This impressive tower is 193.5 metres tall and was first put into operation in 1961. Until then, Prague and the whole of Central Bohemia were covered only by a poor signal from Prague’s Petřín. The eponymous hill Cukrák, on which the transmitter stands, got its name after the nearby sugar factory in Zbraslav.
Looking at the nearly two-hundred-metre steel tower, you might wonder how it can withstand harsh weather conditions at such a height. Although construction began in 1959, it meets all modern safety standards. Unique mechanics in the tower can balance up to a metre swings in strong winds. The ecological heating is then provided by waste heat from the cooler in the basement of the building.
The tower’s diameter at the base is 16 metres, narrowing to only 1.22 metres at the highest part. This fiberglass extension was deployed on top of the tower by helicopter during the reconstruction. That must have been quite a show!
The transmitter (like its relative in Žižkov) is coated with a special paint from the Netherlands to prevent corrosion. It has a lifespan of at least 30 years, so you don’t see painters on the tower very often.
Unfortunately, the entrance to the tower is not open to the public, but you can use the adjacent resting place for a snack with a view. The surrounding forests are definitely worth seeing. They are interspersed with hiking trails with views of the river valley and even a mouflon preserve.
Fancy a longer walk? Be amazed by the view of the large Zbraslav quarry 6 kilometres away. This quarry is one of the largest crushed stone producers in the Czech Republic.
The yellow hiking trail is only 2 kilometres from the Restovna and is a pleasant walk.
It is a stone’s throw from Jíloviště to Cukrák. By car, the five-kilometre route can be covered in a few minutes.