Merry Hill Lookout Tower

The iron lookout tower, which serves as a mobile operator's transmitter, stands on a hill near the village of Mokrsko in the village of Chotilsko, which is about 30 km northeast of Příbram. The lookout tower is built at an altitude of 489 meters.

The total height of the lookout tower is 42 meters. The viewing platform is located at a height of 25.5 meters above the ground and a total of 137 steps lead to it. From the lookout tower there is a nice view of the Slapy dam, Střední Povltaví and Brdy. If the weather is good, you will also see the Bohemian Central Mountains and the Šumava Mountains.

The easiest way to the lookout tower leads from the parking lot in Mokrsko, where of course you can park your car. It is a fenced and enclosed area, from where you follow the yellow tourist sign to the lookout tower. But get ready for a steeper ascent about 0.5 km long. A milder road leads from Prostřední Lhota to the hospitality industry, but it is about 1 km longer.

In April and May it is open on weekends and public holidays from 11 am to 5 pm. From June to the end of August, you can get here daily except Mondays from 10 am to 6 pm. In September and October, the lookout tower is open on weekends and public holidays between 11 am and 4 pm.

Veselý vrch, a hill in Střední Povltaví, has been used for views of the Vltava River in earlier times. The period photographs show a wooden lookout on one of the trees.

The steel lookout tower was built here by Eurotel, today O2, in order to build a mast for signal transmission. Veselý vrch is located in the cadastre of the village of Chotilsko, and at the time of the construction of the mast it raised the condition that the building will also contain a gallery, which will serve as a lookout tower for tourists.

Construction began in April 1999 with Excon and was completed in June of that year. It measures a total of 42 meters and was ceremoniously opened on July 3, 1999. At that time, the then Minister of the Environment Miloš Kužvart or MP Jan Bláha also took part in this event.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová