The Belvedér (German and English: ''Belvedere'') is the oldest viewing point in Bohemian Switzerland in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It is located near

Labská Stráň Labská Stráň (german: Elbleiten) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. Labská Stráň lies approximately north of Děčín, north-east of Úst� ...

high above the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

valley.

History

Prince Franz-Karl

Clary-Aldringen The House of Clary und Aldringen, also known as Clary-Aldringen, is one of the most prominent Austro-Hungarian princely families. Originally from Friuli, Northern Italy, one branch of the family moved to the County of Tyrol around 1500 and to the ...

had the viewing terrace laid out at the beginning of the 18th century. An artificial alcove was used for theatre performances and similar events. It was initially decorated by a theatre mask, later by the coat of arms of the princely family. The site was used for recreation and accommodation by the nobility. An avenue links the Belvedér to their former summer residence – Binsdorf Castle. When the castle burned down in 1790, interest in the viewing point was lost. As a result, the site became open to tourists. In 1889 a large restaurant opened, that was used after 1945 as a factory holiday home. After 1990 it was privatised again and upgraded into a hotel.

Views

Perched 130 metres over the

the Belvedér has a wonderful view of the Elbe valley. Immediately opposite in the deeply incised Elbe valley is the small village of Dolní Žleb, further downstream the settlements of Čertova Voda and Podskalí can be made out; all three located within the municipal territory of

Děčín Děčín (; german: Tetschen, 1942–1945: ''Tetschen–Bodenbach'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It is the 7th largest municipality in the country by area. Administrative parts D ...

. In clear weather there are views as far as the city of Děčín. 800px, center, Elbe Canyon as seen from the Belvedér observation point

External links

Belvedere at Saxon Switzerland National Park

Hotel Belvedér
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belveder Bohemian Switzerland Děčín District Rock formations of the Czech Republic Scenic viewpoints Outdoor structures in the Czech Republic