Żywiec Lake

Lake Zywiec is a reservoir on the Sola river covering 10 km2, created in 1966 by the construction of a dam at Tresna. It stretches up to 6.6 km in length, reaches a depth of 26.8 m, and its shoreline measures 33.7 km. The reservoir lies at the gateway to the Beskids, on the border of the Zywiec Basin and the Little Beskids.

The dam and the flooded villages

Sailing water and sport

The lake attracts sailors and anglers from southern Poland, and in August it hosts the regattas commemorating Adam Banaszek. Passenger cruises and rentals of water equipment, including SUP boards, operate on the water, and a cycling path runs along part of the shoreline.

The reservoir and the Soła valley

The lake was created as part of water management in the Soła valley and now combines flood protection, energy production and recreation. High shores and changing water levels mean the landscape can look different from one season to another. For more context, combine time by the water with sightseeing in Żywiec and nearby towns.## Practical tips

On the shore lies Zywiec with its Habsburg castle and old town, and the horizon is closed by the Little and Żywiec Beskids. For a few hours of recreation, combine a cruise or a hired boat with a walk around the town; in the 2015 drought the water level dropped by about 2 m, so the view of the reservoir can vary.