Łomnica Dam in Karpacz

The Łomnica tumbles down from Śnieżka so steeply that in its upper course it drops an average of 72 metres for every kilometre – and in heavy rain it turns into a destructive torrent full of boulders and trees. The granite dam in Karpacz, built in 1910–1915, has been holding back that water and the debris it carries for more than a century. A semicircular wall with five spillways, cascades and a calm little lake behind it make for one of the most pleasant short walks in town.

History: an answer to the floods

The Łomnica rises on the Równia pod Śnieżką plateau at 1,407 m above sea level, and its lower course is seven times less steep than its upper course. As early as the Middle Ages, Walloon prospectors roamed its valley in search of gold and precious stones. In the 19th century the river repeatedly devastated the area: after a cloudburst in 1816 the damage in the Jelenia Góra Valley was estimated at 109,496 thalers, and 28 years later an avalanche slid into the Wielki Staw lake, pushing out water and sending down a wave of ice floes, trees and boulders.

The turning point was the tragic flood of 1897, which destroyed houses, roads, farms and the railway line. The Prussian authorities then launched a major flood-protection programme: the riverbed was regulated and debris dams were built to hold back water together with rocks. The system proved its worth during the "flood of the millennium" in 1997.

What to see

• The crest of the dam, about 105 m long and built of granite blocks – the red hiking trail runs across it.
• Five spillways – surplus water pours down in cascades, most impressive after rain and during the spring thaw.
• The reservoir, with a nominal capacity of 540,000 m³, which collects not only rainwater but also rock debris.

Further up the Łomnica, by the lower station of the lift to Kopa, stands a second dam from the same programme, now known as the Wild Waterfall (Dziki Wodospad). Both dams were built at the same time and together proved their worth in the 1997 flood.

Tripto tip

The dam is an open-air site with no tickets – just follow the red trail. Allow 15–30 minutes to cross the crest and take a short break, and if you want to see both dams, add a walk upstream to the Wild Waterfall. The best time to visit is the day after a downpour or during the spring thaw, when the spillways are in full flow. Do not climb down into the riverbed below the spillways: the level of a mountain river can rise very quickly, and wet granite is slippery. Leave your car in one of Karpacz's municipal car parks.