Luitpold Tower, Observation tower in Cham, Germany.

The Luitpold Tower is a cylindrical observation tower on the 494 m Luitpoldhöhe in the Katzberg district of Cham. Its lower section is built of rubble stone, while the upper part is concrete clad with regular stone blocks. A spiral staircase leads to the viewing platform, from which the Bavarian Forest mountains are visible.

The tower was named after Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and was built in the early 1900s. It represents how people constructed public buildings in that era and period of Bavarian architecture.

The tower carries the name of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria, whose 80th birthday on 12 March 1901 prompted the laying of the foundation stone. A tondo portrait of him is set on the side opposite the entrance, with a stone below bearing his name and the years 1821 and 1911, evidently added for his 90th birthday. The nearby inn on the Luitpoldhöhe, last owned by the city of Cham, was demolished in February 2016.

You need to climb several flights of stairs to reach the viewing platform at the top. The stairs are straightforward but it takes some effort to get up, so go at your own pace.

A stone slab above the entrance records the laying of the foundation stone on 12 March 1901, the 80th birthday of Prince Regent Luitpold. On the opposite side, a tondo of the prince carries the dates 1821 and 1911, evidently added for his 90th birthday.