Siklawica is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Western Tatra Mountains — a double-cascade plunging almost vertically down rocky walls beneath the northern face of Giewont. It has been drawing visitors since the very earliest days of hiking in the Tatras, and once you hear the roar of the water and feel the cool mist in the air, you will understand why.

The waterfall has two main sections, each dropping 12 metres at a near-vertical angle of 80 degrees. A little higher up, a third cascade of 9 metres completes the picture. Between the upper and lower sections there is a rocky ledge with a natural plunge pool — a hollow carved into the rock by the force of the water and the stone fragments it carries. In spring and after heavy rain Siklawica is at its most dramatic, thundering with enormous power. In summer the spot offers welcome coolness on hot days, and in autumn the surrounding forest turns golden and the little valley takes on a truly fairy-tale quality.

• Polana Strążyska meadow (Zakopane) — trail to the waterfall, approx. 15 minutes return, easy

• Two main drops of 12 m each, plus a third cascade of 9 m just above
• A classic plunge pool (evorsion basin) is visible between the upper and lower sections
• Historically, this valley was part of the shortest walking route from Zakopane to the summit of Giewont

As far back as 1849, naturalist Ludwik Zejszner described Siklawica as 'worthy of a visit in every respect' — a verdict that still holds true today.