Kleť, Mountain summit in South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Schöninger, known in Czech as Kleť, is the highest summit of the Blanský les at 1,087 m, rising 6 km northwest of Český Krumlov. Its top holds Josefova věž, a 20 m stone lookout tower reached by 110 steps, the timbered Tereziina chata, a 175 m television transmitter and, just below the peak, an observatory.
The mountain's name appears in writing as early as 1263 (mons Nakletti) and 1318 (mons Naclati). From the 14th century Kleť belonged to the Krumlov estate and served as a favoured hunting ground for its lords. In 1822–1825 Prince Josef II of Schwarzenberg built the stone Josefova věž here to open the summit to tourism.
The name Kleť was first recorded in 1263 as mons Nakletti, likely from an Old Czech word for a hut, chamber or cellar, or for a peak. German Schöninger translates the older name Krasletínská hora, after the village of Krasetín. Since 2000, ascents are logged in a summit book kept at Tereziina chata, and the year's most frequent climber is named King or Queen of Kleť.
The mountain is accessible via marked trails that start from different points in the surrounding area. Wearing proper hiking boots and carrying a map helps navigate safely along the routes.
The Kleť Observatory, built by amateur astronomers between 1958 and 1961 at 1,070 m, is the highest in Bohemia and holds the country's largest refracting telescope. The asteroid (2199) Kleť is named after both the observatory and the mountain.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,389 contributors worldwide.