Location: On a plane below Tříkřížový vrch (Three Crosses Hill) northeast above the centre of Karlovy Vary
Period of construction: 1997
Architect: Unknown
Official opening: 1997
Accessibility: Freely accessible
How to get there
Route 1: You may reach the lookout arbour by following the 1.6 km long route that leads from the Hot Spring in the spa centre along the yellow-marked tourist path. You will walk across Na Vyhlídce Street and continue through the spa woods all the way to the lookout.
Route 2: If you decide for the second route, travel by Bus No. 10 or Bus No. 15 to the "Havlíčkova" stop in Drahovice. From there, follow the green tourist path to the crossroads below Tři kříže (Three Crosses). The lookout arbour is located at the edge of the plane.
History of the structure
In the past, a restaurant for excursionists and the "U Tří křížů" (Three Crosses) Café had stood on the plane of the former Rudolfova výšina (Rudolf's Height) below the Three Crosses. In the 19th century, the site belonged among the most frequently visited outing destinations of the spa guests. The original Camera Obscura (Dark Chamber) arbour where pictures of the landscape were projected on the wall of the dark chamber used to stand in the restaurant garden.
The original arbour had fallen victim to a devastating overnight windstorm in 1990. The present-day wooden lookout arbour was built on its site 1997 thanks to the initiative aimed at the restoration and revival of vanished or dilapidated structures in the spa woods.
Location
Camera Obscura Arbour
