Nestled at 1732 m above sea level in the upper reaches of Jamnica Valley in the Slovak Western Tatras, Niżni Jamnicki Staw is one of those emerald mountain lakes that stops you in your tracks. Cradled in a glacial cirque beneath the slopes of Wołowiec and Łopata, it offers a sense of true alpine solitude that feels genuinely rewarding after the hike up.

The lake covers just over 1 hectare and reaches a maximum depth of 8.1 m, with two distinct basins on its floor. It is fed by a small stream flowing down from the upper Wyżni Jamnicki Staw lake and drains into the Jamnicki stream below. The surroundings are grassy and rocky, and the lake is separated from the lower valley by the ridge of Stawiański Wierch. Juniper and dwarf pine are gradually reclaiming the hillsides around the lake — centuries ago, shepherds from the village of Kokawa grazed their flocks here, and the lush vegetation below the lake still bears the name 'Kokawa Gardens'. In summer the water glows a deep green; in early season snow still clings to the slopes above.

• Autocamping 'Raczkowa' — trail via Niżnia Łąka junction and Jamnica Valley; approx. 2 h 30 min to the valley junction (descent approx. 2 h); moderate difficulty
• From the valley junction onward to Jamnicka Pass: approx. 1 h 45 min (descent approx. 1 h 20 min); the trail continues to the summit of Wołowiec in a further 20 min

The lake sits right along the popular route to Wołowiec, making it a natural resting spot — and a very scenic one at that.

Back in 1862, the Polish botanist Kazimierz Łapczyński described this valley as holding 'two emerald lakes forever gazing toward distant Rohacz' — a poetic observation that still rings true today.