The microregion recommended demolishing the lookout tower on Velký Kosíř, the proposal will be discussed by the municipalities

Lutín (Olomouc Region) – The leadership of the Microregion Kosířsko has recommended demolishing the 12-year-old lookout tower on the Velký Kosíř hill at the border of the Olomouc Region and Prostějov Region, which has been closed since October 2023 due to poor technical condition. Structural engineers have deemed the tower incapable of operation, and its repair would not be cost-effective. Representatives of the nine member municipalities of the microregion leaned towards the deconstruction of the lookout tower at a joint meeting, but this option still needs to be approved by municipal councils. The microregion will then announce a competition for the future shape of the Velký Kosíř summit. This was stated to journalists today by the chairman of the Microregion Kosířsko, Dalibor Kolář.

The lookout tower on Velký Kosíř was opened in the summer of 2013, with a viewing platform at a height of 25 meters. The construction cost 6.5 million Czech crowns, with three million contributed by the Olomouc Region and other funds from donors and local municipalities. Representatives of the Kosířsko microregion discovered the first shortcomings related to the slope of the terraces shortly after the official opening of the tower. Subsequently, defects in the stair structure were also identified, which could not be claimed. Due to defects in the wooden structure of the parapet, a decision was made in the fall of 2023 to close the tower for safety reasons.

According to Kolář, repairing the lookout tower would require a one-time investment of 1.5 million crowns, and regular maintenance would cost an additional 300,000 crowns annually. Another considered option was to demolish the structure and build a new lookout tower using the original documentation or architectural solution, which would cost 17 million crowns, and further funds would need to be invested in maintenance. Kolář pointed out that funding for this option is not secured.

Ultimately, the representatives supported the deconstruction of the lookout tower, from which only the base should remain at the top of Velký Kosíř. Architects will then propose a new form for the summit, which may not include the construction of a new lookout tower. When constructing a new element, materials removed from the lookout tower’s structure could be utilized. "I am glad that we are taking another step forward regarding the future of the lookout tower on Velký Kosíř. After the forced closure of the tower, we had documents prepared that provided us with hard data for the options for further action," Kolář stated.

The lookout tower, which offers views of the flatlands of Haná, Drahanská Highlands, Bouzov Hills, and the silhouette of the Low Jeseník, has a stone base with facilities, and its tube is wooden with steel elements. A lookout tower was already present on Velký Kosíř from 1927 to 1939, when it had to be removed due to poor technical condition. Velký Kosíř (441 m above sea level) is a dominant feature of the Haná plain, located between the towns of Kostelec na Hané, Čechy pod Kosířem, and Slatinice. It is shrouded in many myths. In 1990, the Velký Kosíř Nature Park was established.