Observation Tower in Pietrowice Wielkie

Exactly 100 steps lead to the top of the tower in Pietrowice Wielkie, one for each year of independence that Poland celebrated in 2018, when the tower opened. From the upper platform, on a clear day, you can see the Moravian Gate, the low gap between the Sudetes and the Carpathians. The steel tower stands in a valley next to the wooden Holy Cross church, so one stop combines a borderland panorama with a 17th-century landmark.

The tower in numbers

The tower opened in November 2018. Including the cross on top it is 22.83 m tall, and it stands at 230.17 m above sea level. More than 30 tonnes of steel went into the structure. Viewing platforms are set at 3.5 m, 8.75 m, 14 m and 17.5 m, so anyone uneasy with heights can stop lower down. The tower is part of a trail of viewing towers and platforms along the upper Oder; in Racibórz County it was the third, after the towers at the Oder meanders in Chałupki and by the castle in Tworków.

The Holy Cross church next door

The tower stands at the entrance to the car park of the Holy Cross pilgrimage church, about 2 km from the village centre. The wooden church was built in 1667 by the parish priest Martin Mosler near a small well where, according to legend, shepherds found an image of the Crucified Christ. It is a log building with a shingled roof and soboty, roofed arcades running around the walls. Outside there is a wooden pulpit and a belfry with two bells, and nearby a neo-Gothic chapel from 1899 with a "miraculous spring".

Inside, the rood beam carries inscriptions in three languages – Moravian, Latin and German – commemorating an indulgence granted in 1743. They reflect the multilingual past of the area, which for centuries partly belonged to Moravia. The municipality has laid out an arboretum and a campfire area around the church.

Tripto tip

• When to go: you will only see the Moravian Gate when the air is clear, ideally after a weather front has passed or on a cool, dry day.
• Time needed: 15–20 minutes up and down; with the church and a walk through the arboretum, allow about an hour.
• Access: the only way up is by stairs. The municipality does not publish opening hours, so check that the tower is not temporarily closed before a long drive.
• Services: according to the municipal website, Mass is held at the Holy Cross church on Sundays at 11:00, a good moment to see the interior.