| Morskie Oko Eye of the Sea | |
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  Morskie Oko Eye of the Sea | |
| Coordinates | 49°11′50″N20°4′15″E / 49.19722°N 20.07083°E /49.19722; 20.07083 |
| Type | Moraine-dammed |
| Primary inflows | Czarny Staw pod Rysami |
| Primary outflows | Rybi Potok |
| Basin countries | Poland |
| Max. length | 0.862 km (0.536 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.566 km (0.352 mi) |
| Surface area | 0.3493 km2 (0.1349 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 50.8 m (167 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,395 m (4,577 ft) |
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Morskie Oko, orEye of the Sea in English, is the largest and fourth-deepestlake in theTatra Mountains, in southernPoland. It is located deep within theTatra National Park in the Rybi Potok (the Fish Brook) Valley, of theHigh Tatras mountain range at the base of theMięguszowiecki Summits, inLesser Poland Voivodeship. In 2014,The Wall Street Journal recognized the lake as one of the five most beautiful lakes in the world.[1]
The peaks that surround the lake rise about 1,000 meters above its surface; one of them isRysy (2,499 meters), the highest peak in the Polish Tatras.BesidesMięguszowiecki Summits (includingMięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki, 2,438 meters), farther away and slightly to the left, is the distinctive, slenderMnich (“Monk,” 2,068 meters).ManySwiss Pines also grow around the lake.[2]
In the past, Morskie Oko was called "Rybie Jezioro" ("Fish Lake") due to its natural stock of fish, which are uncommon inTatra lakes and ponds. In the clear depths of the water, one can easily noticetrout - so-called "famine" trout - that live in the lake. The name "Morskie Oko" ("Sea Eye", "Eye of the Sea") is derived from an old legend, according to which the lake was connected to the sea via an underground passage.[3]
The hut of the Polish Tourism andLocal Lore Society (PTTK) stands on themoraine that closes the lake from the north. The hut is situated 1,405 meters above sea level and belongs to the oldest Tatrachalets. The hut is named afterStanisław Staszic, who explored the lake in 1805. It is a point of departure for hikes to Rysy andSzpiglasowa Przełęcz. Nearby is theStare Schronisko ("Old Shelter"), originally acoachhouse. Both buildings have been granted historical status.
Morskie Oko is one of the most popular destinations in the Tatras, often receiving over 50,000 visitors during the vacation season. It is reached by foot in about two hours from the nearest road that allows motorized access. Many other tourists opt to take the journey by horse-drawn cart, a large number of which are operated by the localGórale inhabitants. In winter, a short section of the journey is in anavalanche danger zone, and the area can remain cold and rainy even in summer. In the advent of its popularity, visitors have been forbidden from swimming in the lake or feeding the trout.
The earliest documents in which Morskie Oko is mentioned date back to 1575. In 1637, the Polish kingWładysław IV granted landowner Wladyslaw Nowobilski the right to usepastures in the area. In 1824, duringPartitions of Poland, Morskie Oko became private property, for the time being, whenZakopane estate, including the Dolina Rybiego Potoku, were purchased from the Austrian authorities by Emanuel Homolacs.
At the end of the nineteenth century, a boundary dispute arose betweenGalicia andHungary over property rights to the lake and adjoining area (the so-called "Morskie Oko dispute"). The Court of Conciliation inGraz ruled in favour of the Polish side. A powerful backer of the Polish cause was CountWladyslaw Zamoyski. The decision is credited toOswald Balzer, who represented the Galician government.
Morskie Oko was "rediscovered" fortourism by Dr.Tytus Chałubiński in the mid-nineteenth century; the first shelter was built there in 1836 but burned down in 1865. A second shelter, built in 1874, burned down in 1898. In 1902, a road from Zakopane was completed and named the Oswald Balzer Road. Since 1933 following thereturn of sovereignty, the lake has been owned by the Polish state.
The charm of Morskie Oko has provided inspiration to many artists, includingpainters (Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski,Leon Wyczółkowski, Stanisław Gałek),poets (Wincenty Pol,Adam Asnyk,Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer,Franciszek Nowicki,Jan Kasprowicz), andcomposers (Zygmunt Noskowski). The lake was one of the filming locations for 'The Formula',[4] a short film directed byEmmanuel Adjei, starring musicianSevdaliza in 2015.
Media related toMorskie Oko at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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