Niedzica Castle and the Czorsztyn Dam, Poland
We visit the castle in Niedzica, located about 40 km east of Zakopane. It is a medieval stronghold from 14th century, situated in a very beautiful place - directly on the Czorsztyn Lake. In addition to the castle itself, the area also offers another attraction, namely the dam of the Czorsztyn Reservoir.
Parking in Niedzica. The castle
At the castle there is a parking lot at a price of 10 zł (P; GPS: 49.421967, 20.318935). We walk the road leading up the hill to the gates of the castle (A; GPS: 49.422501, 20.319539) passing by the ancient cannon. This time we didn't visit the interior, because we decided to do it in the summer, when better weather will also allow us to enjoy a cruise to the Czorsztyn Castle. Currently we only walked to the other side of the castle, where we found a shingle beach and a very little marina (B; GPS: 49.423002, 20.317181). Here you can catch boats and gondolas that go to the other side of the lake to the foot of Castle Czorsztyn.
After exploring the area of the castle you can walk the 200-meter path to the dam. There are many stalls with local products (C; GPS: 49.421457, 20.319762) on the road. It's really worth stopping by. From here you can also admire the beautiful view of the castle reflecting on the lake's surface. The reservoir with a height of 56 meters (GPS: 49.419670, 20.323325) protects the Dunajec river from floods and is an attractive place for resting. It also produces the electricity. At the top of the reservoir there is a fairly wide bridge, which you can walk to the other side of the lake. After entering the bridge you will for sure see a beautiful pseudo three-dimensional painting right on the surface, called the "3D Elemental Power". When we stand in the right position, we have impression that the water from the lake overflows through the railing and falls in the form of a waterfall to the hollows of the bridge. Of course there are no hollows - it's just an interesting visual effect - watch it on our video. The hydroelectric power station can also be visited: here, however, we pay 9 zł for a simplified tour (main hall with machines and internal observation balcony) and 17 zł for detailed sightseeing (same as simplified sightseeing plus generators hall, control room and the crown of the dam). You can find more information on the website of the dam and the power station (in Polish language).
See also: