Pictures from the history of look-out towers in Czech lands

People in Bohemia and Moravia always liked their beautiful country. They also loved to overview the nature in the way that only birds can do, from heaven heights. This made them build look-out towers on the hills where trees did not allow for free view, in town outskirts, in parks of chateaus, near promenades in spa sites. Nearly three hundreds of these towers have been built during the last two centuries.

The first one was erected in about 1800 but most of them were built between 1880 and 1914, in the gold era of tourism. They were made of wood, stone, bricks or steel and some of them were really nice pieces of architecture. Unfortunately, many of the old and wooden towers have already disappeared.

A new wave of construncting look-out towers has come after 1989. Recently, each year at least one new tower is opened for public.

Let us have a look at some of them as they looked like in times they were born:

• simple and early constructions
• wooden towers with interesting design
• steel towers
• castle and castle-like look-out towers
• towers with a very unusual design
• look-out towers in Jizerske hory (Jizera mountains)
• look-out towers in Luzicke hory
• look-out mountains in Krusne hory
• look-out towers in Cesky raj (Czech paradise)
• look-out towers at chalets in Ceske stredohori
• spa-town towers in Carlsbad
• look-out towers in Sumava mountains 
• look-out towers in Jeseniky mountains
• some of the newly built towers
• reading about the towers (also available in English and German)

Did you like them? Then simply come to the country, walk on the top of the tower hills, climb the stairs and have a bright view!