The observation towers in the Jeseníky Mountains attract tourists with beautiful views

Prague - The popularity of lookouts in the Czech Republic has been steadily rising in recent years. In addition to older structures that have undergone renovations, several new, mostly modern lookouts are opened every year.
The most lookouts were built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in connection with the rise of various beautification societies, and many of those architecturally unique "witnesses of past times" still serve tourists today due to necessary repairs made later. This is the case for the stone lookout tower on Strážiště near Úvalno, which was ceremoniously opened 100 years ago, on September 21, 1913. However, in the nearby Jeseníky Mountains and their surroundings, there are many other interesting observation structures that have become sought-after tourist destinations.
Selection of lookouts in Jeseníky and the surrounding area:

The 18-meter high stone lookout on a 891-meter high hill was built in 1898 and was named after Emperor Franz Joseph I. Even earlier, in 1896, the first post office in Moravia was established at this peak. In the 1960s, the tower was closed and was only reopened in 1996. Ten years later, the post office was restored near the lookout, which operated here until the 1950s. The tower is located close to the Polish border and offers beautiful views, especially of the Jeseníky Mountains and the Králický Sněžník massif.

An unconventional, 25-meter high iron lookout tower with a wooden cladding was built on a 898-meter high peak in 2006. It is located near Javorník in the Jesenicko region, and in addition to hiking trails, numerous cycling paths also cross this area. In the past, three lookouts stood on the hill, but none lasted long against the whims of the weather. The current tower offers stunning views of the Rychlebské Mountains and the Orlické Mountains, as well as the lowlands in Poland.

Above the town of Krnov, on the Front Cvilín Hill, a 35-meter high stone lookout was built in 1903. Nearby stands the two-towered pilgrimage church of St. Cross and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows from 1727. During World War II, the lookout served as an observation tower for the German army. From its viewing platform, one can see as far as the Beskydy Mountains in good visibility conditions. In 2011, the tower placed second in a poll by iDnes.cz for the most beautiful lookout tower in the Czech Republic.

Hraniční vrch

An original, 25-meter high iron lookout tower with two observation platforms on two towers, connected by an eighteen-meter long bridge, was created in 2011 near the Czech-Polish border at Město Albrechtice in the Bruntál region. Both steel towers were built in 1980 for the purpose of wireless telephone signal transmission, but have not been used since 1999.

Strážiště u Úvalna

Praděd

The tip of the 162-meter high television transmitter on Praděd in the Jeseníky Mountains (1491 m) is the highest point in the Czech Republic. The observation platform in the ring of the tower, which was built in 1983, is located at a height of 73 meters. On this site stood a massive stone lookout until 1959, which collapsed due to significant deterioration.

Strážiště u Úvalna

The 22-meter high stone lookout was built in the cubist style on the Strážiště hill (395 m) in honor of local native, doctor, and Austrian politician Hans Kudlich, whose name it bears. Kudlich's remains were placed in the ground floor of the lookout after his death, which also serves as his mausoleum. In the 1990s, the tower was even incorporated into the coat of arms of the village. However, by the end of the 20th century, the lookout was in very bad condition, and its demolition was even contemplated. After an extensive reconstruction, it was reopened to visitors in 2000.

The 26-meter high stone lookout was built in 1899 above the spa town of Jeseník. Three years later, a mountain chalet called Medritzerova was built beside the tower, operating year-round. After World War II, interest in the Zlatý Chlum area waned. The chalet burned down in 1955, and the solitary lookout, left without maintenance, fell into disrepair. In the 1970s, the Jeseník City Council took care of its reconstruction and reopening. Recently, the lookout has been reconstructed again, and visitors can enjoy views of the entire Jeseník region, and in nice weather, can even see into Poland or the Králický Sněžník.