Park Gródek in Jaworzno

Gródek Park in Jaworzno (pronounced roughly "GROO-dek" and "yah-VOZH-noh"), nicknamed the "Polish Maldives," is a flooded former dolomite quarry turned public park, with turquoise lakes, a winding wooden boardwalk and gazebos standing in the water. It covers about 58.5 hectares of rock walls, woods and meadows on the edge of the Upper Silesian conurbation, and it has become one of the most photographed places in southern Poland. Entry is free, and it makes an easy half-day trip from Kraków or Katowice.

Where it is and how to get there

Jaworzno lies on the A4 motorway between Katowice (about 25 km) and Kraków (about 50 km); Kraków and Katowice airports are both within roughly an hour's drive. The park is in the Pieczyska district, off Jana III Sobieskiego Street. Free parking lots are located by the roundabout on that street and near the municipal cemetery; from the roundabout lot it is about a 1 km, 15-minute walk to the boardwalk. By public transport, take a local PKM Jaworzno bus to the "Pieczyska Centrum Nurkowe" stop.

From cement quarry to Instagram favorite

Dolomite was quarried here from around 1880 until 1990 for the former Szczakowa cement works. Once mining stopped and the pumps were switched off, groundwater filled the deepest parts of the pit. The site was neglected for years before the city turned it into a municipal park in 2012; it has been called the Gródek Park Arboretum since 2019. Social media did the rest, earning it the nicknames "Polish Maldives" and "Silesian Croatia."

What to see

• Wydra (Otter) lake, the park's signature view: a snaking wooden walkway with gazebos over shallow, turquoise water.
• Gródek lake, also called Orka or "Koparki" (Excavators) — the largest and deepest, at about 18 m. Sunken excavators lie on the bottom, and a dive center operates on its shore; this lake is reserved for divers.
• Quarry walls 30–40 m high, with viewpoints along the rim.
• Nature trails through dry grasslands, meadows, wetlands, pine forest and oak-hornbeam woods.

Rules and safety

Swimming is not allowed in any of the lakes; the quarry has steep, dangerous edges. Diving is only possible through the dive base. The nature trail includes steep wooden steps and piers without railings, so keep children close and stay on marked paths. Keep dogs on a leash, and don't walk onto frozen walkways in winter.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

• Admission: free; the park is not closed at night (no official opening hours are published online).
• Time needed: 30 minutes for the boardwalk view, about 1.5–2 hours for the full trail.
• Strollers: the path from the parking lot is paved through the forest and compacted earth in the quarry — fine for strollers with inflatable wheels.
• Facilities: food stands near the roundabout parking; there is no visitor center at the lakes.
• Crowds: sunny weekends are very busy; come on a weekday or early in the morning.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially in late spring and early fall, when the water color is at its best and the light is soft. It is a natural add-on to a Kraków–Katowice trip. Nearby you can also visit Jaworzno's GEOsfera center, a second reclaimed quarry with dinosaur figures, or the mock-Gothic Młoszowa Palace about 15 km away.