Rising above the village of Sloup v Čechách on a sandstone rock once known as Breiterstein, the Na Stráži lookout tower offers one of the best panoramas in the region. Its story is as interesting as the view itself - a mountain lodge once stood here, later a recreation center, which burned down in 1999, before the current tower took its place.

Standing at 354 meters above sea level, the wood-clad steel structure reaches 33 meters including its transmission antennas, with an observation deck at 26 meters. From up there, the view spans an impressive 340 degrees, taking in the rocky landscape of the Bohemian Paradise region and beyond. The sandstone cliffs and forests below look striking in every season - lush green in summer, fiery in autumn, and quietly dramatic under winter snow.

How to get there

• From Sloup v Čechách - follow the green and red marked trail from the rock castle, short and easy walk
• An additional path leads to the tower from the crossroads near the U sedmi trpaslíků restaurant

Practical information

• Tower height: 33 m (including antennas), observation deck at 26 m
• 150 steps lead to the top
• Viewing angle: 340°
• The tower also serves as a mobile network transmitter

Interestingly, the original plan was for a guesthouse with a 40-meter telecom mast, but local residents pushed for a lookout tower instead - the one that opened to visitors in July 2011.