vyhledyzkralovky-en

Královka – observation tower

The observation tower on the hill is called Královka, based on the German name König. The König family settled here in 1806 and their descendants built a small settlement.

In the early 1930s the stone observation tower stood on Královka, but the building at the base of it was not there yet. The other buildings were inhabited year-round and the land was farmed.

The first observation tower on Královka was built out of wood in 1888. A wind storm destroyed it in 1906.

The stone tower and old building that burned down in 1933.

They were farmers and glassmakers. You can still find traces of the original fields at the edge of the forest nearby (where the ground between the trees is unusually flat). Not far away, the house by the road has been rebuilt where the original agricultural building once stood (see photograph from the beginning of the 20th century, when there was much less forest here). The first wooden observation tower at Královka was built in the late 19th century as hiking became more popular.

In the early 20th century visitors to the observation tower could see the original building.

A year after the old building burned down, a new structure took its place. It still stands in modified form today.

A stone observation tower replaced it in 1907. Of course, in clear weather you can enjoy some beautiful views even from the road. You can see the city Jablonec nad Nisou and its reservoir down in the valley. The mountain Ještěd stands out to your right with its distinctive television tower. On the horizon you can see Trosky castle, the dominant feature of the Český ráj nature reserve. If you see steam clouds far in the distance to the left of the castle, that’s the Chvaletice power station. After dark you can usually see the lights of Prague to the southwest, and if you have very good eyes, you might be able to pick out the blinking light of the Žižkov television tower.

Text: PhDr. Milan Svoboda, Ph.D., Otokar Simm

Images: Petr Kurtin

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