Pikartská věž, Medieval defense tower in Úštěk, Czech Republic

Pikartská věž is a massive Gothic tower in Úštěk, built of dressed sandstone blocks with walls up to two metres thick. Its gabled roof, once covered with shingles, now has tiles. The facade shows three window axes: only the central windows are medieval, set in deep recesses with surviving stone sedilia; the other two were added when the tower was converted into flats in the 19th century.

The tower was built in 1428 by Hussite commander Václav Carda of Petrovic to strengthen the town's defenses. A fire in 1859 destroyed the top floor but the structure survived and still stands today.

The tower takes its name from the Pikards, a French religious movement whose label Catholics later applied to their Hussite enemies.

The tower is accessible via a yellow-marked hiking trail starting from the town square and sits within walking distance of the nearest bus stop. It is best viewed in daylight and good weather when you can see it clearly from the surrounding area.

The tower's name comes from its builder: Catholics in Bohemia mockingly called Hussites "Pikarts" after the heretical Picardian movement, and the nickname stuck to Václav Carda's 1428 tower. A medieval prevét, a latrine set into the wall at the stair's midpoint, also survives inside.