The location
The Valley of the Five Polish Lakes is one of the most valuable areas of the Tatra National Park. It is an offshoot of the largest and most beautiful valley in the Tatras –the Białka Valley. The original landscape is created by many post-glacial formations, such as the lakes, to which the valley owes its name.
The largest of them - the Great Lake (Wielki Staw) is the longest and deepest lake in the whole of Tatras. It gives rise to the Roztoka Stream, which turns into the Great Siklawa (Wielka Siklawa) Waterfall, as it flows off the threshold of Stawiarska Wall (Stawiarska Ściana). The valley has a semi-circular shape with an area of 7.3 km2. Towering over it are monumental, granite peaks and in keeping with the alpine landscape, it is surrounded by extensive pastures, vast pine tracts, scree fields and glittering surfaces of the lakes.
The location of the Five Lakes Mountain Hostel makes it a perfect "hub" of the High Tatras and an ideal base for the most extreme trails, such as the Orla Perć (Eagle’s Path).
Camera View
How to reach us:
A great many trails lead to the Valley of the Five Lakes. The least demanding green one sets out from Mickiewicz’s Wateralls (Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza). This mountain trail running down the Roztoka Valley (Dolina Roztoki) is the most popular route to our Hostel, as it is well-accessible all throughout the year. The starting point of the scenic route is at Palenica Glade (Polana Palenica), where you can get, for example, from Zakopane. You may use your own transportation (parking cost: 30 zł/24hrs) or arrive by bus (see: bus timetable). Next stretch of the trip takes you walking along an asphalt-paved road for about half an hour until you reach the Mickiewicz’s Wateralls, from where the green trails leads up the Roztoka Valley and into the Valley of the Five Lakes.
Trails leading out of the Valley:
To the shelter in Roztoka passing by Mickiewicz’s Wateralls (Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza). In the upper part of the Roztoka Valley (Dolina Roztoki), this trail will lead you past the Siklawa Waterfall.
To Morskie Oko Lake (Marine Eye) through Świstówka. The trail is accessible in the summer: from the end of May until the end of November.
To Morskie Oko Lake (Marine Eye) through the Szpiglasowa Saddle (Szpiglasowa Przełęcz).
To Hala Gąsienicowa (Gąsienica Pastures) through Zawrat.
To Hala Gąsienicowa (Gąsienica Pastures) through the Goat Saddle (Kozia Przełęcz).
To Hala Gąsienicowa (Gąsienica Pastures) through the Krzyżne Saddle (Przełęcz Krzyżne).
To Kozi Wierch (Goat Peak).
To the Orla Perć Trail (Eagle’s Path) through the Przełęcz Krzyżne (Krzyżne Saddle),
Kozi Wierch (Goat Peak), the Kozia Przełęcz (Goat Saddle) or Zawrat.
Through Przełęcz Zawrat (Zawrat Saddle) to Świnica and further on to Kasprowy Wierch (Kasprowy Peak).
It is good to know that:
Our Mountain Hostel, homed by the Valley of the Five Polish Lakes, is the only shelter located at such a high altitude on the side of Polish Tatras and in the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains (Karpaty - 1670 m. a.s.l.).
Siklawa Waterfall - Just ten minutes’s walk from the Hostel, the waters from across the entire valley gather in the Great Lake (Wielki Staw) to flow off the threshold of Stawiarska Wall (Stawiarska Ściana), thus forming the largest waterfall in the whole of Tatras – the Siklawa (approx. 70 metres high).
The Great (Polish) Lake (Wielki Staw Polski) is the longest (about 1 km) and the deepest (about 80m) Tatra lake, as well as the second deepest lake in Poland.
The Lakes – The Valley of the Five Lakes (Dolina Pięciu Stawów) has the largest surface area of lakes in the Tatra Mountains.
Kozi Wierch -(Goat Peak) which forms the northern "wall" of the valley is the highest peak (2291 m. a.s.l.) in Poland not shared with any of the neighbouring countries.
The Five Lakes Mountain Hostel is the only such hostel in the whole of Tatras, which can not be reached by car. Regardless of the weather conditions, the Hostel is open all year round.
