Wapienniki

Wapienniki is a water-filled excavation from a former limestone mine in Sulejów, known for the turquoise colour of its lake and sometimes compared to views from tropical quarries. The area has been closed to visitors since 2020, so this description serves primarily to convey the history and character of the place, rather than as an encouragement to visit.

A quarry that became a lake

Wapienniki is a remnant of a limestone mine that belonged to the Przedsiębiorstwo Zakładów Przemysłu Wapienniczego [Limestone Industry Works Enterprise] in Sulejów. The facility extracted limestone here until the end of 2002. When production was halted, the pumps that had drained groundwater from the excavation were turned off. Without continuous pumping, the bottom began to fill naturally, and a lake formed where the former quarry had been. According to available information, Wapienniki is the third largest quarry in Poland.

Turquoise water

The distinctive azure colour of the water results from the presence of calcium carbonate leached from the limestone rock that formed the walls of the excavation. The reservoir covers almost 14 hectares (13.82 ha), with a maximum depth of around 14 metres and an average depth of 6–7 metres. Before the area was closed to tourism, the site was known among divers for the high clarity of the water. The shores of the lake are covered with pine forest.

Protected area

The area around the former quarry lies within a Natura 2000 site [European protected area], which serves to protect it from development, such as landfill use. Formally, however, it is private land rather than a municipal or communal public space.

Entry ban from 2020

Since June 2020, entry to Wapienniki has been prohibited. The decision was introduced because visitors were leaving litter behind, and the area, being private land, lacked infrastructure for tourism. In practice, this means that despite the existence of the lake and its distinctive appearance, the site is not a place to visit or swim today. Entry to the area in breach of the ban is undertaken at one's own risk and in contravention of the rules in force.

Practical information

• Address: land on Podkurnędz Street in Sulejów (Podkurnędz is the access road to the former quarry, not a separate settlement).
• Access: it is possible to drive to Podkurnędz Street, but the quarry site itself is fenced off with an entry ban.
• What to expect: the site is closed to visitors from 2020 onwards, with no organised access, viewing points or tourist infrastructure.