Colourful Lakes

Kolorowe Jeziorka (Colourful Lakes) are one of the defining landmarks of the Rudawy Janowickie, four small bodies of water of different colours, lying beneath Wielka Kopa (871 m above sea level), near the village of Wieściszowice in Lower Silesia. The names of the lakes correspond to their colours: Yellow, Purple, Blue and Green (also called the Black Pond). These are not natural bodies of water but former mining pits filled with water.

Where they came from

The lakes formed at the sites of former German pyrite mines. The oldest and largest was Hoffnung, operating from 1785 in the area of today's Purple Lake. Next came Neues Glück, opened in 1793 in the area of the Blue Lake, and Gustav Grube, operating from 1796 in the area of the Green Lake. Pyrite was mined here between 1785 and 1925 and processed into sulphuric acid. After the deposits were exhausted and the mines closed, the abandoned pits gradually filled with water, forming today's lakes.

The distinctive colour of the water in each lake depends on the chemical composition of the walls and bottom of the former pits. The Purple Lake owes its colour to iron compounds, and the Blue Lake to copper compounds; the water in the latter is also exceptionally clear and odourless. The lakes lie at different altitudes: the Yellow Lake at about 555 m above sea level, the Purple Lake at about 560 m, the Blue Lake at 635 m, and the smallest and highest, the Green Lake, at about 730 m.

By the water

Kolorowe Jeziorka are above all a scenic and geological attraction, not a place for swimming - they are small, shallow bodies of water in former mining pits, not bathing sites in the sense of recreational lakes. It is worth paying attention to the clearly different colours of the individual lakes and comparing them by walking from the lowest to the highest one. The route linking all four lakes runs through forest, with views of the surrounding hills of the Rudawy Janowickie.

Nearby

• Mnichy - distinctive rock formations near the lakes.
• Wielka Kopa - the peak beneath which Kolorowe Jeziorka lie.
• Stróżnik - another peak of the Rudawy Janowickie within walking distance.
• Rudawski Landscape Park - the protected nature area in which the lakes lie.
• Schaffgotsch Family Mausoleum in Raszów - a historic monument in nearby Raszów.

Practical information

• A green walking trail from Wieściszowice towards Wielka Kopa leads to the lakes, along with a blue cycling route.
• A large car park is located by the lowest-lying lake (the Yellow Lake).
• Getting there by car: via road no. 328, branching off national road no. 5 in Marciszów.
• The route between the lakes has varied elevation gains - the highest, Green Lake, requires a longer climb, so it is worth allowing enough time and wearing trekking footwear.