About Czorsztyn Dam

The Czorsztyn reservoir in the Pieniny mountains of Lesser Poland holds 238.6 million cubic metres and was completed in 1997 after more than 30 years of planning, controversy, and construction delays. The 56-metre concrete-face rockfill dam spans the Dunajec gorge near Czorsztyn castle, a medieval fortification that now rises dramatically above the reservoir shoreline. The project was intensely debated due to its proximity to the Pieniny National Park — one of Poland's smallest but most scenic protected areas — and the requirement to relocate more than 1,000 families from submerged villages. The reservoir was constructed primarily for flood protection of the Kraków and Nowy Sącz region against the highly variable Dunajec floods, which historically caused catastrophic damage downstream. Hydroelectric generation at the adjacent Niedzica power plant provides up to 92 megawatts. The sister reservoir of Sromowce Wyżne immediately downstream forms a tandem system. Today the Czorsztyn lake is a major tourist destination with windsurfing, kayaking, and guided boat tours to the medieval castle ruins. The traditional Dunajec gorge rafting route operated by Pieniny highland rafters begins immediately below the Sromowce dam and remains a beloved tourist experience.