Litworowy Staw is a hidden gem tucked away in the upper reaches of Litwor Valley in the High Tatras. Sitting at 1,863 metres above sea level beneath the imposing north-western face of Velický Peak, this glacial cirque lake offers a wild, unhurried atmosphere that rewards those who seek it out.
The lake rests in a classic glacially carved bowl, hemmed in by steep granite walls that give the place a raw, almost primeval character. At 19.1 metres deep, its waters shift in colour with the light — from deep steel-grey on overcast days to vivid blue under a clear sky. Spring brings snowmelt and rushing streams, summer offers the best walking conditions, autumn paints the mountain pine gold and amber, and winter silences the valley completely under a thick blanket of snow and ice.
How to get thereThe valley and lake take their name from the local dialect word 'litvor', referring to Garden Angelica (Archangelica officinalis) — a plant once believed to have miraculous healing powers. Sadly, overharvesting by herb collectors and grazing by sheep herds wiped out most of the plant's presence here, leaving only the name as a memory.