Lakes
flooded limestone quarry up to 32 metres deep, with a park and a bathing area in Dębniki
Lakes
reservoirs on the Dłubnia from the 1950s, originally a water intake for Nowa Huta
Lakes
Nowa Huta park with a reservoir from 1957, a beach, pitches and a graduation tower on the Dłubnia
Lakes in Kraków: Zakrzówek, Zesławice and Nowa Huta reservoirs. Three free waterside spots for a walk, views and a break in nature.
This guide is for anyone who wants to sit by the water or walk around a reservoir in Kraków. All three are man-made but have very different origins and character: one was created in a quarry, the other two on the edge of Nowa Huta.
Zakrzówek Reservoir in Dębniki was created in 1992 when an old limestone quarry was flooded. It consists of two basins joined by a narrow link and reaches 32 metres in depth. Karol Wojtyła worked here during the war, and a granite plaque in his memory lies on the bottom. Zakrzówek sits in Dębniki, close to the centre.
Nowohucki Reservoir in Bieńczyce opened in 1957. A park designed by A. Ścigalski surrounds the water, and together they cover about 17 hectares. The reservoir is fed by the Dłubnia river. The park was built in the green protection belt that separated the steelworks from the housing estates, so it is now a calm place to walk in Bieńczyce.
Zesławice Reservoir is a pair of artificial lakes on the north-eastern edge of the city, in Mistrzejowice, at about 215 m above sea level. It was built in the 1950s as a water intake for Nowa Huta and now serves leisure. It is the furthest from the centre, which suits a longer bike ride or walk.
All three are tagged as free, so a walk by the water needs no ticket. Check the rules for swimming and using the grounds on site, as they may differ between reservoirs.
Zakrzówek in Dębniki is closest to the centre. The other two lie in the districts of Nowa Huta and Mistrzejowice.
The lakes in Lesser Poland category covers larger bodies of water across the voivodeship, and parks and nature in Kraków offers more ideas for a green walk.
