On Velký Kosíř there will be a new lookout tower, its construction may start next year

Prostějov - The Kosířsko Microregion will have a project for a new lookout tower at Velký Kosíř developed, which will replace the original observation tower closed due to poor technical condition. The task for the project documentation based on the architectural study from the Brno Ateliér Unipark was approved today by the general meeting of the Kosířsko microregion. The construction of the steel lookout tower, costing around 15 million crowns, could begin next year, with financing secured through a grant from the region, contributions from nearby municipalities, and a loan. This was announced today by the chairman of the microregion, Dalibor Kolář.

The current wooden lookout tower at Velký Kosíř, built in 2013, has been closed since October 2023 and is expected to be demolished this autumn. During the construction of the new lookout, the reinforced concrete base with facilities for refreshments will be utilized. The viewing terrace is planned at a height of 27 meters above ground, with the total height of the building reaching 29 meters. This is two meters more than the current wooden lookout tower. According to Kolář, this will maintain the view of the surroundings even as the nearby forest matures.

The architectural proposal includes an external staircase with varying gradients, allowing visitors to enjoy the landscape while ascending. The structure will be complemented by wooden panels, stainless steel nets in the railings, and steel gratings on the staircase. The microregion also wants to improve the area around the summit of Velký Kosíř and plans to negotiate with Lesy ČR about adding furniture and building a playground.

"If everything goes as planned, we would like to start the construction of the new lookout tower next year, symbolically 100 years after the establishment of the historically first lookout tower," Kolář said. According to him, the Olomouc region has already promised three million crowns for the project, and other hundreds of thousands of crowns will be provided by surrounding municipalities and towns. The microregion also plans to seek support from other regional institutions, with the remaining costs covered by a pre-agreed loan.

The original lookout tower will be removed after the cladding and staircase are dismantled. Kolář mentioned that the disposal of the wooden lookout could be utilized by the integrated rescue system units for their training exercises. "According to initial information, the partially dismantled remains of the lookout will be disposed of by shooting; however, the exact scenario and schedule for the works and exercises will still need to be discussed,” Kolář stated. The action will be without public participation for safety reasons.

The lookout tower at Velký Kosíř opened in the summer of 2013. The construction cost 6.5 million crowns, with three million contributed by the Olomouc region and additional funding from donors and surrounding municipalities. Representatives of the Kosířsko microregion discovered the first defects shortly after the ceremonial opening. Subsequently, defects in the staircase construction were also identified and could not be claimed. Due to defects in the wooden structure of the gallery, the decision was made in autumn 2023 to close the lookout for safety reasons.

The lookout tower, which offers views of the flat Haná plains, the Drahanská Highlands, the Bouzov Hills, and the silhouette of the Nízký Jeseník, has a stone base with facilities and a wooden tube with steel elements. Velký Kosíř (441 m above sea level) is a dominant feature of the Haná plains. In 1990, the Velký Kosíř Nature Park was established.