Lake Bystrzyckie

Beneath the waters of Lake Bystrzyckie lies the former village of Śląska Dolina (Schlesiertal), first recorded in 1548, and when the reservoir was drained in 2016 for repairs to the dam, its remains reappeared on the bottom. The lake is held back by a stone dam 44 m high, Grodno Castle looms above the narrow Bystrzyca valley, and a modern stress-ribbon footbridge from 2019, one of only a handful of such structures worldwide, crosses the water.

History: a dam against floods

The reservoir, also known as Lake Lubachowskie, was created in the early 20th century to protect nearby villages from flooding. According to Walim municipality the dam was built in 1911–1914 (other sources give 1912–1917). It is made of gneiss blocks and measures 44 m in height, about 230 m in length and 29 m thick at the base, with 10 spillways in the crest and 4 outlets below. A small hydroelectric plant operates at its foot.

The lake is about 3 km long, on average about 300 m wide, and holds around 8 million m³ of water. It fills the winding gorge of the Bystrzyca river in the Owl Mountains, between Zagórze Śląskie, Lubachów and Michałkowa. It was opened for swimming in 2015, and a year later the water was let out for the dam repairs.

What to see

• The stone dam, a listed piece of engineering heritage, with views over the lake and the valley below.
• The stress-ribbon footbridge of 2019: about 126.5 m long, with spans of 80 and 22 m and widenings for viewing platforms.
• Grodno Castle on Mount Choina, whose tower looks out over the whole lake.
• Viewing platforms and a nature trail leading from the water up to the castle.
• The "Akwarium" visitor centre, the starting point for routes around the lake.

Interesting facts

The first suspension footbridge, 113 m long, was built in 1968 by the Wałbrzych glassworks to shorten the way for local residents, but it quickly became an attraction in its own right. It was closed in 2010 because of its poor condition and dismantled in 2018. The new crossing, opened on 13 August 2019, is the third stress-ribbon bridge in Poland: its concrete deck rests on four cables of prestressing steel that also compress it like tendons. The abutments are secured with 76 anchors and micropiles totalling about 1.3 km.

Tripto tip

The best place to start is near the dam in Zagórze Śląskie. A loop of dam, footbridge and Grodno Castle makes a pleasant 2–3-hour walk with some climbs; a full circuit of the lake takes considerably longer. In season there are bathing spots, pedal boats, kayaks and sailing dinghies for hire, and boats cruise the lake, but availability depends on the weather and the current offer. On weekends and in summer holidays the car parks fill up quickly, so arrive early. Nearby are the underground tunnels of the Second World War Riese complex, easy to combine with a trip to the lake.