Vysoký les

Vysoký les is a wooded hill (464 m) rising just north of the village of Markvartice in the Děčín district, in the eastern part of the Bohemian Central Highlands (České středohoří). It is an unassuming, gently sloping summit, but its recent history is anything but quiet: for years it carried a small wooden lookout tower called Triangl, until a serious accident in the summer of 2023 changed the site for good.

Where is Vysoký les and how do you get there?

The hill sits above Markvartice, a village roughly 4 km west of Česká Kamenice, right on the boundary between the Bohemian Central Highlands and Labské pískovce protected landscape areas. A marked forest path leads up to the summit, and the whole area can be covered on a local walking loop of about 6 km known as the "Myslivecká vycházka Veselíčko – Triangl." The loop starts near the municipal building in Markvartice and heads toward Malá Bukovina, passing the hamlet of Veselíčko on the way.

What happened to the Triangl lookout tower?

In 2015, a local association built a small pyramid-shaped wooden lookout tower on the summit, named Triangl. Its viewing platform sat about 3 meters up and was reached by a ladder; a year later a shelter with benches and tables, plus a fire pit, was added nearby.

On August 3, 2023, the structure collapsed while overloaded: the platform's posted limit was four adults, yet more than a dozen people were on it at once — a group of children from a summer camp, supervised by a trainee. According to the indictment, the collapse was caused by rotten wood. Eight or nine people were injured, some seriously enough to be airlifted by helicopter to Prague and Ústí nad Labem. The case went to court, with charges brought against the camp's organizers and people responsible for the Triangl association.

Is the tower still there?

No. After the accident, local volunteers dismantled the remaining structure and cleared the site. Rebuilding it has been discussed, but at the time of writing there is no functioning viewing platform on the summit — worth keeping in mind if you're planning a visit.

What's the view like from Vysoký les?

Even without the tower, the summit is worth the walk. The hill is partly forested, but its northern slopes were thinned out by storm Kyrill in January 2007, which felled a good number of trees and opened up sightlines. On a clear day you can pick out parts of Bohemian Switzerland, with the distinctive Růžovský vrch as a landmark, along with the Lusatian Mountains and the wider sweep of the Bohemian Central Highlands.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Vysoký les? 464 meters above sea level.

Can you still climb a lookout tower on the summit? No — the Triangl tower was taken down after the August 2023 accident that injured several children.

How do you reach Vysoký les from Markvartice? Via a marked forest path heading north out of the village, or by following the roughly 6 km "Veselíčko – Triangl" local walking loop.

Is there anything else to see nearby? Markvartice itself has a chateau converted from a former fortress and a restored Church of St. Martin.

Note on the name: Vysoký les should not be confused with the village of the same name in the Svitavy district (Pardubice Region) — an entirely separate, unrelated place.