The Zielona Gąsienicowa Valley is a true paradise for lovers of mountain tarns - home to as many as 19 of the 21 lakes found in the entire Gąsienicowa Valley. This is a place where the landscape shifts with every step, from the vast, almost flat expanse of Roztoka Stawiańska to wild glacial cirques beneath the main Tatra ridge.

This south-western part of the Gąsienicowa Valley stretches all the way to the peaks of the main Tatra ridge and the eastern ridge of Świnica, from Kasprowy Wierch to Zawratowa Turnia. The scenery here is remarkably varied - gentle meadows and rocky rubble fields sit alongside water mirrors reflecting the surrounding peaks. The largest tarns, such as Zielony Staw Gąsienicowy and Długi Staw Gąsienicowy, tempt with turquoise water in summer, while autumn bathes the surroundings in golden hues of dwarf mountain pine. In winter the valley turns into a realm of silence and snow, though proper preparation is essential at that time of year.

How to get there

• 'Murowaniec' shelter - yellow trail via Roztoka Stawiańska and Gienkowe Mury to Kasprowy Wierch, hiking time 1:25 h (descent 1:05 h), moderately difficult route
• From Roztoka Stawiańska to Świnicka Przełęcz - hiking time from Murowaniec 1:55 h (descent 1:30 h), demanding route
• From Gienkowe Mury to Liliowe Pass - hiking time from Murowaniec 1:30 h (descent 1:10 h)

Practical information

• The number of tarns varies between 19 and 22 - some are small, seasonal ponds that dry up completely during a dry summer
• Right next to the yellow trail from 'Murowaniec' shelter to Kasprowy Wierch, about 300 m from the shelter, lies an additional pool called Mokra Jama, not included in classic Tatra guidebooks

Interestingly, even seasoned Tatra experts like Witold Henryk Paryski struggled to give a definitive count of all the tarns in this valley - the place still keeps some of its secrets.