A new lookout tower with two observation platforms has been opened at the top of Větrov

Old Town - A new Dalimil lookout tower was ceremoniously opened today on Větrov Hill above Old Town in Šumperk, which is a replica of the former lookout tower on Králický Sněžník. The tower is 34 meters tall, and despite the unfavorable weather, hundreds of people from the surrounding area and Poland came to its opening. The stone lookout tower stands on the green tourist trail between the Paprsek hut and Old Town under Sněžník. It offers views of the Old Town region and the surrounding massifs of the Rychlebské Mountains, Hrubý Jeseník, and Králický Sněžník.

The Dalimil lookout tower resembles a historical observation tower, which was opened in 1899 on Králický Sněžník. This lookout was demolished in the 1970s. Since the peak of Králický Sněžník is located in Poland, the choice for the location of the new lookout tower fell on Větrov Hill. Two observation towers are accessible via 130 interlocking granite steps, followed by a steel spiral staircase with an additional 40 steps.

"A lookout tower as such is an interesting and complicated construction project, so there were many technical challenges. New technologies and materials made the construction easier and safer, but craftsmanship and manual work remain the same. Craftsmanship is craftsmanship, and that is how it will stay," said the chief designer of the tower, Jiří Tomeček.

The construction of the lookout tower on Větrov began in 2017. The foundation is made on 16 six-meter-long piles that are embedded in rock subsoil reinforced by a special technological process. The entire weight of the tower is supported by five granite pillars in the lower hall, connected into a stone vault. The internal load of the large tower is distributed into five ten-meter-high reinforced concrete columns transferring the weight to the vault of the upper hall and the side walls.

"I am completely sure that everyone from here or living here knows about the original lookout tower, whether from stories or old postcards. We all somehow feel that it still belongs to this region. Our family lived here before the war, and we wanted to bring this historical symbol back to our region. I would especially like to thank everyone who participated in its construction; it not only required expertise and skill but also heart and determination to succeed and complete the work," said the investor of the lookout tower, Dalimil Mika.