Poledník (1,314 m a.s.l.) is one of Šumava's most intriguing summits — a mountain with a secret Cold War past and a viewing tower that delivers sweeping panoramas across central Šumava, the Bavarian Forest, and on clear days all the way to the Alps. It is a place where recent history and wild nature sit side by side in a wonderfully unexpected way.

The mountain rises above the Kvilda Plateau, 4.5 km south of Prášil, with a broad, elongated ridge and steep glacier-carved eastern slopes. Below those slopes lie the cirque of Prášilské Lake and the dry cirque known as Stará jímka. The landscape is quintessential Šumava — open moorland, dense spruce forest and wide skies that feel especially dramatic in winter under snow. The tower itself stands 37 metres tall with a distinctive profile featuring three semicircular upper floors, and 227 steps lead to the top.

• Prášily — red trail, 8.5 km, approx. 2–2.5 h, moderate difficulty. The trail is also open to cyclists and cross-country skiers in winter.

• The observation tower is open during summer season only (June–October).
• The green and red border trail from Frantův most via Poledník to Javoří Pila passes through Zone 1 of the national park and is closed for most of the year — open only from 1 July to 30 September, due to capercaillie nesting.

The tower began its life as a top-secret military electronic surveillance facility codenamed TOPAS, built in the 1960s and 70s to monitor radio traffic deep inside West Germany — so sensitive that even nearby Prášilské Lake was off-limits and the peak itself disappeared from maps. Since 1998 it has welcomed hikers instead of spies, drawing 30,000 visitors in its very first season.