The tower of Orlík Castle near Humpolec is once again accessible, thanks to the new lookout tower

Humpolec (Pelhřimovsko) - The medieval tower of Orlík Castle near Humpolec is once again accessible after centuries, thanks to a new observation tower. The builders have inserted the metal structure into the "tooth" of a once damaged stone building. Today, this 22-meter-high observation tower was opened to the public for the first time, and during the first two hours, more than a hundred people climbed its 104 spiral staircase steps to the observation platform.
    The construction of the observation tower was managed by the town of Humpolec, which paid 2.5 million crowns excluding VAT for it. "It's a historic event, I would say, because the last time someone looked out into the landscape from that castle was about 500 years ago," said Jiří Kučera (ODS), the mayor of Humpolec, to ČTK.
    From the ruins, it has not been possible to see far until now, despite standing on a hill at an altitude of 645 meters, due to the surrounding forest. Now, on a nice day, the observation tower offers tourists views of all the well-known peaks of the Highlands, including Javořice and Křemešník, and even the mountain of Blaník can be seen.
    The observation tower will be accessible on Sunday and next weekend, as well as today from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Operations during the upcoming weekends in November will depend on the weather and visitor interest. People will recognize the open tower by the red flag with the emblem of the first owners of the castle, the Lords of Dubé. The city plans a ceremonial opening of the observation tower on November 12.
    The medieval castle above Humpolec has been deteriorating over the past centuries. It was only in 1913 that basic conservation of the masonry was carried out due to the threat of the castle tower collapsing. Further securing work was undertaken around 1940 by the Czech Tourist Club. Systematic repairs have been ongoing since 1992. The castle was made accessible to tourists in 1997. The monument belongs to the town of Humpolec.