On the top of Besedná (496 m), about 3 km as the crow flies west of Živohošt' on the left bank of the Vltava, Drtin's lookout tower was opened in 1926, originally in the shape of a Hussite spire. Thanks to the efforts of the municipality of Chotilsko and local associations, a new tower was built on the foundations of the original building, which was already destroyed in 2014. The roofed viewing platform at a height of 21 m is reached by 109 comfortable steps.

Prof. František Drtina (1861-1925), a native of nearby Hněvšín, a patriot of Povltava, a patriot, a professor of philosophy and pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University, was a pupil and long-time collaborator of T. G. Masaryk. Together with him he was a member of the Reich Council, after the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak Republic he served as a deputy and as a state secretary of the then Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment he significantly contributed to the formation of Czechoslovak education.

Drtin's tower, built according to the project of Jiří Ondřich, is a simple, beautiful and durable building, both structurally and aesthetically very interesting. It is a great pity that a similar tower has not yet been built in the Central Brdy region, for example at Třemošná or Brdce. From Drtin's lookout tower we can see all the way to the ridges of Šumava, but closer we can see the Vojna in Příbram, Třemšín, the meteor radar in Prague, the Tok, the Brda Ridge range including the Skalka area, Cukrák or in the distance Říp Mountain and of course also many villages in the Povltaví area. A very nice and inspiring lookout tower.

You can go to Drtin's lookout tower from Živohoště along the Prof. František Drtina Nature Trail from the Church of St. Fabian and Sebastian. The church, originally Romanesque, supplemented in the 14th century with Gothic elements, ancient-looking, with distinctive buttresses, was repaired some time ago and is worth a visit. Drtin's lookout tower is about 4 km away along an easy nature trail.

Jaroslav Hodrment

GPS start.

49.7572197N, 14.4232839E

Region.

Route: https://mapy.cz/s/jarefozuje

Length to the lookout tower: 4 km

Type: pedestrian

Difficulty: low

Marking: Prof. PhDr. František Drtina Nature Trail

Points of interest on the way: Drtin's lookout tower, thematic information panels

Other tips for the trip: www.brdyapodbrdsko.cz