--- title: "Mořské oko near Pustevny: a man-made lake below Tanečnice" description: "Mořské oko lies half a kilometre from Pustevny. Why walkers dug the lake in 1894, how to get there and which newts live in it." url: "https://zpusteven.cz/en/morske-oko" lang: "en" latitude: 49.4898619 longitude: 18.2708183 --- ![The surface of the Mořské oko lake, largely covered by a green film of tiny water plants, with forest all around](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/morske-oko/1280/IMG_0165.avif) Small lake • Prostřední Bečva • 980 m a.s.l. # Mořské oko The Beskids had no lake. In 1894 walkers dug one themselves - today it belongs to the newts. - **Altitude:** 980 m a.s.l. - **Created:** in 1894, by walkers' labour - **Newt species:** alpine, smooth, Carpathian - **The Čertův mlýn nature trail:** stop 2 of nine ## A hand-dug tarn taken over by newts Just under half a kilometre from [Pustevny](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny), a dark surface of water called a mořské oko hides in the forest. Mountain lakes like these were usually formed by a glacier or a volcano. This one was **dug by people**. They were members of Pohorská jednota Radhošť. It bothered them that the Beskids were the only mountains without a tarn, so in 1894 they made one themselves. Their attraction is now a protected pool with three species of newt. ![The surface of the Mořské oko lake, largely covered by a green film of tiny water plants, with the surrounding forest reflected in the clear part](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/morske-oko/1280/IMG_0165.avif) The surface in summer: shallow water largely overgrown with tiny water plants. Why come here ### To see a 130-year-old idea It is **the oldest surviving work of Beskid walkers** in the saddle - older than Libušín and Maměnka. Three species of newt live in it today. Not to be missed ### The nature trail panel and the quiet by the water The lake is **the second stop on the Čertův mlýn nature trail**. From the railing you can see the whole surface - and if you wait quietly for a while, you will see what moves in it too. When to go ### For newts, in May and June **Adult newts are most often seen in the water in May and June.** In summer a green film often covers the surface; in autumn there is quiet and colour above it. In winter people ski around it. The lake up close ## Look around the lake The view from the **wooden railing** on the bank - for the newts' sake, nobody goes beyond it. ## The story of the Mořské oko lake The only lake in the area was dug by walkers themselves. It survived because nature took it over. Mountains without a tarn ### Walkers who were missing a lake In 1884 the people of Frenštát founded **Pohorská jednota Radhošť** - the first Czech hiking association in what was then Austria-Hungary. Its members built shelters, waymarked paths and led visitors into the mountains. Pustevny as we know it is largely their work. According to historical records, however, one thing bothered them: **unlike other ranges, the Beskids had no tarn.** So in 1894 they made one themselves. They chose an older wetland in a hollow below the ridge, **cleaned it out and deepened it**. The name they borrowed from the mountain lakes formed by glaciers and volcanoes: mořské oko. That was five years before the famous Jurkovič lodges went up in the saddle. **Mořské oko is therefore older than** [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin) **and** [Maměnka](https://zpusteven.cz/en/mamenka) and is among the association's oldest surviving works at Pustevny and on the surrounding ridge. When things at Pustevny were built 1. 1884 Pohorská jednota Radhošť The oldest Czech hiking association 2. 1891 The first Pústevňa shelter A wooden building with a dormitory 3. 1894 Mořské oko A lake dug out of a wetland [Šumná](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny#sumna) Probably the oldest tourist chalet still standing in the Beskids [The Cyrilka pavilion](https://zpusteven.cz/en/altan-cyrilka) A lookout on the ridge above the saddle 4. 1899 Libušín and Maměnka Jurkovič's Art Nouveau lodges Today ### A pool in the forest, a railing and one panel Mořské oko is a **shallow forest pool** hidden among the trees. In summer it is largely covered by a green film of tiny water plants. The water is dark - the forest is reflected in it. A worn area with a **wooden railing** leads to the bank. It is not a viewing point but a boundary - nobody goes beyond it. Beside it stands a panel of the [Čertův mlýn nature trail](https://www.visit-valassko.cz/naucna-stezka-Certuv-mlyn). The lake is its second stop; the whole trail is seven kilometres long and continues along the flank of Čertův mlýn to Martiňák. Its first part runs [along the red waymarks to Čertův stůl](https://zpusteven.cz/hiking/pustevny-certuv-stul). The lake is most interesting for anyone who waits by it for a while. **In spring newts move in the water** and dragonflies hunt above the surface. During the day hundreds of people pass by from the chairlift. ![The bank of the Mořské oko lake with a wooden railing, dark water and forest behind it](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/morske-oko/1280/IMG_0163.avif) The bank with its wooden railing, the water and the forest behind. Roles reversed ## An attraction for people became a refuge for newts A hundred and thirty years is a long time for a mountain pool. The lake that was meant to be an **ornament for visitors** has meanwhile been taken over by amphibians. Standing water is a rarity in the mountains, so **for miles around there is no more important place for amphibians than this pool, which does not dry out even in summer**. The roles have thus been reversed. **The water belongs to the newts now**: nobody goes into it and nothing is released into it. The lake lies in the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area and is cared for by conservationists together with foresters. - **the year it was made:** 1894 - **newt species in the water:** 3 - **altitude:** 980 m Who lives in the pool ![An alpine newt - a male with blue-grey flanks and an orange belly in the water](https://d.zpusteven.cz/ccmedia/1280/ichthyosaura-alpestris.avif) #### Alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris The most striking of the three. In the breeding season the male has blue-grey flanks and a bright orange belly. Out of the water it hides under stones and wood. Foto: [Anevrisme, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Triturus%5Falpestris.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) ![A smooth newt - a small amphibian with an elongated body and a long tail](https://d.zpusteven.cz/ccmedia/1280/lissotriton-vulgaris.avif) #### Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris The most widespread newt in Czechia, small and brownish. In the breeding season the male has a tall, toothed crest running the length of its back. Foto: [Jaromír Trautmann, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C4%8Colek%5Fobecn%C3%BD%5F%28Lissotriton%5Fvulgaris%29.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ![A Carpathian newt - a small amphibian photographed in the Skole Beskids in the Ukrainian Carpathians](https://d.zpusteven.cz/ccmedia/1280/lissotriton-montandoni.avif) #### Carpathian newt Lissotriton montandoni A Carpathian endemic. It lives only in the Beskids and their surroundings - you will not meet it anywhere else in Czechia. It is what makes an ordinary pool a rare place. Foto: [Ihor Hvozdeckyj, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD%5F%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%5F%28Lissotriton%5Fmontandoni%29%5F-%5F%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%96%D0%BA%5F%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%82.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Above the water ### Hunters in the air Dragonflies grow up in the water as predatory larvae and then hunt above the surface - further proof that the pool works. From the bank you will spot them best on a sunny day. ![A broad-bodied chaser - a dragonfly with a broad flattened abdomen perched on a stem](https://d.zpusteven.cz/ccmedia/1280/libellula-depressa.avif) #### Broad-bodied chaser Libellula depressa A stocky dragonfly with a broad, flattened abdomen, powder blue in the male. It likes to settle on protruding twigs and set off from them to hunt again and again. Foto: [slezo, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%A1%C5%BEka%5Fplosk%C3%A1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) ![A southern hawker - a male with blue-green markings basking in the sun](https://d.zpusteven.cz/ccmedia/1280/aeshna-cyanea.avif) #### Southern hawker Aeshna cyanea A large hawker with blue-green markings. It circles tirelessly back and forth above the water and flies even at dusk. It returns to small pools to lay its eggs. Foto: [Klaus Krahn, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blaugr%C3%BCne%5FMosaikjungfer%5F%28Aeshna%5Fcyanea%29,%5Fmale.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The photographs show the species, not a particular individual from Mořské oko. Timeline ## From an idea to a protected pool 1. 1884 ### Pohorská jednota Radhošť is founded Local people in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm set up the **first Czech hiking association** in Austria-Hungary. It waymarks paths, builds shelters - and turns Pustevny into a place for visitors. 2. 1894 ### Walkers dig themselves a lake According to historical records, the association's members were bothered that **the Beskids had no tarn**. So they took an older wetland in a hollow below the ridge, cleaned it out and deepened it into a lake. 3. the late 19th century ### The saddle is still called Poustevny (the older spelling) The saddle is named after the **hermits** who had lived here for a few decades before. The famous Libušín and Maměnka lodges to Dušan Jurkovič's designs are several years younger than the lake. 4. today ### A protected pool on a nature trail The lake is **the second stop on the Čertův mlýn nature trail** and home to three species of newt. It is cared for by conservationists and foresters; it lies in the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area. Visit ## Plan your way to Mořské oko ### Where exactly #### Half a kilometre east of Pustevny, in the forest The lake lies at **980 m a.s.l.** in a hollow below the ridge between Pustevny and Tanečnice - just under half a kilometre from [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin) and the upper chairlift station. You will not see it straight away from the waymarked path: it hides among the trees a few steps to the side. ##### Otevřít v mapách [Mapy.com](https://mapy.com/en/zakladni?x=18.2708183&y=49.4898619&z=17&source=coor&id=18.2708183,49.4898619) · [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=49.4898619,18.2708183) ##### Other places nearby [Maměnka](https://zpusteven.cz/en/mamenka) · [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin) · [Brána Pusteven](https://zpusteven.cz/en/brana-pusteven) · [Cyrilka Cave](https://zpusteven.cz/cyrilka-cave) · [The Cyrilka lookout pavilion](https://zpusteven.cz/en/altan-cyrilka) · [The Radegast statue](https://zpusteven.cz/en/socha-radegasta) · [Čertův mlýn](https://zpusteven.cz/en/certuv-mlyn) · [Kněhyně](https://zpusteven.cz/en/knehyne) Map of the area ### Getting here From Pustevny the **red waymarks** lead to the lake and on to Čertův stůl: 1. 1 #### [Pustevny](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny) starting point The walk starts at the Pustevny saddle. Before heading up the ridge, take a look at the Art Nouveau mountain lodges [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin) and [Maměnka](https://zpusteven.cz/en/mamenka) by Dušan Samo Jurkovič. 2. #### Mořské oko destination · ~0.5 km · you are here Head east from the saddle, with Radhošť behind you. A short way from the junction by [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin), the small lake Mořské oko lies hidden in the forest - a refuge for newts and other amphibians. 3. ↓ #### [Kam dál: Čertův stůl](https://zpusteven.cz/hiking/pustevny-certuv-stul) pokračování · ~2.5 km Po téže červené se dá jít dál hřebenem přes sedlo pod Tanečnicí na [Čertův mlýn](https://zpusteven.cz/en/certuv-mlyn), nejvyšší horu Zlínského kraje. Celou trasu popisuje stránka výletu. **The nature trail:** the lake is the second of the nine stops on the Čertův mlýn nature trail. [The official trail](https://www.visit-valassko.cz/naucna-stezka-Certuv-mlyn) then carries on along the red waymarks to Martiňák (7 km, 9 stops); the later stretch runs on asphalt. ### Before you set out #### How long it takes From [Brána Pusteven](https://zpusteven.cz/en/brana-pusteven) you reach the lake in **ten to fifteen minutes** on foot. A quarter of an hour is enough to stop by the water and read the panel. #### Care for the amphibians The lake is **a refuge for newts and other amphibians**. Stay behind the railing, do not enter the water, do not reach into it and **do not release anything into it** - fish and terrapins do not belong here. Keep your dog on the bank and on a lead. #### What you will see, and when Adult newts are seen in the water **most often in May and June**. In summer the surface is largely covered by a green film of tiny water plants - the normal state of a shallow pool. #### The nearest facilities There is neither a bench nor a bin by the lake - the facilities are back at **Pustevny**. Na závěr ## Doplňující info a test znalostí ### Rychlá rekapitulace **How was Mořské oko at Pustevny created?** People dug it. In 1894 members of Pohorská jednota Radhošť cleaned out and deepened an older wetland below the ridge - it bothered them that the Beskids were the only mountains without a tarn. **How do I get to Mořské oko?** On foot from Pustevny along the red waymarks eastwards, just under half a kilometre - ten to fifteen minutes' walk. **How high is Mořské oko?** At 980 m a.s.l., in a hollow below the ridge between Pustevny and Tanečnice. **Who lives in Mořské oko?** Three species of newt - the alpine, the smooth and the Carpathian. Adults are seen in the water most often in May and June, their larvae from June to August. **Can I swim in Mořské oko?** No. The lake is a refuge for amphibians - visitors stay behind the railing and nobody enters the water. **Are there refreshments or toilets at Mořské oko?** There is nothing at the lake itself. The facilities (refreshments, toilets) are back at Pustevny. --- Source: [Mořské oko near Pustevny: a man-made lake below Tanečnice](https://zpusteven.cz/en/morske-oko) - zPusteven.cz. When citing, please link to the page.