What you see from the deck

On a clear day the view is genuinely broad: the gentle farming land of Blatensko and Horažďovicko spreads around you, the line of Šumava's southern peaks—Boubín, Bobík, Javorník, Libín and the Kleť observatory above České Budějovice—closes the southern horizon, while the Brdy ridge with Třemšín rises to the north and the cooling towers of the Temelín nuclear plant appear in the distance. Other South Bohemian lookout towers, including Chlum near Chanovice and Vysoký and Velký Kamýk, can sometimes be picked out across the undulations. One caveat regulars note: a stand of tall pines to the west blocks part of the circle, so the panorama is not quite unbroken in every direction.↗↗

If you want the missing western view, the nearby village of Čečelovice has built a small viewing pavilion on its southern edge whose terrace looks out over the central and western Šumava hills toward the Český les forest ridge—easy to combine on the same walk.↗

The baron on a bicycle

The tower's longer name honours a real local character. Christian Battaglia came from a Venetian noble family settled at the chateau in nearby Bratronice and was one of the most devoted cyclists in the country: he raced for sixty-two seasons, logged well over 900,000 km in the saddle and took the Czech national title over the 200 km distance in 1935. The writer Ota Pavel immortalised him in his story "Baroni na kolech" (Barons on Bicycles), and Battaglia, who died on his bike in 1991, is buried in the Záboří cemetery; a monument by sculptor Karel Kryška stands on the square in Bratronice. Pausing on the deck, you are looking out over the countryside this stubborn amateur loved to ride through.↗↗

Plan your visit

The tower is reached by road on the Blatná–Horažďovice route: pass Záboří and turn toward Čečelovice, where a sandy track leads to a parking spot close to the mast, which stands only a few metres from the main road. By public transport the nearest rail stop is Mačkov, from which a marked trail runs about 7 km; a green-turist path also climbs up from Záboří itself. The approach is cycle-friendly—many visitors come on road or touring bikes—and the modest climb is suitable for children.↗↗↗

There is nothing to eat at the tower, so bring water and a snack; a guesthouse with a restaurant operates in Záboří below, and the chateau towns of Blatná and Horažďovice make natural add-ons to the outing. The site is seasonal—open roughly from mid-May to late September—so check before travelling, and note that there is no wheelchair-accessible entrance.↗↗