The lookout tower on Velký Kosíř is being renovated, it is expected to open in the summer

Slatinky - Workers have begun the repair of the lookout tower on Mount Velký Kosíř near Slatinky in the Prostějov region, from which people could once again enjoy the view into the distance by the beginning of summer. The lookout tower has been closed for over a year. According to an agreement, it should be reopened after the repairs on June 1, said Hana Rozsypalová, the chairwoman of the Kosířsko microregion and the mayor of Těšetic in the Olomouc region, to ČTK today.

The lookout tower on Velký Kosíř was opened in the summer of 2013. The construction cost 6.5 million crowns, with three million contributed by the Olomouc region for the project. However, last February the tower was closed due to identified defects in the structure of the staircase. The construction company that built the tower is now, according to Rozsypalová, installing support for the wooden staircase at its own expense, which wraps around the structure. "Most likely, the tower will be opened on June 1. If this cannot be accomplished, then definitely from July," Rozsypalová stated.

The adjustment of the staircase of the lookout tower on Velký Kosíř is being carried out according to project documentation, which also involved a structural engineer. In the future, the structure of the tower will also need to be reinforced. “In June, we will have the project prepared and we will negotiate how to proceed. But this (reinforcement of the structure) is not absolutely necessary immediately; the tower can open and it will be safe,” Rozsypalová said.

Representatives of the Kosířsko microregion discovered the first deficiencies regarding the slope of the terraces shortly after the grand opening of the lookout tower. Subsequently, defects in the staircase structure were also found, which could not be claimed for warranty. The decision to close the lookout tower on Mount Velký Kosíř was made after an expert assessment of the state of the tower was prepared. The authors of the assessment recommended closing the tower to prevent the defects from worsening. Representatives of the microregion then negotiated for some time with representatives of the construction company regarding the conditions for removing the defects.

The lookout tower, which offers views of the flat Haná region, the Drahanská Highlands, the Bouzov Hills, and the silhouette of the Low Jeseník, has a stone base with facilities, and its tube is wooden with steel elements. The upper platform is 25 meters high. The lookout tower existed on Velký Kosíř from 1927 to 1939, but had to be removed due to poor technical condition.

Velký Kosíř (441 m above sea level) is the dominant feature of the Haná plains, located between the towns of Kostelec na Hané, Čechy pod Kosířem, and Slatinice. It is surrounded by many myths. In 1990, the Velký Kosíř Nature Park was established.