Žalý lookout tower in the Giant Mountains

The local stone lookout tower has stood here since 1892. It is located about 5 km northwest of Vrchlabí and about 35 km from Trutnov, also to the northwest. It is located at an altitude of 1019 meters and its total height is 18 meters.

After climbing 89 steps, you will reach a height of 16.5 meters, from where there is a beautiful view of Kotel, Golden Hill with the mound Hanče and Vrbaty, Medvědín, Sněžka and more. Good visibility will probably allow you to see the silhouette of Ještěd, Bezděz or Trosek.

You can easily get to Přední Žalý from Vrchlabí, following the yellow tourist sign. From Horní Mísečky, a red tourist sign leads here along the so-called Buchar road. You can also leave Benecko following the red tourist sign.
Another option is to take the cable car up from Herlíkovice. The cable car also transports bicycles.

The lookout tower is open every day between 10 am and 5 pm.

The history of the local lookout tower began to be written in 1836, when a structure for measuring and signaling was built here, which also served as a lookout tower. Gradually, however, the view began to be obscured by mature trees, so in 1888, the Krkonoše Association had a 15-meter iron lookout point built here. It was equipped with a weather vane and indicators of the world at the top. Unfortunately, the Krkonoše Association did not receive a permit to operate it. In addition, Count Harrach set the condition that tourists would not have to pay to visit the lookout tower. Although the association agreed, it still did not receive permission from the district governor's office in Jilemnice. He justified his statement by saying that the construction was too weak. Subsequently, the lookout tower was dismantled again.

In 1890, a wooden restaurant was built on the hill, and two years later a quadrangular lookout tower was built next to it, bearing the name of Emperor Franz Josef I. Its grand opening took place on September 7, 1892. However, the building fell out of favor among the German population. several fires broke out here in the restaurant, to which it also succumbed in 1900. It was later restored and served until 1943.

The lookout tower underwent a major reconstruction in the 1990s. Shortly afterwards, it was equipped with antennas, which significantly spoiled its appearance.

In 2007, a private investor, Vladimír Nývlt, planned to build a wooden sheet with the glazed body of a building that would stand on the foundations of a former restaurant. However, such a controversial proposal did not meet with positive responses, and so it was never implemented.

In the years 2008/09, a new timbered cottage was built here, an imitation of the original one, which serves tourists who want to refresh themselves, who are looking for shelter from bad weather or would like to buy basic souvenirs.
The lookout tower underwent further repairs in 2011/12. It started to flow into the lookout tower through the broken masonry and the statics were not quite right. The masonry was reinforced with a lookout tower, the staircase and the observation deck were repaired. After the reconstruction, the lookout tower was reopened to visitors on July 4, 2012.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová