Vysoká Lookout Tower near Kutná Hora and the Belveder Ruins: A Short Trip Tip

A trip doesn’t have to be long or elaborately planned for you to discover an interesting place. That’s exactly how it was with another of our outings, which we took together with friends.

We headed to Vysoká hill near Kutná Hora, where you’ll find two sights close to each other – the ruins of the Baroque Belveder summer palace and the Vysoká lookout tower.

We drove almost all the way up. You can park in the car park below the hill, and from there it’s only about 600 to 700 metres on foot. The path is paved, so no great feat of hiking awaits you here. 🙂

First we headed to the Belveder summer palace

First we went to see the ruins of the Belveder summer palace. Looking at its remains today, you might never guess how interesting a past this place has.

It was built on Vysoká hill at the end of the 17th century by Count František Antonín Špork. It was a Baroque complex connected with the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, and its probable author is considered to be the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. Even the story of its origin is interesting – Špork was said to have got the money for the construction by winning 1,400 ducats at cards from the Elector of Saxony.

The grand opening took place in 1697 and it was certainly no small celebration. According to surviving accounts, thousands of people attended, and at the festivities wine was said to flow from the marble fountain instead of water.

But the glory of Belveder didn’t last very long. Later owners no longer showed much interest in it and the building gradually fell into disrepair. In April 1834 it was struck by lightning, and the fire that followed damaged it badly. Part of the masonry was later dismantled, and today mainly the massive perimeter walls and the cellar spaces remain.

We naturally walked through the ruins, and they are certainly interesting. But I must admit that they didn’t appeal to me personally all that much. 🙂

Maybe it’s because there really isn’t much left of the original summer palace. Still, I’m glad we came – especially now that I know its history, which is actually much more interesting than the place itself seemed to me at first glance.

And in photos, those old walls and empty window openings end up looking quite impressive.

The ruins of the Belveder summer palace on Vysoká hill

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Then we climbed the Vysoká lookout tower

Right next to Belveder stands a completely different type of structure – the metal Vysoká lookout tower. It is much younger. It was built in 2001 as a telecommunications tower and was officially opened to the public in April 2002.

The tower is 38 metres tall, but the observation platform is at a height of 25 metres. There are 144 steps leading up. And because the steps and floors are metal and you can partly see down through them, the climb can be quite an experience for anyone who doesn’t like heights. 🙂

We naturally climbed to the top.

The metal Vysoká lookout tower and its steps

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And the tower was probably my favourite part of the whole trip. When you climb all the way up to the observation platform, a beautiful view opens up before you of the fields, forests and villages around. We had rather nice weather, so we spent a while up there looking around and enjoying the view over the countryside.

In really good visibility you can see not only the Kutná Hora, Kolín and Čáslav regions, but also the Krkonoše, Ještěd, Říp, Bezděz, parts of the České středohoří or the Iron Mountains (Železné hory).

The view from the Vysoká lookout tower over the countryside

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Admission and practical information

The ruins of the Belveder summer palace are freely accessible and there is no admission fee. The Vysoká lookout tower, on the other hand, charges a small fee. Currently you pay cashless via a terminal at the turnstile.

The opening hours of the tower change during the year, so before setting out I’d recommend checking the current information on the website of the village of Miskovice, which looks after the tower.

You can leave your car in the car park below Vysoká hill. From there it’s just a short walk of about 600 to 700 metres, so it’s a trip that suits even those times when you don’t feel like planning any long hike.

Is the trip to Vysoká worth it?

For me it’s more of a short trip or a stop that you can combine with a visit to Kutná Hora and its surroundings.

Belveder itself didn’t impress me much, but its history is definitely interesting and worth a look. I enjoyed the climb up the tower and above all the view from it much more.

And actually, I love exactly this kind of trip. It doesn’t always have to be a famous sight that you travel halfway across the country for. Sometimes it’s enough to head somewhere nearby with friends, climb a few steps and once again discover a place you knew almost nothing about before. 🙂

And if you like lookout towers, have a look at the lookout tower without steps in Kobylí too.

Have you been to the Vysoká lookout tower?