Hiking in **the Polish Tatra Mountains: the Morskie Oko Lake (Eye of the Sea in English)**

Morskie Oko is the largest lake in the Tatra Mountains, located at an altitude of 1,395 m above sea level. You can reach the Morskie Oko Lake on foot – the trail is about 8 km long (hiking time is 2 hours 25 minutes). Morskie Oko makes a huge impression, also on children – it’s a truly stunning lake. The route to Morskie Oko runs along an asphalt road, which is usually walked by hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists (in July and August, about half a million tourists visit Morskie Oko). There is only one way to avoid the crowds and enjoy the exceptional nature of the Morskie Oko Lake – set out on the trail when the rest of the tourists are still at their hotels (enter the trail at about 7-8 am).

Attractions of the Morskie Oko Lake trail:

On the route, after about a 1-hour walk, there are the picturesque Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza Waterfalls (three major and several smaller waterfalls).
At the end of the trail, there is a big mountain hut (schronisko) and outside wooden benches where you can relax after a hike or have a hot meal. Usually, in high season, you must wait in line to order.
The trail around the Morskie Oko Lake takes an additional 55 minutes and is inaccessible to strollers. It’s worth the effort – you can see fish, and the water is beautiful.
When you are at the Morskie Oko Lake, an interesting option is to hike to another stunning lake – Czarny Staw pod Rysami Lake (up 30 minutes, down 20 minutes, it’s quite a steep trail). It beautifully overlooks the lake of Morskie Oko. It’s located at an altitude of 1,583 m above sea level. The dark blue water, which, thanks to the shade for most of the day, resembles black, from which the pond took its name. The Czarny Staw Pod Rysami Lake is the second deepest lake in the Tatras (and the fourth in Poland).
Suggested stop for a rest and a meal: Roztoka Hut (Schronisko Roztoka). Opposite the waterfalls (Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza Waterfalls), after about an hour’s walk, there is a turn off onto the green trail to the mountain hut (about 15 minutes, the trail is difficult to access for strollers). The wooden, renovated hut is located in a quiet, beautiful clearing – a real refuge from the crowds that usually prevail on the trail to Morskie Oko. The hut offers accommodation, toilets, a restaurant (including vegan dishes), an outdoor area where you can sit or play football, and an indoor area (including a room where you can play board games, a guitar is also available). The restaurant has an exciting menu. In addition to traditional regional dishes (such as sauerkraut kwaśnica soup, fried oscypek cheese with mountain berry, pierogi), there aren also vegetarian dishes (such as porcini mushrooms soup, garlic soup) and vegan dishes (such as lentil pierogi). The most popular dessert is apple pie (szarlotka), served warm, with ice cream and whipped cream. Webiste in Polish. Staff speak English. The photos below feature the Schronisko Roztoka.

Photo source: Schronisko Roztoka

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The Morskie Oko Lake hike time:

Hike time up: 2 hours 25 minutes
Hike time down: 1 hour 55 minutes

Morskie Oko RED trail. Source: Tatrzański Park Narodowy (www.tpn.pl)

Where does the trail to Morskie Oko begin?

The most popular starting point of the trail is the Palenica Białczańska Glade (located about 25 km from Zakopane, location on Google Maps). There is a large parking lot, bars, souvenir shops, ticket points, and horse-drawn carriages.

You must have an admission ticket to the Tatra National Park to enter the trail. The ticket is valid all day and gives access to all the trails. A regular ticket costs 11 PLN, reduced 5,50 PLN (students, seniors, people with disabilities), and children up to 7 years old have free entrance. It is worth buying a weekly ticket (for 7 days) for extended stays. It costs 55 PLN (reduced – 27,50 PLN). Its main advantage is that you do not need to stand in line every time to buy a ticket. There is also an option to purchase tickets online. There is not always an internet connection in the park area – buying online tickets before heading to the mountains is recommended.

How do you get to the beginning of the trail from the town of Zakopane by car, bus, or taxi?

By car

Tourists who want to travel by car to the area of Palenica Białczańska, where the route to Morskie Oko begins, must purchase a parking ticket via the website: Parkingi Morskie Oko (available in English).

Online tickets can be purchased well in advance – this is recommended because all parking spaces are usually sold out during the high season.

The parking lot consists of three parts. PART 1 – Palenica Białczańska – at the entrance to the trail; PART 2 – road lane up to 1 km from the entrance to the trail; and PART 3 – Łysa Polana, approx. 1.5 km from the entrance to the trail. The order of arrival determines the parking location. The driver cannot choose the parking place. Cars are directed by the staff first to Palenica Białczańska, then to the road lane, and to Łysa Polana (the time to reach the entry point to the trail is 15-20 min.).

During high season, if you want to avoid traffic jams at the entrance to the parking lot, arrive as early as possible (before 8 am).

By bus or by taxi

You can also use a bus (ask at your hotel for the nearest bus stop) or a taxi (you can Google ‘taxi zakopane’). You can also get from Zakopane to Palenica Białczańska by Tatra National Park buses (you can buy tickets online here).

In the case of a bus or taxi, it is also worth leaving early in the morning to avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam that forms before entering the parking lot.

Our tips on hiking the Morskie Oko Lake trail

Difficulty level: a relatively easy trail in terms of little elevation gain, a challenging trail in terms of mileage (16 km total, about 2 hours one way).
The Morskie Oko Lake is a stroller-accessible trail. Most of the route is asphalt, and only at the end, there is a stony but passable road.
The trail is only partly shaded – remember to take plenty of water and a hat in summer.
Mobile toilets are located at the entrance to the valley and along the trail; regular toilets are available in the hut at the end of the trail.
Take into consideration that this trail is quite tiring. After half an hour of monotonous walking on the asphalt, even adults have had enough;) If you walk with children, be ready to hear every 5 minutes ‘Are we there yet?’. Adults will ask themselves the same question, only in their minds…;).
There is an option to travel most of the route with a horse-drawn carriage (in summer) or sleighs (in winter). The ride uphill takes about 45 minutes. The carriages reach the Polana Włosienica Glade, and from there to the Morskie Oko Lake it takes about 20-30 minutes to walk along a stony road (accessible to strollers). Fees are agreed upon individually with transport organizers – owners of horse-drawn carriages (their website in Polish). Unfortunately, there are cases of horses fainting due to extreme fatigue. For these reasons, it’s recommended to walk to Morskie Oko. Also, the Tatra National Park is testing electric buses that will replace horse-drawn carriages in the future.

Our guide to hiking in the Tatra Mountains in Poland:

For more information on hiking with children in the Polish Tatra Mountains, check out our post: Eight easy tips to make your adventure in the Tatras fun for the whole family.
Click here to read our tips on hiking in the Polish Tatra Mountains (When is the best time of the year to visit the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane? Do I need to buy a ticket to enter the Tatra National Park? What time is best to go on the trail in the Tatras? How to dress for a trip to the Tatra Mountains?).
Before you head to the Polish Tatra Mountains, read our post about visiting Zakopane: The town of Zakopane – the heart of the Polish Tatra Mountains (ideas for things to do in Zakopane, the souvenirs from Zakopane, skiing in Zakopane, how to get to Zakopane).
Our tips on hiking in The Kościeliska Valley – one of the most picturesque valleys in the Polish Tatra Mountains.
Here are our tips for hiking to The Strążyska Valley – the best trail in the Polish Tatras for a trip with children, for seniors or for beginner hikers.

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Hiking trails in Poland: the Morskie Oko Lake in the Polish Tatra Mountains

Hiking trails in Poland: the Morskie Oko Lake in the Polish Tatra Mountains

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