Camera Obscura Lookout

A wooden lookout arbour stands on a plateau below Three Crosses Hill, north-east of the centre of Karlovy Vary, at 518 metres above sea level. It overlooks almost the entire spa centre in the valley of the Teplá river and a large part of the town — the views are most striking on summer evenings and early in the morning.

In the 19th century the plateau was home to an excursion restaurant and café called U Tří křížů (The Three Crosses), whose garden featured a curious wooden structure known as the Camera obscura — a darkened chamber onto whose inner walls light images of the surrounding landscape were projected. The arbour takes its name from it. The original structure was destroyed by a strong night windstorm in 1990; the present arbour was built in October 1997 as part of the restoration of damaged walking structures in the spa forests.

The lookout is freely accessible all year round and admission is free. A 1.6 km yellow-marked trail leads from the Hot Spring via Na Vyhlídce street through the spa forests; alternatively, take bus no. 10 or 15 to the Havlíčkova stop and follow the green trail to the crossroads below the Three Crosses. The Three Crosses Lookout itself is a few minutes' walk uphill.