<div>Nad Olešnicí v Orlických horách začala stavba rozhledny</div> <div>Construction of a lookout tower has started above Olešnice in the Orlické Mountains</div>

Olešnice in the Orlické Mountains - The installation of a new observation tower has begun on Feist's Hill above Olešnice in the Orlické Mountains. Its foundation at an altitude of 706 meters was completed last year, and the construction workers have started assembling the prefabricated structure on-site. Eva Stojková, the mayor of the municipality, told ČTK. Weather complicated the transport of part of the steel construction to the construction site on Monday, as the road was icy in places.

"They had to wait for it to thaw. They are gradually starting to assemble the observation tower. The lower part of the assembly resembles a Merkur construction set. The tower should be completed by the end of April. Then finishing touches will follow, such as the installation of cameras," Stojková told ČTK.

According to her, given the current situation related to the spread of the coronavirus, it is not possible to specify an exact date for the opening of the observation tower to the public. She expects it might be in May.

The observation tower will be made of a steel structure with seven levels and an open octagonal observation platform. A spiral staircase will be inside the structure. The construction will also include wooden elements, such as infill for the railings on the observation and bypass platforms on the levels. The cost of the project is 5.37 million crowns, with more than 80 percent of the expenses covered by a European grant.

The observation tower above Olešnice is one of four new towers planned in the Hradec Králové Region and is part of a project to renovate the ridge route in the Czech-Polish border area, financially supported by the EU. The aim of the project is to revive the border area of the former Sudetenland, and includes the recently opened footbridge over the Orlice River in Neratov and the observation tower on Velká Deštná in the Orlické Mountains.