a steep climb onto the moraine that encloses the cirque. At the water's edge you get a view of Kościelec (2,155 m), Kozi Wierch (2,291 m) and Granaty (2,239 m). The blue trail continues along the east shore towards the Zawrat pass (about 1 hr 50 min), and a path to the Karb pass branches off by the north shore.

Tripto tip

The lake lies in the Tatra National Park (TPN), so buy a park entry ticket and check the latest notice on conditions and trail closures before setting out. Swimming and leaving the trail are forbidden — that includes walking down to the Karłowicz Stone, which you view from the path. Dogs are only allowed on selected routes in the national park, and this is not one of them.

From Murowaniec, allow 1.5–2 hours for the round trip to the lake, including a rest. Walking up from Kuźnice to the Hala Gąsienicowa via Boczań or Jaworzynka makes it a full-day hike. There is no hut or snack bar at the lake — facilities are at Murowaniec. In spring and autumn watch out for frozen snow and icy rocks on the moraine, especially on the way down.