Granacki Staw is one of the High Tatras' best-kept secrets — a small mountain tarn sitting at 2034 m above sea level in the upper reaches of Sławkowska Valley, well away from any marked trail. If you're looking for raw, untouched alpine scenery, this is as genuine as it gets.
The lake itself is modest in size — roughly 90 × 57 m and just 0.327 ha in area — but its setting is spectacular. Staroleśny Peak rises to the northwest, the Granaty Wielickie ridgeline closes the valley to the west, and the rocky towers of Warzęchowe Turnie stand guard to the northeast. Just a short distance to the west lies a second, even smaller pool called Granackie Oko. In summer the still water mirrors the bare rock faces above; in early autumn the surrounding slopes glow with muted golden hues before winter snow blankets the area for many months.
How to get thereWhile its Polish name references the nearby Granaty Wielickie peaks, the Slovak, German and Hungarian names — Szontaghovo pleso, Szontaghsee and Szontagh-tó — all honour Miklós Szontagh, a notable figure in early Tatra tourism history.