Diana Observation Tower

The Diana Lookout Tower has stood on Friendship Peak since 1914. A year earlier, Karlovy Vary builder František Fousek began construction of the lookout tower and the adjacent restaurant. Both structures were opened to the public on 27. 5. 1914. The Diana Lookout Tower has been listed as a cultural monument since December 1981.

The stone observation tower with a thatched roof and viewing platform stands at an elevation of 556 m meters above sea level and offers a beautiful view of Karlovy Vary, the peaks of the Ore Mountains, the Doupov Mountains, and the Slavkov Forest. There are 150 steps leading up to the observation deck of the 40 m-meter-tall tower. If you don’t have the energy to climb that many steps, an elevator is also available. Near the tower, you can grab a bite to eat at a small snack bar or at the Diana forest restaurant and café.

Directions to the Diana lookout tower

Several spa trails lead to the summit of Friendship Hill, where the Diana Lookout Tower stands. These trails are clearly marked on the map at the information board on the Hot Spring Colonnade. Each trail is marked with a different color, depending on its length and difficulty. The trails are well-maintained and therefore suitable for cyclists as well. For an even more memorable experience, you can also take the Diana cable car. From the “Stará louka” station, just a few meters from the Grandhotel Pupp, the cable car will take you all the way up to the Diana observation tower.

History of the Diana Lookout Tower

The hill with a magnificent view towering over the spa town of Karlovy Vary was discovered for tourism in 1804 by Václav Drumm, a Karlovy Vary resident and cutler. Together with his uncle, the historian and chronicler August Leopold Stöhr, they cleared the forest, placed two benches on the hilltop, and established a lookout point. Contemporary guidebooks throughout the 19th century promoted this spot as the best view of the city.

A cable car was built at the top of the hill in 1909, and between 1912 and 1914, a hunting lodge with an adjacent lookout tower was constructed here by the Karlovy Vary builder František Fousek, based on a design by the Karlovy Vary architect Anton Breinl. On 27 May 1914, the lookout tower was officially opened to the public. Immediately after its completion, the observation tower became a popular destination for spa guests. During the First Republic, the tower bore the name of Hans Kudlich (1823 - 1917), a former member of the Imperial Diet and Austrian revolutionary who, among other things, drafted a proposal to abolish serfdom; after 1945, the name Benešova rozhledna was used briefly. Eventually, the name Diana became established.

The Diana Lookout Tower is a massive four-sided brick structure with chamfered corners, built on a prismatic stone base and topped with a covered wooden gallery serving as an observation deck; it reaches a total height of 40 m. The viewing gallery, located at a height of 35 m, is accessible via 150 wooden steps winding counterclockwise or by elevator. The tower offers a view of virtually the entire city of Karlovy Vary, the valleys of the Ohře and Teplá rivers, and a large portion of the spa forests. To the north, the view extends to the Ore Mountains with Klínovec; to the east, to the Doupov Mountains; and to the southwest, to the Slavkov Forest. On a clear day, the peaks of the Fichtelgebirge (Smrčiny) can be seen to the west-southwest, and in clear weather, the view extends as far as 70 km.

Since 1981, the Diana Lookout Tower has been listed as a cultural monument.

Among Diana’s most notable guests in the past were Goethe, Körner, and Freud, among others.