Camera obscura

Camera Obscura is a wooden lookout arbour in Karlovy Vary, standing on a clearing below Tři kříže (Three Crosses) hill in the town's spa woods. The name recalls an old optical device once housed on this very spot, and the arbour has been a favourite stop for spa guests and visitors on their walks for decades.

Where does the name come from?

The original wooden Camera Obscura ("dark chamber") arbour stood in the garden of a now-defunct excursion restaurant and café called U Tří křížů, on the so-called Rudolf's Height below Three Crosses hill. Inside the darkened structure, light images of the surrounding landscape were projected onto the walls — the optical effect that gave the whole site its name. During the 19th century, the clearing below Three Crosses was one of the most frequently visited spots in the Karlovy Vary spa woods.

What happened to the original arbour?

The original structure gradually deteriorated, and in 1990 it was finally destroyed by a powerful nighttime windstorm that devastated large parts of the town's spa woods. The site was left without its characteristic building for years, though the location itself — with its sweeping view over the town — kept drawing walkers.

What does the arbour look like today?

In October 1997, as part of the restoration of excursion structures damaged in the spa woods, the Camera Obscura arbour was rebuilt as a wooden lookout tower, on the exact site of its predecessor. The reconstruction was sponsored by the Sanssouci sanatorium. The lookout is freely accessible year-round and offers a wide view over almost the entire spa centre, the valley of the Teplá River, and a large part of Karlovy Vary itself.

How to get there?

A 1.6 km yellow-marked trail leads to the arbour, starting at the Hot Spring (Vřídlo) in the spa centre, crossing Na Vyhlídce street and continuing through the spa woods to the lookout point. Alternatively, bus No. 10 or No. 15 stops at "Havlíčkova" in the Drahovice district, a short walk from the arbour. The route suits both a quick escape from the town centre and visitors combining it with the nearby Tři kříže viewpoint.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Camera Obscura arbour in Karlovy Vary? It is a wooden lookout tower in the town's spa woods, rebuilt in 1997 on the site of an earlier structure of the same name and purpose, which was destroyed by a windstorm in 1990.

Where does the name "Camera Obscura" come from? From the old optical device once housed in the original arbour, where light images of the surrounding landscape were projected onto the walls inside a darkened chamber.

What view does the lookout offer? It offers a view over almost the entire spa centre, the valley of the Teplá River, and a large part of Karlovy Vary.

How do I get to the arbour? On foot via the 1.6 km yellow trail from the Hot Spring, crossing Na Vyhlídce street, or by bus No. 10 or 15 to the "Havlíčkova" stop in Drahovice.