Klínovec
Encyclopedia
Klínovec is the highest peak of the Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...

, located in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

's part of the mountains at 1244 metres (4,081.4 ft). There is an important TV broadcasting tower on the top of the mountain.

Location

Klínovec lies in the Karlovy Vary Region, about 3 km to the east of Boží Dar
Boží Dar
Boží Dar is a town in Karlovy Vary Region in the Czech Republic. Boží Dar is one of the most important ski areas in the Czech Republic, located between the Fichtelberg and the Klínovec...

 and 5 km north-east of Jáchymov
Jáchymov
For other places called Joachimsthal, see Joachimsthal Jáchymov . compl: "Sant Joachim's Sthal" is a spa town in north-west Bohemia in the Czech Republic belonging to the Karlovy Vary Region. It is situated at an altitude of 733 m above sea level in the eponymous St...

. Another two towns are set in the valley to the north, between Klínovec and Fichtelberg
Fichtelberg
The Fichtelberg is a mountain with two main peaks in the middle of the Ore Mountains in Saxony, eastern Germany near the Czech border. At above sea level, the Fichtelberg is the highest mountain in Saxony, the second highest in the Ore Mountains and used to be the highest mountain in East Germany...

: Loučná pod Klínovcem
Loucná pod Klínovcem
Loučná pod Klínovcem is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...

, the second smallest municipality with town status in the Czech Republic with merely 80 inhabitants, and Oberwiesenthal
Oberwiesenthal
Oberwiesenthal is a town and a ski resort in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Erzgebirge mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 19 km south of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 23 km northeast of Karlovy Vary. At , it is the highest town in Germany...

, a German spa town. Access to the peak is provided by a road from Boží Dar, tourist trails (marked red and yellow), or a chairlift from Jáchymov, running all year round. These days, Klínovec is a popular regional ski resort, featuring more than 10 kilometres of ski piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....

s, 35 kilometres of trails for cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

 and a snowpark.

The average temperature at the peak is 2.7 °C (36.9 °F), the average rainfall amounts to 1,050 mm.

History

Thanks to its elevation, Klínovec offers marvellous panoramic view of Bohemia and Saxony. On a clear day, the Bohemian Forest
Bohemian Forest
The Bohemian Forest, also known in Czech as Šumava , is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria in Germany...

 located 150 km to the south or Ještěd
Ješted
Ještěd is the highest mountain peak of the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge near Liberec in the north of the Czech Republic. From the summit there are views into Germany and Poland...

 to the east can be seen. On that account, the first public observation tower was built on the top as early as in 1817, and instantly became popular among visitors of the famous spa of Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...

. However, the wooden tower burnt down in 1868, and a new stone one was built between the years 1883 and 1884. This tower bore the name "Kaiser-Franz-Josephs-Turm" (German for The tower of the Emperor Franz Joseph) and has survived until today.

The tower is 24 metres high and was extended with a hotel in 1893, when the popularity grew to such an extent, that an accommodation facility became a need. The complex was further extended throughout the time, but currently it remains in poor condition. Attempts to restore the buildings were held back due to lack of funds and the works are not to be commenced until 2012.

In addition, a 56-metre broadcasting tower was erected on the top of Klínovec in the 1950's, thus exceeding the height of the observation tower by 32 metres. Klínovec TV tower covers most of the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem Region
Ústí nad Labem Region
Ústí nad Labem Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of its historical region of Bohemia...

s and broadcasts in digital.

External links

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