The design of a new Kysuce lookout tower. (source: Pavol Stolárik)
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Next year, nature enthusiasts and hikers can look forward to a new landmark in Slovakia’s Kysuce region: a 16-metre lookout tower inspired by traditional folk architecture. Located on Briava Hill near Čadca, the tower will offer stunning views of the Slovak-Czech-Polish border region, including sights of Lysá Hora in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy and well-known peaks such as Veľká Rača and Veľký Rozsutec in the Malá Fatra mountain range, writes My Kysuce, The Slovak Spectator’s sister publication.
The tower’s long-awaited construction, financed by Čadca Town Hall with support from European funds, marks a major milestone for the area, which has been without such a structure until now. Work on the tower began in October.
“Since winters in Kysuce are harsh, we expect to complete the lookout tower sometime next May,” said Čadca mayor Matej Šimášek.
The project will also include an artistic trail leading to the tower, featuring wooden sculptures created by Slovak academic artists during the ongoing Čadca woodcarving symposium.
The lookout tower on Briava Hill will be the fourteenth in the Kysuce region, northern Slovakia, and the town of Čadca is one of the last locations where such a unique structure has been missing until now.
Architect and structural engineer Stanislav Mikovčák, who designed the tower and donated the plans to the city over a decade ago, expressed his pride in the project’s progress. “I’m thrilled to see the vision realised,” Mikovčák said, noting the broader efforts to restore the region’s tourism offerings, including the return of the iconic stone balls to the Megoňka quarry.
With materials such as wood and stone, the tower will celebrate the region’s folk architecture. Mikovčák’s sons, architects Martin and Viktor, who hold the prestigious CE-ZA-AR award for architecture, have also donated a modern tower to the town.
“We don’t have castles or waterfalls here, so we started building lookout towers to make Kysuce more attractive for visitors,” Stanislav Mikovčák explained, reflecting on the success of the region’s growing network of lookout towers and cycling trails.
A modern lookout tower in Čadca by the Mikovčák brothers. (source: archív MY Kysuce)
According to him, it was as if Čadca had been asleep until now, losing its ski resort, toboggan run, and eventually even its forest park.
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