Pope John Paul II loved the mountains. During his lifetime, he also visited Sliezsky Dom in 1995. You can remember him by the cross he consecrated here.
Pope John Paul II had crossed the Tatra Mountains from the Polish and Slovak sides in his youth when he was still Karol Wojtyła. As the participants of the visit under Gerlach recall, he knew all the Slovak hills.
Although no one can count his trips to the Tatra Mountains in his youth, he also found time to visit them as Pope. On his official visit to Slovakia in 1995, he took a moment out of his busy schedule to greet the High Tatras at Sliezsky dom, despite his failing health.
John Paul II's visit to the Tatra Mountains is remembered every year by the parish of Vysoké Tatry at one of the July masses in Stary Smokovec, but often at a memorial mass at Sliezsky Dom.
Watch the video report from the commemorative mass on the 20th anniversary of the Holy Father's visit to Sliezsky Dom.
The consecrated cross still stands above the terrace of Sliezsky Dom, guarding the mountain guides and all those who decided to surpass themselves and climb Gerlach in winter and summer.
