Zadni Staw Polski is one of the highest alpine lakes in Poland, a beautiful oval tarn nestled in the upper reaches of the Valley of Five Polish Lakes in the Tatra Mountains. Sitting at 1890 m above sea level, it is the second highest lake in Poland — and one of the most rewarding destinations for hikers willing to go just a little further than the crowds.

The lake fills the floor of a glacial cirque, enclosed on all sides by impressive peaks: Zawratowa Turnia, Świnica, Walentkowy Wierch and Liptowskie Mury. Its surface covers just 6.47 ha, and the water reaches a depth of 31.6 m — crystal clear and ice-cold year round. In summer, the lake mirrors the blue sky and surrounding ridges in near-perfect stillness. Autumn brings warm golden hues of dwarf pine and mountain grasses. In winter and early spring the lake is locked under extraordinary ice — in 1938 its thickness was measured at an astonishing 3.75 m. The atmosphere here is wild and meditative, with silence broken only by wind and the occasional trickle of a stream disappearing under the boulders toward the neighbouring lake of Wole Oko.

• Palenica Białczańska (car park) → Valley of Five Polish Lakes → Dolinką pod Kołem to Zadni Staw — blue/green trail, approx. 3–3.5 hrs, moderate
• Valley of Five Polish Lakes mountain hut → Dolinką pod Kołem — approx. 30–40 min from the hut, easy

• The area is within Tatra National Park — stay on marked trails, no camping permitted.
• TPN entry fee applies.
• Trail fully accessible in summer and early autumn only; off-season visits require proper experience and equipment.

Fun fact: the ice on Zadni Staw Polski reached a record-breaking 3.75 m in thickness back in 1938 — making it the thickest recorded ice cover on any Polish mountain lake.