Colourful lakelets

Colourful lakelets is the name of three artificial ponds formed in place of former mines at the slope of Wielka Kopa mountain in Rudawy Janowickie, range in Sudetes Mountains, Poland. The biggest one and the eldest was named Hoffnung and now became the Purple lakelet. Names of the other mines were: Neues Glück, and Gustav Grube. These places were mined for pyrite.

The lakelets have various surface elevation. The Purple lakelet owes its colour to chemical composition of its banks and bottom which are abundant with iron compounds, mainly pyrite. The pond is filled with water solution of sulphuric acid. It is highly recommended to avoid any contact with the water for it might be dangerous. Below Purple Lakelet there is a smaller hollow which is at times filled with waters falling from the pond above – it is called Yellow Lakelet.