Štěpánka Lookout Tower

Neo-Gothic stone lookout tower Štěpánek, which rises on the top of Hvězda (959 m above sea level) above Kořenov, is the oldest lookout tower in the Jizera Mountains. It offers views of the Jizera Mountains and the Giant Mountains, Lusatian Mountains, Bohemian Paradise and Bohemian Central Mountains. You can climb this unique structure all year round.

Its construction was started in 1847 by Prince Camille Rohan in honor of Archduke Stephen, patron of the construction of the nearby Imperial Road. However, the construction was soon interrupted and the torso of the tower stood abandoned for 40 years before it was completed by the Mountain Association. There is a mysterious rumor about Štěpánek — the gypsy woman was supposed to predict death to the prince after its completion, and indeed — he died shortly after its opening in 1892. Today, the observation tower attracts visitors not only with its magical view of the Jizera and Krkonoše ridges, but also with its romantic atmosphere and dramatic story of its creation.