Ještěd Tower

Ještěd Tower is a television tower, observation tower, and hotel in Horní Hanychov near Liberec, Czechia, built as a hyperboloid structure standing 94 meters (308 feet) tall. The structure houses a transmitter mast, restaurant, observation platform, and hotel rooms arranged around the central tower shaft.

A mountain lodge stood on the summit from 1844, later expanded into a hotel, until fire destroyed the building in 1963. Karel Hubáček designed the current structure, which was built between 1966 and 1973 and later received the Auguste Perret Prize for architecture.

The tower takes its name from Ještěd mountain, which it crowns, and today serves as a broadcasting station with an observation deck where visitors can dine in the rotating restaurant. The site draws hikers, skiers, and architecture enthusiasts who use the summit as a day-trip destination and admire the building's unusual form.

The summit sits at 1012 meters above sea level and can be reached by cable car from Horní Hanychov or by car. The observation deck is accessible in clear weather and offers views across the surrounding countryside and towns.

The building shape mimics the mountain cone and makes the summit appear as a natural peak from a distance rather than imposing an artificial structure. The design protects the construction from strong winds that blow at this exposed elevation, while hotel rooms are housed directly beneath the observation platform.

Location: Horní Hanychov

Inception: 20 century

Architects: Karel Hubáček, SIAL, Otakar Binar

Official opening: July 9, 1973

Architectural style: high-tech architecture

Elevation above the sea: 1,012 m

Height: 94 m

Website: http://jested.cz

GPS coordinates: 50.73263,14.98459

Latest update: December 20, 2025 12:58