Hostýn Lookout tower

The stone lookout tower with a total height of 15 meters has an observation platform located at a height of 12 meters and a total of 60 steps lead to it. It was first opened in 1898.

There is a beautiful view of the Hostýn Hills and Hana from the observation deck.

From Bystřice pod Hostýnem you can get to the lookout tower by following the red tourist sign, which leads here from the railway station. The road is about 4 km long and you can park your car at the end of the village Vinohrádek. From here, the road is still about 1.5 km long. You cannot get directly to the lookout tower by car, there is a ban on entry and the permit is granted only by the Chvalčov Municipal Office.
You can also get here from the Chvalčov signpost near the road connecting Bystřice pod Hostýnem and Vsetín. This road is about 1.5 km long.
During the summer holidays, the lookout tower is open daily from 8:30 to 12:00 and then from 12:30 to 16:30. During May, June and September, it is only open on weekends, at the same time.

On the Hostýn hill you will currently find a stone lookout tower, but also the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which is located on the ground floor of the lookout tower.

The construction of the lookout tower began in 1897, twice. Right after a month, a storm tore him down. On September 1, 1897, Emperor Francis Joseph I came to see the construction site, who, among other things, touched the foundation stone, which was also consecrated before being placed in the tower. The lookout tower was then named after this monarch. The project was then developed by P. Cibulka and made by Ing. Václav Wittner, who then also largely financed the construction. The grand opening took place on September 14, 1898.

The floor plan of the lookout tower consists of two circles of unequal size with a width of 70-100 cm. The brick part of the lookout tower is 12 meters high and the total height at that time was 27 meters. Previously, the lookout tower was equipped with a turret with a cross. However, it was demolished in 1915 and only a terrace with a pyramidal roof remained. Between 1957 and 1971, the building was used as a retransmission station for the long-distance transmission of a television signal. It was therefore closed to the public until 1987. It was reopened on 18 July.

The lookout tower underwent a complete reconstruction in the years 2002-2003.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová