In Krnov, the repair of the Cvilín lookout tower has begun and will last for a year

Krnov (Bruntálsko) – The repair of the Cvilín lookout tower began yesterday in Krnov, Bruntál district. Due to its deteriorating condition, this monument, which dates back to the early 20th century, has been closed since March of last year. The work will last a year and will cost around ten million crowns, according to Dita Círová, the city spokesperson.

"We have already handed over the construction site to the company, and after setting up the construction site and necessary preparatory work, the first task will be to stabilize the foundations. The foundation of the lookout tower is unstable and its statics have been compromised," said Jan Šrubař from the public procurement department.

In addition to the foundations, other problematic areas include the outdoor access gallery, including the staircase, concrete cornices, the balcony, reinforcing steel strips, the roof, the interior staircase, and especially the observation terrace, whose masonry railing with battlements is not stable. "The goal of the restoration is to respect the existing appearance as much as possible, to reinforce the damaged elements, to replace those that are non-functional, to supplement missing parts, and to carry out final conservation and protection," Šrubař added.

According to him, the repair of Krnov's dominant feature will bring increased traffic intensity not only on the road leading to Cvilín but also on the access road to the lookout tower from the direction of the pilgrimage church. Additionally, a parking area for personal vehicles will be established near the observation tower for the needs of the construction.

The 28-meter-high lookout tower on Cvilín was built between 1902 and 1903 according to the design of architect Ernst Latzel, initiated by the Moravian-Silesian Mountain Society and with significant financial support from Prince Jan II of Liechtenstein. Originally, its upper part was topped with a turret with a spiral staircase, allowing a view of the surroundings from a point five meters higher than the current walkable observation deck. This eccentrically placed turret significantly disrupted the tower's statics, so it had to be reduced to its current level.