Journey to Zakopane and Morskie Oko, Poland

Hello everyone. We started our tour from the bus terminal in Bratislava. By the way this is the largest underground bus terminal in Europe. Our destination was the city of Zakopane in Poland. Our plan was to visit Morskie Oko and cross the border at Štrbské Pleso.

We were delayed by about an hour on the road. As we approached Zakopane there was constant traffic and we made many stops, but we eventually arrived. We had rented an apartment through Booking.com. It had a living room and upstairs, there were entrances to two bedrooms. There was also a balcony, but the view wasn't great, as it overlooked the backyards. Nevertheless it was quite cool. The kitchen was fully equipped with a stove and refrigerator.

We went outside and it was crowded. I think Bratislava has fewer people than here. We had a meal at a restaurant called Bar Gorski. After that we went for a walk. We crossed a fast-flowing river and right next to it was the main walking path. There were many people, various amusements, trading stalls, street artists and musicians.

We saw a tall and beautiful stone Catholic church right next to the main street. This religious site called the Sanctuary of the Holy Family (Sanktuarium Najświętszej Rodziny) serves as a place of worship and pilgrimage. You can find everything in the souvenir shops in the market. It seems that handmade bags are popular here. The material is sturdy and ordinary, but the designs and pictures are quite interesting.

We arrived at a children's playground, where there was a sign for cyclists and pedestrians. We started walking in the park, where there was a large wooden sign with the name Zakopane on it. There was a nice grassy area on the ground. Zakopane is a resort town located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland. It is a popular destination for winter sports, mountaineering and hiking. It is often referred to as the winter capital of Poland. The town is known for its wooden structures dating back to the early 20th century, which have become symbols of the town. The population of the town is around 27000, but it attracts about 3 million tourists annually. This means that there are 111 tourists per local resident each year. The town is ideal for vacations with friends, large groups, young families and even retirees. You can enjoy mountain views without leaving the town. There's plenty to do here and the prices are quite reasonable, with a good price-quality ratio. Therefore, I definitely recommend Zakopane.

We entered a place to have something sweet. We had a dessert with Snickers. Then we started walking in a place that was like a Chinatown but in the style of a Polish wooden marketplace. After that we returned to our apartment to rest.

On the second day we left the comfort of the city and headed into nature. In the early morning people were not yet on the streets and most of the restaurants were closed, so it was more enjoyable to walk around. Traditional foods were being sold at the stalls along our route, such as smoked cheeses and various jams. If you plan to have breakfast in the forest, I recommend buying your food in Zakopane, as you may not find a market later on. We arrived at the Morskie Oko parking lot. Buses come here and the shuttle fee from Zakopane is 15 zloty. The first bus departs around 6 a.m. and the return to Zakopane is between 9-10 p.m. They don't leave until they're full, but there are also passengers standing along the way. There were large blue toilets at the end of the parking lot, the type called biological toilets. The entrance ticket prices were 8 zloty for adults. There was also a souvenir shop nearby.

We decided to walk around the lake because we planned to wake up early the next morning to reach the summit. It was said that if we could start in the morning, the weather conditions would be slightly better. The water was clear and blue-toned and the fish were clearly visible. There were ducks around, but feeding them was prohibited. Within a few minutes the weather turned bad again and it started to rain. Meanwhile the views around the lake were truly magnificent. Everything was green, the water was clear and nature was breathtaking. While waiting for the rain to stop, we took some photos.

Morskie Oko the largest and fourth-deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains. Its maximum depth is 50 meters and its shoreline is 2450 meters long. It was once called the Fish Lake because it was rich in fish. The name Morskie Oko comes from an old legend. According to this legend, the lake was connected to the sea through an underground channel. Although this idea is quite strange, Morskie Oko is considered a sacred tourist destination by the locals.

We had considered camping, but we had to change our plans. When we returned to the campsite, we decided to move to the place we had reserved earlier. We chose to spend a comfortable night there and have a nice meal. Although we were a bit disappointed about having to move our camping gear, it made sense to stay there. We spent the night and said goodbye to the water the next day as we began our ascent. The lake is situated at an elevation of 1405 meters, making it a high mountain lake. We now had to climb to 2495 meters. As we climbed, we saw a waterfall. The waterfall was black, flowing between the rocks. It gave the impression of a heavenly garden. The view was impressive, with water seeming to seep out of a large stone mass.

Further below there was a stream. We continued on and reached Czarny Staw. This place was truly beautiful. The wind was much stronger and the open area was really impressive. There was still snow on the summit. Water flowed down from Czarny Staw. There was a cross by the lake, made of wrought iron in 1836. Czarny Staw is located at an altitude of 1500 meters and is the second deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains, with a maximum depth of 76 meters. The walking path on the left surrounds the lake and leads to a higher trail.

We rested a bit and continued under the rain. We were expecting rain all day so we were undecided, but I didn't want to miss Czarny Staw. I wanted to touch the water. It was cold but refreshing. We reached the spot where the snow had arrived. The snow was like flakes and was slowly melting. Small streams had formed along the way and water filled everything. Our feet were completely soaked; perhaps shorts would have been a better choice. We encountered many people who had started their journey and were heading down. The rain continued, making it difficult to take photos. Everything was wet because of the water. We met someone who was running down from above. They told us it was very slippery up there. They advised us to be careful if we were going down, but we decided to head toward the Slovak side, which would be an easier descent.

The climb here was more challenging. The paths were very clear and there were signs; right turns, left turns and paths paved with stones. There were small streams and the snow was quite hard, looking icy. We approached the summit, but the wind was very strong. I made a mistake and looked down and it gave me goosebumps. The wind was getting stronger as we continued to climb.

A little higher up, the sky started to become visible. From the summit the country on this side seemed wider and on the other side, we could see Slovakia. The lake below was frozen. We were also cold and we could see the clouds enveloping the peaks. Mount Rysy has three summits. Yhe highest one is in the middle, within Slovak territory at 2500 meters. The northern summit is the highest point in Poland. Our teeth were chattering and we took a break to brew some tea. Tea at such an altitude was truly amazing. The tea may have expanded due to the altitude. The packaging was damaged, but we finished the tea with walnuts and regained our energy.

As soon as we descended we had a meal and spent some time at the resort. The special feature of this place is that it is directly by the lake, with hiking trails starting from there. It is possible to reach here by car. The hiking trail was really lovely, as if it had been created by nature. There were worn-out tree roots and paths. After hiking for 13 and a half hours, we were completely exhausted. Then we began to descend passing through the clouds. On the way there were flowers and mist. We connected Poprad Lake and Morskie Oko Lake. Crossing these two sacred lakes in one day was an incredible experience.

Prices in Slovakia are higher than in Poland. However, we were satisfied since accommodation and breakfast were included. We woke up early, left our backpacks, got our ticket and continued our journey. It was an impressive journey and we successfully completed our trip.

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