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    Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

    Poland

    Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

    Point of Interest

    The Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy, TPN) has protected the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains since 1955, covering over 211 square kilometers.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Poland
    7. Małopolska
    9. Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko
    The Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy, TPN) has protected the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains since 1955, covering over 211 square kilometers. Together with the Slovak National Park, it has formed a cross-border UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993. Here, Rysy (2,499 meters on the Polish side) is Poland's highest peak; chamois, marmots, brown bears, and lynxes live in the forests and cirques.The most famous destination is Morskie Oko, a glacial lake at an altitude of 1,395 meters in the Rybi Potok Valley at the foot of the Mięguszowieckie Szczyty. Covering almost 35 hectares, it is the second-largest lake in the Tatra after Wielki Staw and up to approximately 51 meters deep. From the Palenica Białczańska car park, an approximately 8.5-kilometer-long asphalt road leads up, which is closed to private cars.

    Sights in Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Morskie Oko
    Natural Feature

    1Morskie Oko

    The glacier lake at 1395 meters, below the Mięguszowieckie Szczyty, is the Tatras' second largest, at nearly 35 hectares. On its shore stands the PTTK hut, built in 1908. Access is via an 8.5 km road from Palenica Białczańska, closed to private cars.
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    Rysy
    Natural Feature

    2Rysy

    At 2499 meters, the highest point in Poland. From the Morskie Oko hut, it's a destination for high-alpine tours; the red trail leads past Czarny Staw, from there it's about three hours to the summit. The tour requires experience and good conditions.
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    Black Lake under Rysy
    Natural Feature

    3Black Lake under Rysy

    The Black Lake lies at 1583 meters in a cirque above Morskie Oko, beneath the walls of Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka; the Rysy belongs to the ridge enclosing the cirque. From the hut at Morskie Oko, the red trail leads up in about 50 minutes.
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    Videos & Travel Reports

    Wunderschön! Polens Süden: Von der Hohen Tatra nach Krakau

    Ramon Babazadeh fährt mit einem Goralen-Floß durch den Dunajec-Durchbruch im Pieniny-Nationalpark, läuft in der Hohen Tatra, trifft in Zakopane Skispringer Kamil Stoch und erkundet anschließend…

    Restaurants in Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

    Nature and History

    Protected for Over a CenturyChamois and marmots have been protected in the Tatra since 1868, when the Galician Parliament passed a law against their capture. In 1939, a nature park was created within the state forests, eventually becoming the national park on January 1, 1955. Morskie Oko has been owned by the Polish state since 1933.Around Morskie OkoOn the shore, at 1410 meters, stands the PTTK mountain hut, built in 1908 and one of the oldest huts in the Tatra. It serves as a starting point for tours to Rysy and the surrounding passes. Morskie Oko is one of the few Tatra lakes with a natural trout population; since 2021, beavers have also been observed here.

    Arrival and Tickets

    Parking and DirectionsFor parking at Palenica Białczańska and Łysa Polana, the National Park strongly recommends purchasing your parking ticket online in advance at tpn.gov.pl. On-site tickets are only available if spaces remain, and prices vary by season and demand. You should print your e-ticket or save it offline, as mobile reception there is often poor. Without a car, Palenica Białczańska is reachable by bus from Zakopane. During the season, the National Park also operates electric buses from its Education Center on ul. Chałubińskiego in Zakopane, and from Palenica Białczańska to Włosienica, located below the lake. In 2026, a one-way trip from Zakopane cost 89 Złoty, and from Palenica 69 Złoty, both including park admission; tickets are available only online or at the park's Tourist Information in Zakopane, not on the bus.AdmissionAn admission ticket is required for the National Park, purchasable online at tpn.gov.pl, via QR codes at the entrances, or at the ticket office at Palenica Białczańska. A day ticket costs 11 Złoty, with a reduced price of 5.50 Złoty (as of October 2026). Check prices, parking rules, and bus schedules before your visit on tpn.gov.pl.

    Accommodations in Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

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    Campgrounds in Tatra National Park and Morskie Oko

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    Nearby

    Zakopane

    Zakopane

    Zakopane is located at the foot of the High Tatras, at an altitude of around 840 meters, and has a population of over 25,000. The town is considered Poland's winter capital; the railway line from Chabówka, via which you arrive today from Krakow (Kraków), was built starting in 1899; in summer, it is a starting point for hikes in the Tatra National Park, and in winter for skiers and the World Cup ski jumping at Wielka Krokiew.The pedestrian zone Krupówki, with its shops and eateries, forms the town center. From ul. Na Gubałówkę, a funicular railway leads up to the scenic ridge Gubałówka. To the south lies Kuźnice, the valley station for the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch and the starting point for many hiking trails.
    Pieniny and the Dunajec Gorge

    Pieniny and the Dunajec Gorge

    The Pieniny Mountains are a small limestone range on the border with Slovakia, east of the Tatra Mountains. The Polish Pieniny National Park was established in 1932 as Poland's first national park and covers just over 23 square kilometres. The highest peak of the central massif is Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) at 982 metres, from whose viewing platform on Okrąglica you look deep into the valley.The Pieniny Mountains are primarily known for the Dunajec Gorge: The river has carved its way in loops between steep limestone cliffs. On wooden rafts, the region's rafters take visitors from Sromowce through the gorge to Szczawnica or Krościenko. West of this, the castles of Niedzica and Czorsztyn face each other across the Czorsztyn Reservoir.
    Małopolska

    Małopolska

    Lesser Poland (Małopolska) stretches from the Vistula around Krakow (Kraków) to the peaks of the High Tatras on the Slovakian border. Krakow, capital of the Kingdom of Poland until 1596, serves as the administrative and cultural heart of the Voivodeship; its Old Town, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial together form several UNESCO World Heritage Sites located close by.To the south, the land rises through hills to the Carpathians. Around Zakopane and in the Pieniny, the Goral people define the landscape with their wooden architecture, sheep's cheese, and folk music, and in the villages of Southern Lesser Poland stand Gothic wooden churches that have been World Heritage Sites since 2003.
    Wieliczka

    Wieliczka

    Wieliczka is located about 13 kilometers southeast of Krakow (Kraków) and has lived from salt since the Middle Ages. The first shafts were dug in the 13th century, and the town was granted city rights in 1290. Salt mining ended in 1996; the mine has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1978, joined by the Bochnia mine in 2008, and the Saltworks Castle in 2013. Together, they form the World Heritage site Royal Salt Mines Wieliczka and Bochnia.Most visitors come for the underground tourist route, but the town itself is also worth a tour. At Rynek Górny, the buildings follow the medieval layout, while Rynek Dolny was once a trading place for salt and is located by the Regis Shaft. The town also features the Saltworks Castle, the wooden St. Sebastian's Church, and a brine graduation tower.
    Krakow (Kraków)

    Krakow (Kraków)

    Krakow (Kraków) lies on the Vistula in southern Poland and, with around 800,000 inhabitants, is the country's second-largest city. Until 1596, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Poland; on Wawel Hill, kings were crowned until 1734 and most of them were interred. Since 1978, its historic center—the Old Town, Wawel, Stradom, and Kazimierz—has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The Old Town (Stare Miasto) surrounds the Rynek Główny, whose layout dates back to 1257. A green belt, the Planty, occupies the site of the former city fortifications; the historic Royal Route begins at St. Florian's Gate and led coronation processions up to Wawel. South of it lies Kazimierz, founded as a separate city in 1335 and for centuries a center of Jewish life. Today, synagogues, cafés, and bars mingle there.Beyond the Vistula lies Podgórze, where German occupiers established the ghetto in 1941; in the Zabłocie district stands Oskar Schindler's former enamel factory. To the east, Nowa Huta is an industrial city of the socialist era, incorporated in 1951.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • Video reportages: Wunderschön! Polens Süden: Von der Hohen Tatra nach Krakau
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI