About Vízmburk Castle
ABOUT THE JURKOVIČ LOOKOUT TOWER
The Jurkovič Lookout Tower is located in Czechia, on Karlův kopec (Charles Hill) on the eastern edge of Rožnov pod Radhoštěm at an altitude of 480 meters above sea level. The plans for its construction were drawn up in 1896 by a local well-respected architect Dušan Jurkovič for the Tourist Association in Valašské Meziříčí, and it was originally supposed to be built elsewhere – on Brdo Hill near the village of Brňov. However, the plans were shelved and the lookout tower was not built until the 21st century. Its construction took place between 2010 and 2011, and it was opened in April 2012. Dušan Jurkovič, however, left only a sketch, so the construction was taken over by the designer Ing. Antonín Závada, who made complete plans for the construction of the lookout tower, taking into account not only traditional materials and procedures, but also the statics of the building and other requirements. The cost of construction was CZK 12.2 million. The lookout tower offers a beautiful view of parts of the town of Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, the Beskydy Mountains, the Rožnov open-air museum, and nearby villages. You can get here from the nearby parking lot or by taking a shortcut from the Rožnov open-air museum. The lookout tower is usually open from April to October, depending on the weather conditions. In the dome of Jurkovič's lookout tower, there is a time capsule with information for future generations and, among other things, a bottle of the famous Wallachian plum brandy - Slivovitz.
The lookout tower is 31 meters high, and the viewing platform is located at a height of 18.8 meters. Local resources – stones and wood – were used for its construction. Almost all construction, blacksmithing, and plumbing work was done by hand using old technologies, with the exception of current safety regulations. The load-bearing elements are made of oak wood, while the rest is made of spruce or fir wood. The color scheme of the lookout tower corresponds to Jurkovič's typical style, which can be seen, for example, in nearby Pustevny.
Text by Simona Čechalová
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