Ecologists are desperate about the state of Králický Sněžník, where a lookout tower has been built

Dolní Morava – Nature protectors are despairing over the state of the summit of Králický Sněžník, where a new lookout tower was opened on the Polish side last September. Two years earlier, they warned of the risk that the project would destroy an ecologically valuable site and of the violation of nature conservation conditions during the construction of the observation tower. Their fears have been realized, as crowds of tourists are heading to the summit and the unique nature reserve is irreparably damaged, said Ondřej Bačík, chairman of the Society of Friends of Jeseníky, to ČTK.

"I will personally never go there again. It is just immense suffering and pain to see what has happened there. It has turned into an amusement park and it is a huge embarrassment regarding the state’s approach to nature conservation in the 21st century. It is a contempt for all regulations and rules for nature conservation, it is an example of perverse subsidies where vast amounts of public funds are spent on the devastation of the last island of rare nature," Bačík stated.

The Czech-Polish project involved the restoration of a 19th-century observation tower that was demolished in 1973. The lookout tower has a structure made of iron and concrete up to 13 meters, with a stone facade, and the top is largely glass. It is 33 meters tall. Part of the funding was also provided by the Czech Ministry for Regional Development. The overall costs of approximately 77 million crowns were supported from national and European sources. In 2021, environmentalists called on the then Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (ANO) in an open letter to oppose the destruction of nature, stop providing subsidies, respond to repeated and gross violations of conditions, and demand an investigation from Polish regulatory authorities. The Ministry of the Environment also asked the European Commission to review the construction of the lookout tower. Nevertheless, the lookout tower, deemed unnecessary by nature protectors, was completed.

In addition to Polish tourists, the summit of Králický Sněžník is also a frequent destination for Czech visitors. The recreational area in Dolní Morava in the Orlickoústecko region, to which the mountain belongs, has sharply expanded in the last 15 years, and the main year-round attractions are the Sky Trail and the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world, Sky Bridge, which saw about 290,000 people cross it in its first year of operation last year.

The municipality in Dolní Morava is not thrilled with the increase in tourism. "It has gone too far. Some want quiet nature, while the younger generation seeks entertainment. Too much of anything is too much. And then there are the bikes, that’s punishment," said the mayor of Dolní Morava, Ladislav Janočko, to ČTK. As he previously mentioned, during holidays in Poland or during peak season, the village is overcrowded with cars, which sometimes have nowhere to park. Day visitors also do not bring any revenue to traders, and according to him, the resort no longer employs a larger number of village residents; most workers commute or are seasonal workers.