A Disused Quarry Is Now Poland's Most Amazing Summer Swimming Spot With Parks, Floating Decks, And Cool Water

Poland has no shortage of hidden gems. You can head south to the jagged peaks of the Tatra Mountains to find the paradise town of Zakopane, hemmed in by knife-edge summits and valleys laden with wildflowers. You can hang north to explore the cool canal city of Gdańsk, spotting medieval cranes and unraveling the town's World War II history. Or, for a summer swimming spot with ice-cold, crystal-clear water in a former industrial quarry, check out Zakrzowek!

Sat on the southwest outskirts of Kraków, a vibrant culture hub with one of the best preserved medieval centers in Europe, Zakrzowek is a vast park that contains one of the city's most alluring new swimming locations. It beckons visitors when the weather heats up with the promise of refreshing H2O, sunbathing decks, and a whole load of pleasant walking paths — all of which were added during a comprehensive redevelopment of the site that officially finished in 2023.

Getting here is a cinch for anyone staying in the heart of Krakow itself. Simply hop in an Uber, and the drive from the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Krakow Old Town to the lake should be around 15 minutes in normal traffic. Alternatively, the tram offers a cheaper option — the closest stop is called Kapelanka, a 10-minute walk from the entrance to the Zakrzowek Park.

Zakrzowek is best known for the lake at its center. It's set in a deep hole, surrounded by high cliffs, and has chilly, clear, fresh water. Swimmers come throughout the warmer months of the year to enjoy a series of floating deck spaces that seem to hover right over the surface of the lake itself. They're made from soft timber, are great for sunbathing, and offer access to a handful of man-made pools that range from over 6 feet deep to just 15 inches.

However, it wasn't always this way. The managed swimming decks are a recent addition to a place that was once entirely out of bounds to the public. First developed as an industrial limestone quarry in the 1800s, the area was suddenly flooded in the 1990s. Later, the space was fenced off due to a series of serious accidents, and swimming was banned completely.

The redevelopment project has changed all that, converting a once-dangerous spot into an R&R haven. One recent TripAdvisor reviewer summed up their visit: "My hotel host recommended this. It's a little off the beaten path and so you'll [probably] need to catch a tram but don't let that put you off ... It's like a little oasis paradise — the water is crystal clear." You should be aware that there's now a limit of 1,000 people allowed into the lake pools at any one time, and that queues are common on holidays and weekends.

A visit to Zakrzowek doesn't just have to be about cooling off in the water and lazying on the new deck areas that float in the quarry. There's extensive parkland to explore as well, extending to the north and west between the lake and the Vistula River. The area also has some interesting curiosities, including a statue dedicated to rock and roll pioneer Elvis Presley (didn't expect that in Krakow, eh?) and a cave that's thought to have once been home to a local sorcerer.

Most people will come to stroll the pleasant paths that string along the top of the quarry itself. They're peppered with picnic locations and offer occasional views over the water and the pools. Sometimes, the trees will clear and you'll also be able to see the outline of Krakow's famous castle in the distance.

On top of that, the area encompasses running circuits, al fresco gyms, a café, and climbing walls — there's something for all. The swimming pools of Zakrzowek are officially open from June until September, but the park areas are accessible at any time of the year.