Definitive Guide to Hiking Morskie Oko and Czarny Staw in Zakopane Poland
I love the country of Poland (a very underrated European destination), and I love hiking. No doubt I was going to find a way to put those two things together and actually go hiking while traveling throughout central and southern Poland. I knew I wanted to return to Krakow, one of my favorite places I visited while studying abroad in college. Therefore, I couldn't venture too far for hiking, since my travel schedule was already so packed. The most popular place to hike near Krakow is outside of the town of Zakopane in the Tatra National Park. This gorgeous mountain range south of Krakow borders Slovakia and is home to a magnificent mountain lake known as Morskie Oko (or the Eye of the sea). Just past this first lake is the second beautiful lake of Czarny Staw, also accessible by foot. This was it...my dream Polish hiking destination. I knew I had to get there.
I did SO MUCH research before planning our hiking trip to Morskie Oko and Czarny Staw. I scoured blogs and went through years of Tripadvisor posts on the subject. Let me tell ya, I didn't find much helpful information. Most blog posts were vague, and most Trip Advisor comments were about hiking the Tatra Mountains as a whole (a well-regarded spot for experienced, multi-day hikers and mountaineers). However, I was in Europe for 10 days this trip, and although I hike every time I travel, I knew one day of hiking was really all we had time for, a situation I'm sure is common among many Zakopane visitors. Therefore, my boyfriend and I (who is now my fiancee as he proposed to me on this very hike!) printed out all the info we could find and decided to figure it out ourselves once we arrived in Zakopane.
Below is the definitive guide to how we tackled the hike to Morskie Oko and went even further to the second lake of Czarny Staw in the Tatra National Park of Poland.
First of all, lots of tour companies from Krakow will try to convince you that you can hike to Morskie Oko during a day trip and still be back in Krakow in time for dinner. This is nuts. Seriously, don’t even entertain this idea. To get the full Tatra National Park experience, you have to start your trek early not only to beat the crowds but because the walk to Morskie Oko is roughly 2 hours one-way. We are avid hikers and we were away from our hotel for almost 7 hours on this excursion. Take the time to stay the night before in Zakopane so you can get a fresh start in the morning and aren't rushed on your trip. Check out my Zakopane blog post for more info on getting to the mountain town from Krakow.
Take the Morskie Oko Bus to the Tatra National Park Entrance
To start the actual hike to Morskie Oko, you have to first get to Palenica Bialczanska which is the parking lot and entrance for Tatra National Park. I read a lot of mixed recommendations of how to do this and whether you should take the Morskie Oko bus there from Zakopane or just walk. Believe me when I say, TAKE THE BUS. We traveled for 40 minutes along roads without sidewalks while quickly gaining some serious elevation before we were anywhere near the entrance. I cannot imagine walking all that way and still having the energy to continue on with the actual hike.
We also couldn't find much information ahead of time on where exactly to catch this bus. We assumed we had to make our way to the train station where we had arrived the night before from our trip from Krakow (and a bit of a walk from our hotel). But guess what? If you're leaving in the morning, more than likely one of those buses will find you first. If a bus pulls over next to you with the driver shouting "Morskie Oko! Morskie Oko!" and the price is 10 PLN per person, hop on in. That bus will get you to where you need to go. Once you get to the Tatra Mountain hiking entrance, the fee will be another 5 PLN per person to spend the day in the park.
Start Hiking the First Portion of the Trail to Morskie Oko
A lot of people online speak negatively about the actual hiking portion to Morskie Oko. I will warn you, it's a two-hour hike on the pavement with A LOT of other people around you. No matter what time of year you go, you will be embarking on the trek with hundreds of others, which is why it really helps to arrive earlier in the day. A two-hour hike on pavement may also sound monotonous, but I loved it. Travel is always so stressful, especially when you're in Europe bouncing from country to country. It is WONDERFUL to have an excuse to take a break from the craziness and just walk in the woods, taking in the fresh mountain air. And the views of those woods are on another level. As we hiked, there was an eerie layer of fog that floated above the tree-line, making photography even more fun. As you continue, you'll pass a beautiful waterfall along the trail and will have views of lower valleys and streams as you ascend upwards. An alternate option to walking on foot is to take the horse-drawn carriages that share the path with the hikers. One way will cost you roughly 30 PLN per person and it will cut the 2 hour travel time almost in half. The carriages are driven most often by Gorals, or the local highlanders, of the area. However, I've read some mixed reviews regarding the treatment of the horses and the conditions they are forced into, so do your research ahead of time to decide if that is a route you're personally comfortable taking.
A few things to note that we learned on THE Hike to Morskie Oko, That we did not learn in our research:
There are bathrooms all along the trail. Keep watch of the signs that tell you how far away the next bathrooms are in minutes of walking. Perfect for us Americans who don't understand kilometers haha.
There's a shortcut! I never read a single thing about this online beforehand, but about halfway through your hike to Morskie Oko, you'll notice people wandering off into the trees and climbing up rock steps. This is a shortcut. If you're physically able, go for it. These steps will bypass the winding pavement road with wide turns and curves that are designed for the horses to maneuver easily.
Within the last 30 minutes of the hike is a rest stop for food and water.
Arrive at the Beautiful Lake of Morskie Oko
After our two hour trek, we arrived at Morkie Oko, one of the brightest, most beautiful lakes I've ever seen. Even though we were hiking in wet, rainy weather with overcast skies, the lake itself was still a beautiful blue color. I honestly wish every hike ended up in a view like this. The large mountain lodge near the entrance houses a hostel backdropped with the gorgeous mountains. Rooms here are hard to come by, and are quickly booked up by people who want to take their time hiking and enjoying the lake and surrounding trails. The shore near the hostel is almost always packed with people resting, sunbathing and snapping their IG photos. We took the path that loops around the entire lake (which I highly recommend) to distance ourselves from the crowds. Circling around the whole lake will take roughly 1 hour, but there will be spots where you can relax on boulders with your feet in the calm waters along the way. Definitely take your time enjoying Morskie Oko since you hiked so far to get there. In the distance and surrounding the lake, you'll see many of the mountain peaks of the Tatra Mountain range, including Mount Rysy, the highest peak in Poland. Most of the mountains were hidden by fog on our trip, but we would continuously be taken aback when the clouds would part for a few seconds, and we could actually see how high the mountains rose around us.
Continue on to the Lake of Czarny Staw
Morskie Oko is gorgeous, but you can continue on to another lake higher up the mountain, known as Czarny Staw, or the Black Pond. The hike is only 40 minutes but is a grueling path up boulders and crumbling rock steps. We were hit with rain as we made our way up, and many people were on their butts sliding down from step to step from the top. On the way up, make sure to turn around for better and better views of Morskie Oko as you climb…which will also give you an excuse to stop and catch your breath. Once you make it to the top, the glacier lake of Czarny Staw seems like it appears out of nowhere. The water was like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the mountain landscape (and more fog) around it. Everyone at the lake was stunned to see a male deer relaxing near the shore, only a few feet from the crowds. With much less people that Morskie Oko, Czarny Staw is a quieter retreat in the mountains. If you want even more of a mountaineering challenge, another 3.5 hour hike will lead you to the summit of Mount Rysy (recommended for experienced hikers only).
Tatra Mountains hiking through the Tatra National Park in order to reach both Morskie Oko and Czarny Staw was even more amazing that I ever thought it would be. Even with limited information and after reading warning after warning online about how crowded it can get, we were still able to find ways to discover quieter and less busy areas of the hike and the area around these stunning mountain lakes. Make sure to save time to both circumnavigate Morskie Oko AND tackle the trail up to Czarny Staw. Not only will you feel super accomplished, but you’ll be rewarded with amazing views no matter the weather. If you’re looking for an epic hiking experience in Poland or Europe altogether, make your way to Zakopane, hop on the Morskie Oko bus and experience hiking in the Tatra Mountains!
