The Bismarck Tower on Tanečnice hill is one of only three such towers in the Czech Republic, standing right on the border between two countries and two centuries of history. Perched between Sebnitz and Mikulášovice, it offers a memorable stop for anyone exploring the wooded hills of the Czech-Saxon borderland.

There's something quietly atmospheric about this stone tower — built in 1905 on the site of earlier survey and lookout towers, it has watched over the surrounding forests for well over a century. The landscape here is classic Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland: dense woods, rolling hills, and a sense of remoteness that shifts with the seasons. Summers bring the rustle of leaves and clear long views, autumn paints the forest in gold, and winter dusts the tower and trees in snow, giving the whole area a hushed, storybook feel.

How to reach the viewpoint

• From Mikulášovice or Sebnitz — via forest trail, moderate difficulty
• Accessible from the nearby inn 'Onkel Toms Hütte', located right next to the tower

Practical information

• An inn stands beside the tower, rebuilt after the original hut burned down in 1946
• The tower has been reinforced with steel bands and some windows bricked up; as of June 2023 it is in need of renovation

Interesting fact: the neighboring inn has kept the same nickname — 'Onkel Toms Hütte' — for generations, echoing its predecessor from before the 1946 fire.