The most beautiful lookout tower built last year is Fajtův kopec, according to a survey

Jihlava - The best of the 21 new lookout towers opened last year in the Czech Republic is the observation tower on Fajtův Hill near Velké Meziříčí in the Žďár region. This 36-meter-high lookout tower in the shape of a spiral has been open to the public since June 19 last year. The second place in the voting by the Friends of Lookouts Club was taken by Salaš near Velehrad, while the third highest number of votes went to the lookout tower Rýdův Hill near Děbolín in the Jindřichův Hradec region. Pavel Gejdoš, the club spokesman, informed ČTK.

The tower on Fajtův Hill received 212 votes. "The popularity of this airy structure may have been enhanced by the fact that every traveler on the D1 highway passes by it and sees it," Gejdoš stated.

The idea for the lookout tower came from the Ski Club of Velké Meziříčí, which operates a ski slope and a bike park at Fajtův Hill in the summer. People helped choose its design by voting online. The winning proposal came from architects Václav Hlaváček and Jáchym Pešek for a metal tower in the shape of a DNA spiral. Its construction cost nearly nine million crowns, with part of the costs covered by a European grant. The lookout tower has already been visited by 22,000 people, Jiří Pálka from the Ski Club noted.

103 people voted for the lookout tower Salaš near Velehrad. "Although it is a place with only a local view in one direction, the voters were likely attracted to its very original structure," Gejdoš said. The 21-meter-high tower, made of iron and wood, resembles a pair of pliers or two sevens facing each other. It was entirely funded by a private benefactor.

Third place went to Hýlačka, a metal tower built on the site of a burned-down wooden lookout tower in Tábor - Větrovy. Following it was the lookout tower Rýdův Hill near Děbolín, which measures 33 meters. Notably, it combines brick, wood, and metal parts, including two different staircases.

According to the club, the construction of new lookout towers has recently been accompanied by several evils. They are often built according to the same design. Subsidized outlooks tend to be overpriced and sometimes placed in unnecessary locations, Gejdoš stated. This was the second time the club organized a vote for the lookout tower of the year.