After a three-year break, the tower of the town hall in Jablonec will be accessible

Jablonec nad Nisou - After a three-year break, the 51-meter-high tower of the town hall in Jablonec will be open to the public starting next week. In the past, during the summer season, up to 800 tourists climbed the tower, but due to the façade repair, the lookout was last open in 2015. The first ascent to the tower is scheduled for Monday, July 9, announced Radana Schaeferová from the Jablonec Cultural and Information Center, which organizes the ascents to the tower.

Looking at Jablonec from a bird's-eye view not only attracted tourists before the tower's closure but also the locals came in large numbers. "Jablonec residents look around and point out where they live, where they go to school, or for ice cream. Tourists ask more questions about what is over the hill or what interesting buildings are nearby. On clear days, you can beautifully see all the way to the Ještěd Ridge, the Jizera Mountains, the Černostudniční Ridge, or the Císařský kámen," said one of the guides at the tower, Alexandra Pohoževa.

The tower is located on the town hall built between 1931 and 1933 according to the design of architect Karel Winter. This heritage-protected building is considered one of the significant constructions of Czechoslovak interwar architecture, and in recent years, both the interior and exterior have been gradually repaired. Since 2013, thanks to grants for the town hall's restoration, the city has spent over 50 million crowns. The money has gone towards repairing windows, façades, and meeting rooms. The vestibule has had lanterns since last year, which were previously missing because there was not enough money for their production during the construction of the town hall. This year, the city has allocated 17 million crowns in the budget for the town hall, most of which will go towards restoring the largest council chamber.

"The Jablonec town hall is architecturally exceptional, and it undoubtedly deserves restoration. I believe that the renewed functionalist details will be appreciated by visitors who will head to the town hall tower this summer," said Petr Vobořil, director of the Jablonec Cultural and Information Center. According to him, aside from the tower, another popular attraction at the town hall is the paternoster, or circulating lift. "Especially for children, it's a rarity," added Vobořil.