In Chanovice, a new observation tower will open with a view of Šumava

Chanovice (Klatov) - The new lookout tower on Chlum Hill, which local people have been striving to build for about ten years, will be opened on August 6 by the municipality of Chanovice in Klatov. The part-stone and part-wooden lookout tower at an elevation of 608 meters will offer a panoramic view of the Šumava region. In good weather, it will be possible to see from the Český les to Prachatice and Lipno, stretching inland as far as Brdy. The construction, which is intended to help boost tourism in the Prácheň region, cost 3.5 million crowns. The Plzeň Region also contributed a significant amount, said Chanovice Mayor Petr Klásek to ČTK today.
    "This week we received the occupancy permit for the use of the lookout tower on Chlum," he stated. Construction began in 2008. The civic association Panoráma, which has been advocating for the construction for several years, gradually collected 0.8 million crowns. The project started thanks to the first grant from the region of 690,000 crowns in 2008; last year the region added another 350,000 crowns. Chanovice contributed significantly, gradually investing 1.48 million crowns, while the municipalities of Prácheňsko added 180,000 crowns, the mayor noted.
    The thirty-meter lookout tower has a viewing platform at a height of 25 meters, accessible via 136 steps. It is stone-built, has a square floor plan that narrows roughly halfway up. It is topped by a wooden eight-sided roofed lookout.
    The construction is part of a long-term project aimed at creating a cohesive tourism offer in Chanovice. The municipality is trying to attract tourists to the pristine nature. Currently, visitors mainly come for the castle complex, where the municipality organizes various cultural programs, and for the developing open-air museum of folk architecture. "Chanovice is characterized by beautiful hilly landscapes with mixed forests and views of the Šumava. The lookout tower is part of the educational trail Nature and Forests of Pošumaví, which connects the castle area with the English-style park, mixed forests, and the open-air museum," the mayor added.
    Thanks to the lookout tower in Chanovice, the Plzeň Region is richer by another place offering views from heights. The region has nearly forty lookout towers and observation points, with more planned. In April, a new lookout tower was opened at Šibeniční vrch near Horšovský Týn, and at the end of last year, a twenty-seven-meter lookout tower at Sedlo Hill near Sušice, costing 6.5 million crowns, started serving tourists.