This wooden observation tower in the mountains is known as Poledník. It is a secret Cold War-era surveillance tower used to spy on radio communications.

The Poledník observation tower is located in the Bohemian Forest National Park near the Czech-German border, about 5 kilometers southeast of Prášily.

Today, the Poledník observation tower in the Czech Republic is known for its beautiful 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains, but this wasn’t always the case. This is Poledník during the Cold War. It was built before the tower was converted and modernized to three halved truncated cones.

During the Cold War, the structure was a closely guarded military secret. Located at an altitude of over 1,300 meters and conveniently situated near the German border, Poledník was perfectly suited for the creation of a top-secret radio surveillance base. The high-rise building, equipped with communications technology, dates from the 1960s.

In the following decades, it was used to monitor radio messages from both land and sea.

“Department III of the MfS (Ministry for State Security) of the GDR used the position on the Polednik as a listening post (code name “TOPAS”).”

In fact, this was the secret military building in the area during the 1960s and 1970s, known as TOPAS.

Remember that this area used to be a heavily guarded border zone.

In 1985, an American military helicopter crashed on the mountain. Yes, on September 12, 1985, a Mi-24D 4012 Crew Toth helicopter crashed directly on the meridian of the Bohemian Forest. The American helicopter came from the other side of the border and entered hover mode. The Mi-24D pilot attempted a similar maneuver, but his aircraft failed. The unfavorable combination of the hill’s leeward slope and the high altitude also contributed to the crash. The overloaded helicopter plummeted at a speed of approximately 3 m/s and spun to the left on its axis. The pilot lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter landed in a tall forest on the summit of Polednik Mountain. Naturally, the crash was also documented by observed by Poledník observers such as the surveyor engineer Vaclav Hozman.

Both pilots were injured in the accident, and the helicopter captain had to abort the flight due to the consequences of the crash. The helicopter was then pulled from the forest by Josef Racocha from Kvilda using an LKT-81 (forestry tractor). The wreckage was taken to the Světovar barracks in Pilsen stored. In 1986, the British magazine dealt with Defense Helicopter World with the situation behind the “Iron Curtain”. In July of the same year, they brought up the accident at Polednik, allegedly due to “missteering and lack of power”.

The photos all show a tower with three halved truncated cones. Some barbed wire can also be seen in the photos, clearly indicating its military use. Literature exists that refers to it as a “jamming transmitter for the bizarre imperialist transmitters located provocatively in the immediate vicinity of our former state border,” as well as for the radio signals of the neighboring Federal Republic of Germany.

At that time, the nearby Prasily Lake was also inaccessible to anyone except the military.

Can you imagine your day going up (or down) this corridor?

And believe it or not, it was also omitted for strategic reasons at the time.

After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the army left the summit. Due to the weather and abandonment, the building began to decay.

The buildings then came under the administration of NP & Scarona Umava and PLA Scarona Umava and were demolished between 1996 and 1997.

All that remained was the tower, which was converted into a lookout tower and opened to the public in July 1998.

Beautiful view of the Bohemian Forest

It was a good move to keep the Poledník observation tower, from which one can see prominent peaks in the area. The building now also houses a museum that describes the local history of the region. The exhibition begins in the entrance area with an introduction to the three forest vegetation zones that visitors pass through on their way to the upper floors: VI – Spruce-Beech, VII – Beech-Spruce, and VIII – Spruce Forest.

On the first floor of the Poledník observation tower there is a welcome table, on the second floor the local history is presented and on the third floor there are exhibition rooms.

The 37-meter-high observation tower features a walkway that offers a beautiful 360° view of the surrounding area, both near and far.

Clearly visible are the highest peaks of the Bohemian Forest – Velký Javor, Roklan, Luzný, Javorník, Boubín and other Bohemian Forest giants.

The Poledník observation tower also offers a panoramic view of a large part of the Bohemian Forest.

Inside you can also see Kašperk Castle and Svatobor nad Sušicí.

On days with good visibility, the Alps can also be seen to the south. It’s a beautiful place to spend a few hours, and the view is incredible!

At an altitude of 1080 meters above sea level, you can also see parts of Lake Prášilské. It is of glacial origin, has a depth of about 15 meters and an area of ​​9 hectares.

But the tower itself is always a much-discussed attraction. The natural beauty is obviously abundant – but visitors wonder what this tower must have looked like years ago.

To reach the top of the Poledník observation tower, you have to climb 227 steps, and the tower itself can be difficult to access.

But the reward is a wonderful journey through parts of the previously inaccessible Bohemian Forest.

It is accessible from the villages of Prášily or Srní. We recommend the hiking trail from Prášily or the bike ride from Modrava, although it is a continuous climb. The tower is open from May to October, which is a shame, as it looks even better in winter!