Lakes

Staw Amerykan Pond in Złoty Potok

On Majora Wrzoska street, a few hundred metres from the market square of Złoty Potok in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, spreads Staw Amerykan. In summer the pond turns into a family bathing spot with a promenade, small restaurants with roofed terraces and a rope park. A path circles the water, passable even for a pushchair in dry weather.

The Pond of Bitter Tears

The history of the place goes far beyond summer recreation. The original name, Staw Gorzkich Łez (the Pond of Bitter Tears), was given by the poet Zygmunt Krasiński in 1857: it was here that he mourned his daughter Elżbietka, who died at the age of four. At the end of the 19th century the owners of the estate, the Raczyński family, changed the name to Amerykan, honouring an American senator who brought from America the first batch of rainbow trout roe. This event started the trout farm in Złoty Potok, which operates to this day.

Recreation by the water

In season you can eat ice cream, drink coffee and taste grilled trout and local roasted potatoes by the pond. You can also catch a fish and grill it yourself. A rope park, a campsite and a bike rental operate nearby. The green Trail to the Springs leads from the pond to the Parkowe reserve, while in the other direction you will reach the Raczyński Palace and the Krasiński Manor with a museum dedicated to the poet.

Practical information

Access to the pond is free and the area is available all year round, day and night. The car park on Majora Wrzoska street is free of charge. Amerykan combines well with sightseeing in Złoty Potok: in one trip you can see the pond, the Parkowe reserve and the trout farm, and the nearest attractions of the Upland, such as the castles of Bobolice and Mirów, lie a dozen or so minutes away by car.