Amerykan Pond in Złoty Potok

Amerykan is the largest pond in Złoty Potok and the easiest starting point for the Wiercica Valley in the Polish Jura. From the water a short walk takes you to the Krasiński manor, and within an hour you reach the springs and limestone rocks of the Parkowe nature reserve. The name itself hides two stories: a poet's tragedy and trout brought across the ocean.

History: a poet's tears and fish from California

Złoty Potok lies in the municipality of Janów, on regional road 793, in the upper Wiercica Valley. In 1851 General Wincenty Krasiński bought the estate, and from May to 20 September 1857 his son, the Romantic poet Zygmunt Krasiński, lived here with his wife and children. The stay ended with the death of his youngest daughter, four-year-old Elżbieta, who is buried in the Krasiński chapel of the local church. According to local tourist tradition, the pond was then called the "Pond of Bitter Tears"; Krasiński also named many of the surrounding rocks and the Irydion pond below the palace.

Today's name comes from the trout farm. After 1881 the estate passed to the Raczyński family, and Count Edward Aleksander Raczyński, the poet's son-in-law, founded a salmonid farm by the Zygmunt and Elżbieta springs. According to Poland's Ministry of Agriculture, the first batch of trout fry brought from California was released here in 1881 under engineer Michał Girdwoyń. The farm then had 22 ponds along the Wiercica, and by 1908 it had 46. Guidebooks link the name Amerykan to an American said to have supplied the rainbow trout eggs, though accounts differ in the details.

What to do at the pond

A flat path circles the water, and it is manageable with a wheelchair. In season there is a bathing area, food stalls selling local trout and ice cream, a rope park and bike hire, with Hotel Kmicic next door. The pond sits between the market square with the church and the Parkowe reserve, so it makes a good base for half a day.

Nearby

• Krasiński Manor from 1829, home since 2008 to the Zygmunt Krasiński Regional Museum.
• Raczyński Palace in an English-style park of almost 40 hectares, now neglected.
• The trout farm with its historic Trout House, where you can eat fried trout (cash only).
• Parkowe reserve with the Zygmunt and Elżbieta springs, Twardowski Gate and the Devil's Bridges.
• The red Eagles' Nests Trail runs through the village.

Tripto tip

A loop around the pond takes about half an hour; with the Wiercica Valley, plan a few hours. Paths in the reserve are gravel and rocky with roots, so a pushchair with inflatable wheels will cope, small wheels less so. The lakeside is open to everyone; we could not confirm a lifeguarded beach, so check the signs before swimming. Autumn is the best season, when the colourful trees reflect in the water.