Tábor

Tábor is a 678-metre hill in the municipality of Lomnice nad Popelkou, in the Semily district, a few kilometres south of the town itself. It is one of the well-known viewpoints of the Podkrkonoší foothills, easily recognizable from surrounding roads and trails thanks to the lookout tower and Baroque church crowning its summit.

Where does the name come from?

The hill was originally called Chlum. Its current name, like many hills across the Czech Republic, comes from the "tábory" — camps set up here during the Hussite Wars of the 15th century. Because this is such a common place name in the country, it's worth being clear that this hill has nothing to do with the much larger and better-known town of Tábor in South Bohemia — they simply share a name rooted in the same historical episode.

What stands on the summit?

The summit holds a Baroque church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, built in 1704, and a brick observation tower named after Josef Tichánek, a schoolteacher who spent much of his life looking after the tower and was one of the key figures behind its construction.

The first, wooden lookout tower was built here as early as 1888, funded by the local beautification association at a cost of 1,600 crowns of the time. After nine years of use, though, the open wooden structure had to be taken down, since the timber had begun to rot and the tower had become unsafe. The current brick tower replaced it: construction started in April 1911, and the tower opened just five months later, on 17 September 1911, with several thousand people from the surrounding area attending the ceremony. It cost 22,000 crowns to build, and the 35-metre structure was raised using distinctive bricks from a brickworks in Pulice. The viewing platform, 29 metres above the ground, is reached by climbing 145 steps.

Below the tower stands a former tourist lodge, Hornychova chata, which today operates as a guesthouse — a good spot to rest during a hike or stay overnight.

What can you see from the tower?

The platform offers a wide panorama: on a clear day, visitors can pick out large stretches of Bohemia, including the Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise) area, the Orlické Mountains, the Lusatian Mountains, and the Jizera Mountains, with Prague visible almost 100 km away. Local tradition holds that on the very best days, up to 50 church spires and 12 other lookout towers can be spotted from the summit.

How to get there?

The hill lies about 3 km south of the centre of Lomnice nad Popelkou and is well served by marked hiking trails from the town and neighbouring villages of the Podkrkonoší region. It's a popular destination for both walkers and cyclists — the climb from Lomnice typically takes a little over an hour at a relaxed pace.

When to visit?

Spring and autumn tend to offer the clearest air and the best long-distance views from the tower. Summer brings more visitors thanks to pleasant hiking weather, so weekends can get busier around the summit.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Tábor hill near Lomnice nad Popelkou the same place as the town of Tábor in South Bohemia? No. This is a separate hill in the Podkrkonoší region, in the Semily district, tens of kilometres from the town of Tábor. They share a name only because both derive it from the same historical phenomenon — Hussite encampments established in many places across the Czech Republic.

How tall is Tábor hill and what tower stands on it? The hill rises to 678 metres, and its summit carries the 35-metre brick Tichánek Lookout Tower, opened in 1911, with a viewing platform at 29 metres reached by 145 steps.

What else is there to see besides the tower? Next to the tower stands the Baroque church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, built in 1704, and a former tourist lodge that now operates as a guesthouse.

How far can you see from the tower? On clear days you can make out the Český ráj area, the Orlické Mountains, the Lusatian Mountains, and the Jizera Mountains, and even Prague, roughly 100 km away.