Rowokół – Smołdzino, Poland - Atlas Obscura

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Rowokół

Smołdzino, Poland

For centuries, this hill along the Polish coast has been used as a lookout—and the rumored home of pirate treasure. 

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For centuries, this hill on the Polish coast has been used for defense and navigational purposes. Now with the additional height granted by a fire tower on top of the hill, Rowokol travelers can use it to look out across the Baltic Sea.

This hill is the highest natural point for as far as the eye can see. An additional tower on top of that hill provides a glimpse above the tree line to the rest of the area. From here a visitor can see the Leba Sand Dunes, another natural wonder of the area, miles of Baltic coastline, and a grand view of Lakes Gardno and Lebsko. Any visitor to Slowinski National Park is wise to use this to get an overview of the adventure open to them.

As well as a fantastic way to gain a bearing on one’s surroundings, this hill provides a point of view that was once of strategic importance in the area. Its name comes from the original Swedish name for a fort, as Swedish ships passing by spotted a fort atop the hill and marked it on sea charts.

Legend has it that treasure hidden many years ago by a local band of pirates called the Bandemers is still hidden here waiting to be uncovered.

Know Before You Go

The tower is open from May to September. There is a fee to enter the tower which can be payed to a park official at the tower using a card reader. 


Convenient parking for the tower is at the base of the hill in the nearby town. From there it is an easy 20 minute walk through the woods up the hill.

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