Morskie Oko Lake

The largest and fourth-deepest lake in the southern Polish Tatra Mountains is called Morskie Oko, which translates to "Eye of the Sea" in English. It may be found in the Rybi Potok (the Fish Brook) Valley of the High Tatras mountain range, at the foot of the Miguszowiecki Summits, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, deep within the Tatra National Park. The lake was named one of the top five lakes in the world by The Wall Street Journal in 2014. The Polish Tatras' highest peak, Rysy (2,499 meters), is one of the peaks that encircle the lake, rising roughly 1,000 meters above the lake's surface. Around the lake, there are also a lot of Swiss pines.

Due to the abundance of fish that naturally inhabit the lake, which is unusual for Tatra lakes and ponds, Morskie Oko was formerly known as "Rybie Jezioro" (English: "Fish Lake"). The lake's trout, often known as "famine" trout, are plainly visible in the clear depths of the water. A long-ago urban legend claimed that a tunnel connected the lake to the sea, giving rise to the name "Morskie Oko" (Sea Eye, "Eye of the Sea").

One of the most well-liked tourist spots in the Tatras is Morskie Oko, which often sees more than 50,000 tourists throughout the summer. The distance from the closest motorized access road to there is around two hours on foot. Many other visitors choose to travel by horse-drawn cart, many of which are driven by the native Górale people. A portion of the route is in an avalanche danger zone in the winter, and even in the summer, the region can be chilly and damp. Visitors are not allowed to swim in the lake or feed the trout due to its rising popularity.

Your journey across the Polish mountains should start in Morskie Oko. Even if some areas are closed during the winter months due to the possibility of avalanches, they are still worth seeing before then.

Location: Tatra Mountains.