Kalenica Observation Tower

The Kalenica Observation Tower stands on the summit of Kalenica (964 m) in the Owl Mountains, in the Bielawa municipality. It is a steel structure from the 1930s, one of the characteristic viewing towers of the Central Sudetes.

Why here of all places

The tower was originally planned to stand on the summit of Popielak, where two wooden towers had already stood before. In the end, however, it was built on the site of the Roztocznik estate, belonging to Count Adolf Seidlitz-Sandretzky, on the summit of Kalenica.

Built in 1932-1933

Construction began in spring 1932, and the tower was officially opened on 2 June 1933. The project was organised by the Eulengebirgsverein (Owl Mountains Society) to mark the fiftieth anniversary of its activity, partly financed through commemorative bricks. Kurt Steuer, a locksmith from Bielawa, was responsible for the construction: the structure was first assembled and tested in Bielawa, and only then transported to the summit by horse. Until 1945 the tower was called Hindenburgturm, in honour of the then German president.

Structure and views

The tower is 20 metres tall and takes the form of a wrought-iron lattice structure, in the interwar modernist style. It has two viewing platforms, at heights of 14 and 20 metres, reached by metal stairs inside the structure. From the upper platform there is a panorama of the Sudetes, including the Owl Mountains, the Table Mountains, the Bardo Mountains, the Bystrzyckie Mountains, the Złote Mountains and the Orlickie Mountains, as well as the Śnieżnik Massif and the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains) with Śnieżka.

Conservation

In the early 1990s the tower underwent thorough conservation work, strengthening the foundation and covering the structure with an anti-corrosion coating. A further major renovation was completed in November 2022.

Nearby it's also worth climbing to the very summit of Kalenica, and following the trails to Przełęcz Woliborska or Wielka Sowa. In Bielawa itself the Bielawska Placówka Muzealna is worth a visit.

Practical information

• The tower stands on the summit of Kalenica (964 m), in the Owl Mountains, in the Bielawa municipality
• Entry to the tower is free and available throughout the week, as it is a publicly accessible viewpoint on the trail
• Access is via hiking trails in the Owl Mountains, and the two viewing platforms (14 and 20 m) are reached by metal stairs inside the structure