flooded quarry in a nature reserve, the legend of Princess Daisy
Daisy Pond, also known as Green Lake, is a small but striking body of water in Witoszów Górny near Świdnica, hidden among trees within the Książ Landscape Park. Its distinctive greenish water and steep, rocky walls of a former quarry make an impression from the very first glance.
The pond was formed in 1870 as a flooded quarry pit, where Devonian reef limestone was mined. After extraction ended, the pit filled with water, creating a lake with an unusually intense, emerald colour. In 1998 a 7.11 ha nature reserve was established here, protecting both the pond itself and the surrounding vegetation - 180 plant species have been recorded, including 172 vascular plant species and 8 moss species. Until 1945 the site was called Daisy-See, after Princess Daisy von Pless, associated with the nearby Książ Castle. One of the old lime kilns standing by the water was converted at that time into an observation tower. A local legend is also linked to the pond: Princess Daisy is said to have dropped a necklace with a green stone into the water, and the diver sent to retrieve the jewel never returned from the bottom - since then the water is said to have taken on its greenish hue.
Daisy Pond is primarily a destination for walks and a viewpoint - as a nature reserve it is not a place for swimming, and visitors move along a designated path running by the shore and the rocky walls of the former quarry. It is a good place to observe nature and photograph the unusual colour of the water, especially on sunny days.
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