Velká Deštná is a mountain in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. With an elevation of 1116 m, it is the highest mountain of the Orlické Mountains and of the whole Central Sudetes range. There is an observation tower on top of the mountain, which is one of the most visited observation towers in the country.

Geography

Velká Deštná is located in the municipal territory of Deštné v Orlických horách, about 40 km east of the city of Hradec Králové. It is situated in the Orlické Mountains of the Central Sudetes and is the highest mountain of the Central Sudetes. According to the latest measurement, its altitude is 1116 m. North of the summit is the side peak Malá Deštná at 1090 m and south of the summit is the side peak Maruša (also called Marušin kámen) at 1043 m. The entire Orlické Mountains area, including Velká Deštná, belongs to the Orlické hory Protected Landscape Area. Between the peaks of Velká Deštná and Malá Deštná is the Jelení lázeň Nature Reserve. The 8.2 ha area is protected for its ridge bog with characteristic endangered flora, fauna and typical bog phenomena.

Observation tower

The Velká Deštná observation tower was opened in 2019. It replaced an old wooden observation tower that was demolished in 2010. The new observation tower has a steel structure covered with wood and is 19 m high. In 2021 and 2022, Velká Deštná was among the three most visited observation towers in the country with about 100,000 visitors per year and the most visited outside Prague.