Waterfall in Wisła

In Wisła Czarne, on the road from the town centre towards Lake Czerniańskie, the Wisełka stream drops in a wide curtain from a stone weir into a concrete basin. The waterfall is about 8 metres high and was built in the 1950s as a piece of hydraulic engineering rather than a work of nature. Even so, the spruce trees and rocks around it make it one of the most photographed stops on the way to Barania Góra.

Where the Wisełka comes from

Stream names in Czarne can be confusing. The White and Black Wisełka meet in Lake Czerniańskie, and the water leaving the dam flows on as the Wisełka. It only becomes the Vistula further downstream, after the Malinka joins from the right. The waterfall sits on this short stretch of the Wisełka below the reservoir. Older descriptions sometimes place it on the White Wisełka, but photo records and guides point to the Wisełka.

What to see

• The cascade pouring over a curved sill into the basin – most impressive in spring, when the water is high.
• Fish passes next to the waterfall: a series of stone chambers that let fish get past the difference in level.
• The rocky streambed below, with flat slabs of stone the water runs over.

Lake Czerniańskie next door

A few minutes further up is the 1973 dam that created Lake Czerniańskie. The reservoir protects the land downstream from floods and supplies drinking water to Wisła and Ustroń, so swimming and fishing are not allowed. Sources give the dam's height as either 30 or 37 metres, with a length of about 270 metres. The lake lies within the "Wisła" nature reserve, set up partly to protect brown trout in the White and Black Wisełka.

Tripto tips

The waterfall is visible from the road and free to see. Allow 15–20 minutes for photos and a short break. It pairs well with a walk around the lake, a visit to the Presidential Castle on the western shore, or a hike up the White Wisełka valley past the Rodło Cascades to Barania Góra. The trail from the car park in Czarne to the summit is about 7.7 km and takes roughly 2.5 hours uphill.