Velká Deštná
1,116 m
Czechia
Also known as Deschneyer Großkoppe, Wielka DesztnaAlso known as
Deschneyer Großkoppe · Wielka Desztna
- Elevation
- 1,116 m
- Prominence
- 587 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The popular way to the highest summit of the Orlické hory: about 3.5 km south along the main ridge on the red-marked Jiráskova cesta from the Šerlich saddle (about 1,010 m), on asphalt and gravel with only about 100–150 m of gentle ascent, to the 19 m lookout tower opened in 2019.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +139 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,116 m
- Time Up
- 1h 20m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 16m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Masarykova chata, the mountain hut just north of the Šerlich saddle, or at the car park and bus stop on the saddle itself, reached by road from Deštné v Orlických horách (and from Zieleniec on the Polish side). The car park fills early at weekends; arrive before 9:00 or take the seasonal ski or cycle bus from Deštné. Follow the red marks of the Jiráskova cesta south along the broad, forested ridge close to the Polish border. The track is surfaced throughout (asphalt or gravel), suitable for pushchairs, and climbs gently with occasional views. Below the summit a signpost points left to the top; a small mountain-rescue hut with a weekend buffet stands just below it. The summit itself is ringed by dwarf spruce, so the view is from the 19 m tower (96 steps, free, open year-round in reasonable weather): Krkonoše with Sněžka, Králický Sněžník, the Jeseníky and the Table Mountains in Poland. Return the same way, or descend the steeper green and blue trail past a spring to Luisino údolí (about 2–2.5 km) and walk back via Zákoutí. In winter the ridge is under snow, often well into April.
Start
Masarykova chata1,013 m
- Bus to Deštné v Orlických horách; seasonal ski bus / cycle bus from Deštné to the Šerlich saddle.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masarykova chata → Velká Deštná | 4.3 | 139 | 40 | 1h 20m |
Waypoints
- Hut: Masarykova chata1,013 m
- Parking: Šerlich982 m
- Feature: Malá Deštná1,091 m
The red ridge path passes the subsidiary summit north of Velká Deštná
- Summit: Velká Deštná1,116 m
Key Passages
- Broad forested ridge along the Polish border
- Turn-off below the summit
- Tower platform
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Orlické hory and of the Central Sudetes (1,116 m), a forested hump on the main ridge close to the Polish border, with a wind-sculpted 19 m lookout tower opened in 2019. An easy 3.5 km ridge walk from the Šerlich saddle.
Velká Deštná rises on the main ridge of the Orlické hory (Eagle Mountains) in north-east Bohemia, about 3 km east of the village of Deštné v Orlických horách and 40 km east of Hradec Králové. The ridge runs north–south along the Polish border, with Malá Deštná (1,090 m) to the north and Maruša (1,043 m) to the south; between the two Deštnás lies Jelení lázeň, a small nature reserve protecting a ridge-top bog. The whole range is a Protected Landscape Area.
The summit is a gentle, dwarf-spruce-covered top with no view of its own. Since 2019 a 19 m steel tower clad in slanted larch beams, designed to evoke wind-driven rain, has provided one: Sněžka in the Krkonoše, Králický Sněžník, the Jeseníky and the Table Mountains across the border. With about 100,000 visitors a year it is one of the most visited lookout towers in the Czech Republic.
For walkers this is an easy objective. The red-marked ridge track from the Šerlich saddle is surfaced and nearly level; a steeper, quieter forest path comes up from Luisino údolí to the south-west. In winter the ridge is snowbound, often until mid-April.
Climbing Notes
No preparation beyond normal walking gear is needed. The standard walk from the Šerlich saddle is about 3.5 km each way on a surfaced track with little climbing, suitable for families and pushchairs; allow a half day with the tower. Arrive before 9:00 at weekends or use the seasonal bus from Deštné, as the saddle car park fills and police turn cars away. The ridge is windy and cold even in summer, so carry a warm layer. Masarykova chata at Šerlich serves meals; a small rescue hut below the summit runs a buffet at weekends. In winter take snowshoes or cross-country skis.
History
Several wooden lookout towers stood on the summit, none lasting long in the harsh ridge climate: an 8 m pyramid-shaped tower ('Štefanova') was built in 1992 and a replacement in 2004, and the last was demolished in 2010. The present tower was completed in autumn 2019 and in 2021 and 2022 was among the three most visited towers in the country.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow on the ridge
- Feb
- Snow on the ridge
- Mar
- Snow usually still lies on the ridge
- Apr
- Snow often persists on the ridge into mid-April
- Jul
- Busy at weekends; cyclists on the ridge track
- Aug
- Busy at weekends
- Oct
- Autumn colours; first snow possible
- Nov
- Wet, foggy, early snow
- Dec
- Snow; winter sports season
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Orlické hory Protected Landscape Area: stay on marked paths, especially near the Jelení lázeň bog reserve
- Šerlich car park fills early at weekends; police may turn cars away
- Getting There
Deštné v Orlických horách
Wrocław Airport (WRO); Pardubice Airport (PED); Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG)
- Bus to Deštné v Orlických horách; seasonal ski bus or cycle bus from Deštné to the Šerlich saddle
- Car: road from Deštné v Orlických horách up to the Šerlich saddle (car park and bus stop), also reachable from Zieleniec in Poland
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,019 m
Masarykova chataHutStaffed
Year-round (restaurant listed in OpenStreetMap as open daily 08:00–20:00)