rozhledna Krásenský vrch Lookout tower

Welcome to the village Krásno. Now you're facing one of the most striking and fascinating symbols of this landscape. Stop for a moment, take a deep breath and look in front of you. The rozhledna Krásenský vrch stands before you. The first thing you're interested in is her unusual appearance. It's not just an ordinary tower that goes straight up. Notice how her body wiggles gently and fluently into the spiral. It is a shape that is not common in our landscapes and which immediately attracts attention. This stone building also looks robust and elegant, as if it had grown directly from the ground and wanted to touch the sky with ease.

Let us now go back almost a hundred years together to understand why this view tower was created and in what atmosphere it was built. It was one thousand nine hundred thirty-three. The world was in deep shock and despair at the time of the Great Depression. People were losing their jobs, families were struggling to survive, and in many areas there was despair. But it was during this difficult period that the idea of building this tower was born. The lookout tower was not just a project for tourists or aesthetic accessories of the landscape. Its creation had a much deeper social significance. The construction was designed as a project for the unemployed. At a time when people were desperate to make a living, this building gave them work and hope. Every stone that was placed in the foundations and walls was a symbol of solidarity and an effort to help those who were in need. Between the years one thousand nine hundred thirty-three and one thousand nine hundred thirty-five so came the work that we are protecting today as a cultural monument.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself. Look up again and watch the tower line from the foundation to the top. This unique spiral shape was not random. Two talented creators, architect Fritz Hoffmann and sculptor Willy Russ were behind his proposal. Together they created something that was very brave at the time. This shape resembles minarets, the thin towers we know from eastern countries, namely one famous tower in the city of the east. It is this inspiration with exotica that gives its mysterious and even mystical appearance. Notice the material from which the tower is built. It's a rock that gives it stability and connects it to the natural environment of the surrounding hill. It is fascinating to think that in a time without modern cranes and computer calculations, builders were able to bring out the curving shape of a stone wall.

If we move on in time, we'll come across a darker chapter in the history of this place. The lookout tower was ceremonially opened on the 23rd of June in the year one thousand nine hundred thirty-five. People at the time were proud to watch the construction that gave them the job. But only a few years ago a Kemudian came a time of political change and the occupation of our countries. In the year one thousand nine hundred thirty-nine, the lookout tower was renamed Adolf Hitler. It was a sad moment when the symbol of hope and joint work became an instrument of political propaganda for the regime back then. This era left its shadow in place, but the construction itself continued to stand and observe the changes that history brought.

But after World War II, the lookout tower began to face another enemy, with time and neglect. Without regular care, the stone building began to decay. Nature began to take its own, the clutches burst, and the tower slowly lost its former. It seemed that this unique piece of architecture could finally disappear or turn into a dangerous ruin. But the story of Beauty Hill doesn't end here. In the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six there was a major turnaround. Major repairs and renovations have begun. Thanks to great effort and investment, the lookout tower was returned to its original glory. The repairs were made so sensitively that its historical nature and the unique spiral shape that fascinates us today.

There is also one very pleasant interesting thing that may make you feel better if you were a little sad about previous historical events. In the year two thousand eleven, a national poll was held about the best-looking in the Czech Republic. And you know what happened? It was this building, which had been lost and forgotten for so long, that won. People from all over the country found her the most beautiful. This is the best proof that the vision of architect Fritz Hoffmann and sculptor Willy Russo was truly brilliant and that beauty can be saved if we take sufficient care of it.

If you look around now, you might think how hard it was to get all those rocks and building materials up here on top at the time. At the time, there were also ways to save transport costs to keep the project financially manageable. This is why they tried to use the resources that were nearby and organise work to make it as effective as possible. It's a reminder of how creative people must have been when they missed modern machines, but they had a clear goal and a firm will.

Now that you know the story of this extraordinary tower, I suggest you take a closer look. Walk around her, touch a cold rock and try to imagine the hundreds of people who worked here with their hands decades ago. Watch how the tower lines change when you move around it. Feel the atmosphere of this place, where architecture, social assistance and the history of the whole state have come together.

Beauty Hill is not just a scenic platform, it is a monument to human endurance. From the time of the economic crisis to the darkness of war to the modern recognition of the country's most beautiful view. It's a place that reminds us that even from the hardest times, something beautiful and permanent can be created.

Now it is time for you to enjoy this beauty yourself. I invite you to explore the area again, and if you have the opportunity, take your steps up so you can see the landscape from the same angle as the people saw on the day of the opening almost a century ago. I hope this short trip to history has helped you to understand more what you're seeing in front of you.

Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a pleasant rest of the day in beautiful Beauty. Enjoy the view and peace of this place. Goodbye.