Havran

Havran is the highest hill in the Tachov region, rising right on the border with Bavaria in the northern part of the Bohemian Forest (Český les), near the village of Lesná. Its summit reaches nearly 895 metres above sea level, and today it carries a steel lookout tower with a past that has nothing to do with tourism.

Why is there a tower on top?

The structure on Havran wasn't built for hikers. During the Cold War it served as a military radio-technical station, used to monitor air traffic and radar signals on the other side of the border. The site was off-limits to civilians for decades, and after the military left, the tower simply fell into disrepair. It wasn't until 2013–2014 that the site was rebuilt from the ground up and reopened as a public observation tower — today it's one of the recognisable landmarks of this part of the Bohemian Forest.

How do you get there?

Havran can only be reached on foot — there's no road access to the summit. The main route runs along a green-marked trail straight from Lesná and covers roughly 12 kilometres one way, so it's worth setting aside a full day for it. A shorter option starts at the hamlet of Stará Knížecí Huť, where cars can be left; from there a red trail (changing to blue further on) leads to the top over about 6 kilometres with roughly 250 metres of elevation gain. This is the route most people choose when they want to reach the tower without a full day's hike, while still getting a proper forest hike along the way.

What can you see from the tower?

The tower itself stands 30 metres tall, and 127 steps lead up to the viewing platform at a height of 24.5 metres. The climb is rewarded with one of the widest panoramas in the region: from the top you can see across the Bohemian Forest and the Slavkov Forest (Slavkovský les), and on clear days also the Šumava mountains along with several landmarks on the German side of the border — including Flossenbürg Castle, Schellenberg fortress, the church on Fahrenberg hill, and the German Böhmerwaldaussichtsturm lookout tower. On exceptionally clear days, the outline of the Alps becomes visible on the horizon. Closer by, the tower also offers views of nearby castle ruins, including Přimda.

When is the best time to visit?

The tower and the approach trails are open year-round, but given the elevation and the border-region climate, the clearest views — and the best chance of spotting the Alps or Šumava — usually come on fine days in spring and autumn, when the air tends to be less hazy than in summer. In winter the approach can get technically harder because of snow, so proper footwear and a check of conditions beforehand are worth it. In summer, expect more foot traffic along the route from Lesná.

Frequently asked questions

Can you drive up to Havran? No. The summit and the tower are only reachable on foot — the closest place to park is the hamlet of Stará Knížecí Huť.

How long does the hike take? From Lesná the trail is about 12 km one way; from Stará Knížecí Huť it's around 6 km with roughly 250 metres of elevation gain, which for most hikers means one and a half to two hours of walking.

Is it worth climbing the tower itself, or is the summit view enough? It's worth going up to the 24.5-metre viewing platform — the trees around the summit block most of the ground-level view, and it's the tower that opens up the wide panorama over the Bohemian Forest and the border area.

Was the tower always open to visitors? No — until 2013 it was a military radio-technical station closed to civilians. The public lookout tower only opened in 2014, after reconstruction.