Siwe Stawki — meaning 'Grey Tarns' — are two small but captivating mountain lakes nestled in a glacial cirque on the eastern slopes of Ornak in the Western Tatras. What makes them special is their surprisingly warm water, a rarity at nearly 1,720 metres above sea level.

The two tarns sit in the Siwa Kotlinka hollow, a remnant of an ancient glacial bowl. The upper tarn (south-western) lies at 1,718 m, covers just 0.037 ha and reaches a depth of 1 m, while the lower tarn (north-eastern) sits at 1,716 m, spans 0.046 ha and is 1.8 m deep. A tiny stream about 30 m long connects them. Because they have no inflows or outflows and lie on a sunny, open slope, the water warms up more than in other Tatra lakes. Their water level fluctuates noticeably with rainfall — after a wet spell they look completely different than during a dry period. The surrounding terrain retains the feel of a traditional mountain pasture, though encroaching dwarf pine thickets suggest the tarns may one day be hidden from view entirely.

• Siwe Stawki lie within a strictly protected zone of the Pyszniańska Valley — no marked hiking trail leads directly to them. They are clearly visible from nearby trails crossing Siwa Przełęcz (Siwa Pass), Siwe Turnie and Liliowe Turnie ridges.

• The entire Pyszniańska Valley is a strict nature reserve — leaving marked trails is prohibited.
• The best views of the tarns are from trails passing through Siwa Przełęcz and Siwe Turnie above.
• Water levels vary greatly — the tarns look most impressive after wet spring or summer periods.

The tarns were first surveyed by Jerzy Młodziejowski in 1932 and re-measured by the Military Geodetic Institute in 1934 — making them among the most precisely documented micro-features in the entire Tatras.