Baltic Cross of Hope

The Baltic Cross of Hope is a metal cross 19 metres high that stands on the cliff in Pustkowo, in Rewal municipality. It lies in the eastern part of the Park of the Friends of Pustkowo, at the junction of Nadmorska and Leśna streets, about a hundred metres from the Baltic shore. Construction was completed on 14 May 2007.

How it came about

The originator was the president of the Catholic Association of Polish Railwaymen, engineer Tadeusz Jędraszek. He was inspired by the words of John Paul II spoken in Szczecin in 1987, about a wind blowing from the Baltic to the mountain peaks, to the cross on Giewont. The cross is a replica of the cross on Giewont, but larger than the original: it is one and a half metres taller and weighs 4.5 tonnes. Work began in 2001, and the name was given by Archbishop Andrzej Dzięga. The money was raised by the residents of Pustkowo and the local authorities.

Structure and site

The structure was transported to Pustkowo in pieces and bolted together and partly welded on site. 170 tonnes of concrete were used beneath the cross, and the foundation footing is set 2.5 metres below the surroundings. A choice was made between several locations, including Trzęsacz and Wisełka, but the originator wanted a place close to the shoreline. A commemorative plaque at the foot of the cross from 2014 names the people who helped to identify the present site.

By the cross

Since 2009 a motorcycle pilgrimage to Zakopane has set out from Pustkowo, called the pilgrimage from cross to cross. At Christmas a nativity scene is set up by the cross. In the square there also stands a replica of a ship made for Expo 2000, where it was part of the exhibition of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. From here it is close to the ruins of the church in Trzęsacz, where the Multimedia Museum on the Cliff stands.

Practical information

• Location: Pustkowo, the park at Nadmorska and Leśna streets, about 100 m from the beach.
• The site is open to all, with no tickets or opening hours.