Morskie Oko
Eye of the Sea
Morskie-Oko, or Eye of the Sea in English. It is the largest and fourth-deepest lake in the Tatra Mountain. You can reach with hiking. The peaks that surround the lake rise about 1,000 meters above its surface. In the clear depths of the water, one can easily notice trout. The name “Morskie Oko” is derived from an old legend. The lake was connected to the sea via an underground passage.
You can reach
You can reach it from Zakopane around 30 minutes by car or minibus (rom Jagiellońska 2/7 in the centre of Zakopane). Palenica Bialczanska, the starting point of the hike. After passing the ticket office of Tatra National Park, it’s easy to find the way to Morskie-Oko. You simply have to follow the paved road for approximately 2,5 hours (16 km/10 mi). Many other tourists opt to take the journey by horse-drawn cart. In winter, a short section of the journey is in an avalanche danger zone. Visitors have been forbidden from swimming in the lake or feeding the trout.
About History
The earliest documents in which Morskie-Oko is mentioned date back to 1575. In 1824, during Partitions of Poland Morskie Oko became private property. The Court of Conciliation in Graz ruled in favour of the Polish side. Morskie Oko is one of the most popular destinations in the Tatras.
Morskie Oko Mountain Hut
There is a hostel right next to the lake. It’s almost always fully booked, only reachable via phone.
Morskie Oko Mountain Hut of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK), situated at 1410 m a.s.l., comprises two buildings: the New Hut and the Old Hut.
Nowadays it is a modern tourist facility, comfortable in summer, warm in winter, with amazing views from its room windows.
Easy hikes:
Morskie Oko – Czarny Staw (Black Lake). Red markers Around 2-3 h there and back. A nice and informative hike. 185 m above Morskie Oko Lake, a quite steep climb, a comfortable stone path. A walk back can be combined with going around Morskie Oko Lake. This is virtually a must-see of a trip to Morskie Oko.
Photos:maksym-harbar, silviannnm, michael-kucharski, yevheniia, roberto-huczek, mikita-karasiou, laura-soares, konrad-baczyk
