Zadni Staw Gąsienicowy is the highest-lying lake in the entire Gąsienica Valley, tucked beneath the western face of Kościelec peak at 1852 m above sea level. Small but strikingly wild, it is one of those Tatra gems that leaves a lasting impression precisely because it feels so remote and untamed.

The lake covers just 0.53 hectares and reaches a depth of 8 metres, yet its setting more than makes up for its modest size. For most of the year it lies frozen solid — the ice melts only between June and August, and the lake freezes again as early as September or October. In summer, its waters cascade down a steep rocky wall into the neighbouring Długi Staw Gąsienicowy. The surrounding landscape is raw and treeless, dominated by bare rock and the imposing west wall of Kościelec — a scene that feels truly alpine.

• The best view of Zadni Staw Gąsienicowy is from the black trail leading to Świnicka Pass — you can admire the lake from above, without descending to its shore.
• An equally impressive panorama opens up from the summit of Kościelec, reached via the yellow trail from Hala Gąsienicowa.

• Zadni Staw Gąsienicowy is closed to visitors — access to the lakeshore is strictly prohibited.
• The ice-free season lasts only from June to August; outside this window the lake remains frozen.
• The shores are home to Lachenalia sedge — a species rare throughout the Carpathians and protected by law.

That rare Lachenalia sedge is what gives this lake its special ecological significance — its population here is one of very few in the Polish Tatras.