Žalý lookout tower
The Žalý lookout tower is the only stone lookout tower in the Giant Mountains. Thanks to its location in a very attractive place, you can see, for example, Kotel, the Hanče and Vrbaty mound, Sněžka, Ještěd, Bezděz, Trosky, Ralsko, Kozákov or Zvičina from
The Žalý lookout tower is 18 meters high and you have to climb 89 steps behind the viewpoint.
The Žalý lookout tower is one of the most beautiful lookout towers in the Czech Republic. The lookout tower was built in 1890 by Count Harrach. It offers a view of both regions. In good weather and visibility you can see Hradec Králové, Turnov, even Prague) so you can see the panoramas of the Giant Mountains: Sněžka, Kotel, Luční hora, the mound Hanče and Vrbaty on the Golden Hill or Medvědín.
The perfect color also includes a very pleasant sitting in a local restaurant in a cozy environment and a homely atmosphere complemented by the warmth of tiled stoves.
Did you know that ... You can even have a wedding here! The wedding in Žalý has its own tradition. The territory of the Žalý peak lies in the cadastral territory of the town of Jilemnice. It is therefore the Jilemnice town hall that marries couples from all over the Czech Republic. The top of Přední Žalý hill has also been a place of pilgrimage for a long time.
History of the Žalý Lookout Tower
The lookout tower and the first inn were built on the top of the "Přední Žalý" mountain by order of Count Jan Harrach. The inn was completed in 1890, the lookout tower two years later. The stone lookout tower stands in its original form on the top of Žalý Mountain to this day. The original inn - a timbered wooden building, but burned down at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was replaced by a light prefabricated wooden building, which was originally part of the Provincial Jubilee Exhibition. The building stood here until World War II, when it was destroyed during the occupation. Since then, only the foundations of the original building have stood here, and tradition has been waiting for its rebirth, which it saw in 2008.
