Suchý Vrch lookout tower

Suchý vrch, located about 8 km east of Jablonné nad Orlicí and 30 km northeast of Ústí nad Orlicí, boasts a tourist lookout tower. It is located at an altitude of 995 meters and was built in the early 1930s.

The total height of the lookout tower is 33 meters. The observation deck is located at a height of 25 meters above the ground and offers a view of Kralický Sněžník, Praděd, Červenohorské sedlo and Owl Mountains in Poland. A total of 177 steps lead to the covered viewpoint.

A branch from Červenohorské sedlo leads to Suchý vrch, specifically from the road between Jablonný nad Orlicí and Červená Voda.

You can visit the lookout tower daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

Suchý vrch is a place on the border of the Orlické Mountains and Hrubý Jeseník. It used to be called Černá hora and it is the highest mountain in the Bukovohorská pahorkatina.

The peak, of course, attracted tourists long ago. One of the first interests was shown by the Czech Tourist Club in the period before the First World War. Even then, they planned to build a tourist cottage here, but the war broke their plans, but did not destroy them. As early as 1924, the Czech Tourists Club bought the local land and had a simple shelter built for them, who were to find refuge here in bad weather. Two years later, in 1926, the construction of a more magnificent tourist cottage began, which was ceremoniously opened on July 6, 1928. The cottage was named "Kramářova".

In the years 1931-32, a 33-meter-high water tower was added to this cottage, which had two observation decks.
The period after 1938 meant a number of changes for the cottage with a lookout tower, especially concerning the appearance and owners. In the war year 1935, Suchý vrch was taken over by the German army, which established a rehabilitation institute for wounded pilots. The cottage with a lookout tower was not opened to the public again until after the war.

During the times of totalitarianism, the cottage was renamed Tyršova and served as an army recreation center. In the 1960s, the tower underwent minor alterations in the form of antennas and glazing of galleries. In 1984, a hexagonal steel tower, 48 meters high and used as a telecommunication device, was built near the cottage.

In 1986, the tower received a new roofing in the shape of a cone. Until 1996, the cottage was owned by several owners and often led to litigation. It was closed in 1996. The Association of Orlicko Municipalities later became interested in the cottage with a lookout tower and sought to restore its lost glory. However, the then owner did not agree with the association, so no changes took place.

In 2003, Kramář's cottage was damaged by fire, fortunately the lookout tower remained unharmed. Only the company CVS from Žamberk initiated its reconstruction.

The year 2011 marked a turn for the better for the cottage. Its owner received a European subsidy for its renewal, so according to the project of Ing. In the summer of 2012, a four-storey cottage similar to the one that once stood here was established by the Germans. Now you will find tourist facilities - buffet, restaurant and accommodation.

Suchý vrch outside the tourist lookout tower offers an excellent environment for hiking and cycling trips, in winter you can go cross-country skiing, etc. You can also go to the Bouda artillery fortress, which is definitely worth seeing.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová