Pekelský vrch

Pekelský vrch rises to 487 meters above sea level in the Frýdlant Uplands (Frýdlantská pahorkatina), right where they meet the Jizera Mountains, in the Liberec Region of northern Czechia. The hill sits above the small hamlet of Peklo, part of the town of Raspenava - and its name, literally "Hell's Hill," echoes that of the hamlet next door.

Where exactly is it?

Pekelský vrch lies southwest of Peklo, a few kilometers north of central Raspenava. Its neighbor is the slightly lower Vápenný vrch (424 m). The whole area straddles two protected zones: Peklo Nature Park, established in 1997, and the Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area, in place since 1967 - a combination that pairs gentle upland scenery with the wilder terrain of the Jizera range just beyond.

What's on top - history and nature

A "wolf pit" (vlčí jáma) survives on the slope, a trap once used for hunting wolves, a reminder of how densely forested and wild this corner of the region used to be. The summit itself holds the remains of an amphitheater built between the world wars, standing next to the site of a former military triangulation tower that once served for surveying and offered wide views over the surrounding land.

Is there a lookout tower?

Since 2010 a local association, "Rozhledna Pekelský vrch," has been pushing to build an observation tower on the hill, with costs then estimated at up to 5 million Czech crowns. The idea - inspired by a similar project led by the mayor of Osečná - involved a design competition among architecture students at the Technical University of Liberec (TUL). Eighteen students visited the site, and seven finished proposals reached the jury. The winner was Ota Černý, a second-year student from Dvůr Králové nad Labem, the only entrant to submit a covered-tower design. The plans also included a natural amphitheater for sports, cultural, and religious events, with the tower itself meant to offer views toward the Jizera Mountains panorama, the Obří sud peak, the basilica at Hejnice, Ještěd, and Frýdlant Castle. The project still needed approval from environmental and heritage authorities, so it isn't confirmed whether the tower was ever actually completed.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Pekelský vrch? 487 meters above sea level.

Where is it located? In the Frýdlant Uplands, next to the hamlet of Peklo, part of the town of Raspenava in the Liberec Region, on the edge of the Jizera Mountains.

Is there a lookout tower on top? A tower design was chosen back in 2010 through a student competition from Liberec, but there's no confirmation the tower was actually built.

What else can visitors see at the summit? The remains of an interwar-era amphitheater and a former military triangulation tower, plus a historic wolf pit on the slope.

What protected areas surround the hill? Peklo Nature Park (since 1997) and the Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area (since 1967).