As it had been almost a year since my wife’s and my last visit to Kashubia (the village of Krzeszna and Gołubieński Botanical Garden), it was certainly high time to visit the Kaszuby region once again. On what was a beautiful June day in 2022, our first port of call was the Kashubian Observation Tower (Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa) on Wieżyca hill.
Where is the Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa?
The Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa is located on Wieżyca hill, the highest peak in central and northern Poland, not to mention the entire Kashubia region.
The observation tower is around 40 kilometers south-west of Gdańsk and just a few kilometres away from the well-known village of Szymbark.
How do you get to the Kashubian Observation Tower from Gdańsk?
If driving to the Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa tower from Gdańsk, Google maps is mostly reliable.
Just a few hints though:
1. There can be congestion driving through Żukowo at any time of the day. It might be worth turning off National Road 7 and driving through Otomino, eventually turning left onto National Road 20.
2. When you provide the directions Gdańsk→Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa on Google Maps, you get directed to a point where you can’t actually park your car. There is a free car park further down the road. You have to walk a fair distance on the side of the road (there’s no footpath) to reach the marked path leading up to the observation tower. Therefore, it might be worth paying the 10 zl to park in the car park on Długa Street.
Everything you need to know about the Kashubian Observation Tower
The observation tower on Wieżyca peak is 329 metres above sea level. From either of the car parks, the walking trails which lead to the top are not very steep at all. It takes around 10-15 minutes to reach the lookout tower from the car park on Długa Street.
Even during the walk up to the tower, it’s plain to see just how stunning the surroundings are:
The metal lookout tower was built in 1997 and is named after Pope John Paul II. It has 182 steps. In the vicinity of the tower, there is a 14-metre cross.
The peak is covered with a 150-year-old beech forest.
Impressions
Overall, it’s worth climbing the lookout tower to revel in the views of the meadows and surrounding Szymbarskie Hills.
Frankly, I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to see more lakes beyond those in the foreground, such as Lake Ostrzyckie.
My main gripe with this outing was the price of parking and entrance fee to the observation tower. In 2016, it cost 4 zl to park and 7 zl to climb the tower. Fast forward to 2022. Parking costs 10 zl while the entrance fee is 10 zl. All in all, 30 zl for two adults to climb a metal tower is a bit steep, if not bordering on the absurd. However, as climbing the Kaszubska Wieża Widokowa and admiring the panoramic views will probably be a once in a lifetime experience for me, I didn’t lose sleep over the prices in the days following the visit.
