Háj (, 758 m) is the highest mountain in the Czech part of the

Fichtel Mountains The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...

. It lies near

Aš Aš (; ) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Aš consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Aš (11, ...

in the

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

. On the summit there is a mountain inn that was destroyed by fire and an observation tower.

Location

In terms of the geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, the mountain is located in the district of Háj Highlands within the microregion of Aš Highlands of the

and is the highest mountain of the Fichtel Mountains. The mountain is located between the watercourses of the Ašský Stream and the

White Elster The White Elster (, ) is a river in central Europe. It is a right tributary of the Saale. The source of the White Elster is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, in the territory of Hazlov. After a few kilometres, it flows into easte ...

. The mountain is entirely located in the municipal territory of

in the

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...

, northeast of the built-up area of the town.

History

For a long time the Háj was bare and largely unforested. In 1861 the village of Asch bought it from the Zedwitz family for 6,000 gold talers and, with the help especially of Georg Unger, later called the "Father of the Hainberg", the woods that now characterise it were planted. For the construction of a viewing tower a construction fund was created in 1874. A stone observation tower on the summit was built in 1902–1904. It was designed by the Dresden architect

Wilhelm Kreis Wilhelm Kreis (17 March 1873 – 13 August 1955) was a prominent German architect and professor of architecture, active through four political systems in German history: the Wilhelmine era, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the found ...

. The tower bore name of

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

until 1946, when it was renamed Háj u Aše. The tower still stands and is one of the three Bismarck towers on the territory of the Czech Republic. In 1884 The

German Alpine Club The German Alpine Club (, DAV for short) is the world's largest climbing association and the eighth-largest sporting association in Germany. It is a member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the competent body for sport and competiti ...

branch at Asch (now Aš) built an Alpine Club house for hikers, the Hainberghaus. The building was seized in 1945 and renamed the Horská chata Háj. The interior was burned out in 2009 and the building has fallen into decay.Das Hainberghaus (752 m)
Sektion Asch des D. u. Ö. AV

Paths to the summit

Departure points for a visit of the mountain are the town of Aš and the village of Podhradí. A ''blue'' signed walking trail joins both locations, running over the summit of the mountain.

References

External links

*
Description of the Bismarck Tower
(Czech) {{DEFAULTSORT:Haj (Fichtel Mountains) Mountains and hills of the Czech Republic Mountains of the Fichtel Mountains Mountains under 1000 metres Towers completed in 1904 Observation towers in the Czech Republic Buildings and structures in the Karlovy Vary Region Tourist attractions in the Karlovy Vary Region