Biały Potok Valley
Town: Zakopane
beach_access Route in the shade
directions_car Access by car
directions_bus Can be reached by bus
train Access by train possible
This is a beautiful Tatra valley leading through a rocky gorge, located closest to Zakopane, which can be seen without the need to take a bus or car.
How to get to "Biały Potok" Valley?
The beginning of the valley is located 0.5 km from Wielka Krokiew, near Droga pod Reglami. From the center of Zakopane, it is about 2 km, a 25-minute walk to the entrance of the valley. We walk along Grunwaldzka Street, then along Droga do Białego Street. There is a paid parking lot at the entrance to the valley, and you can also leave your car near Krokiew.
Biały Potok Valley with children
It is one of the most charming Tatra valleys. The path leads us through a shaded rocky gorge, it is rocky (often with large boulders, not very convenient when walking with a small child) and gently ascends. Probably because of this, the tourist traffic here is much smaller than in the neighboring Dolina Strążyska, which is flatter. There is also no view of the mountains from Dolina Białego Potoku - we reach a charming waterfall.
The valley's picturesque character is given by its steep slopes, rocky gates and spires, as well as the carved limestone bed of the Biały Potok stream with exceptionally steep drops, cascades, and potholes (grooves in the riverbed caused by swirling water).
An interesting fact is the growth of dwarf mountain pine in the valley
It is unusual at this altitude - the massif of Giewont is the cause of the specific climate and alpine character of the valley's vegetation. By shielding the valley from the south, less light and warmth reach it.
When the Tatras were underwater...
Ancient Tatra Mountains were flooded by a warm sea belonging to the now-extinct Tethys Ocean. Traces of the sea in the Tatras have been preserved at the entrance to, among others, Dolina Białego Potoku - the first rocks we will come across there are limestone full of the shells of marine animals, foraminifera. They are several centimeters in size and quite visible.
Uranium mines
A fenced entrance to a mine arouses curiosity along the trail - in the early 1950s, uranium ore exploration was conducted here (hence the two excavated tunnels).
From Biały Potok Valley to Sarnia Skała Peak
After reaching the waterfall, the yellow trail continues uphill - the ascent becomes steeper and leads us to Sarnia Skała, one of the easiest peaks to conquer in the Tatras. From Sarnia Skała, we can return via Dolina Strążyska.
See also - Sarnia Skała - one of the easier peaks to climb in the Tatras.
Publish Date: 2013-01-13
More in the Region Zakopane (Zakopane)
Total Length 152 km
