Andriy Gavryliv drove a Corvette more than eight kilometres to Morskie Oko – one of Poland's most iconic landmarks and most visited natural attractions – on Friday evening, accompanied by a woman.
He posted photographs and videos of the visit on social media, showing the car parked by the lakeside.
The post spread rapidly online, prompting a wave of criticism.
After the backlash, Gavryliv published a video saying he had not noticed the no-entry signs and only realised he had driven all the way to the lake once he arrived.
He apologised for his behaviour.
Police stopped him on his way out of the park and issued a PLN 100 fine (about EUR 24) and eight penalty points, despite the offence carrying a maximum fine of PLN 5,000 (EUR 1,179)
Officers gave the lower penalty because the stop took place outside the park boundary and because Gavryliv had misled them about the purpose of his journey, private broadcaster TVN24 reported.
Once photographs and new details emerged online, Zakopane police launched a formal investigation under Poland's Nature Conservation Act, covering multiple violations including noise, disturbing wildlife and driving in the park after dark.
The director of the Tatra National Park, Szymon Ziobrowski, said the night-time entry was "absolutely unacceptable", adding that a barrier on the road had been raised due to ongoing roadworks, though no-entry signs remained clearly in place.
Poland's Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwiński, announced the ban on Saturday after police applied to the Office for Foreigners to bar Gavryliv from Poland and the entire Schengen area for five years due to the disturbance of public order.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk had earlier asked the ministry for an urgent explanation, describing the Ukrainian driver's behaviour as causing "understandable outrage".
(ał)
Source: IAR, tvn24.pl