Day 1#

Tower Háj near city Aš

In 1860s, on a bare and unsightly hill, a few enthusiasts from Aš led by Jiří Unger, built a rest area with a forest park, which became the town´s pride.

The first plan to build an observation tower on that place appeared in 1874, but despite financial support from the town of Aš, the plan failed due to a lack of funds.

Funding and designs

The situation changed in 1895 thanks to the 80^th birthday anniversary of the first German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. In the year 1898, a committee for the construction of the tower chaired by Mayor Emil Schindler was founded. Members of other associations, including the German and Austrian Alpinist Association, the Association of Horticulturalists and Landscapers and the Union of Germans in Bohemia were among those involved in the Committee. The members of the committee called upon the citizens of Aš to make financial contributions towards the construction of the tower which was to be named after the honourable German Chancellor. Soon, sufficient financial funds were raised, and a German architect, Wilhelm Kreis, was commissioned to design the tower. Kreis was known as the father of Bismarck columns and Götterdämmerung (The Twighlight of Gods) design was awarded first prize by the Association of German Students. Until 1911, this design was used 47 times.

Kreis submitted two designs but both were rejected. Finally, the third design which was different from the traditional concept of Bismarck columns was unanimously approved. At 1901- art exhibition in Dresden, this design was awarded gold medal. In August 1902, a construction foreman from Aš - Ernst Hausner was commissioned to carry out the construction of the tower and a foreman Johannes Hörer of Steinpöhl was commissioned to supervise the construction of the tower.

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Day 2#

The ruins of the Neuberg castle in Podhradí

They immediately gave the castle back to the family of Neuberg. The castle was later damaged by the troops of King Charles IV when its owners used the strategic location of the castle, which was near trade routes leading to Saxony, to carry out acts of banditry there.

From the year 1344, all the assets belonging to the Neubergs lying in the Aš Rrgion were gradually bought up by the House of Zedtwitz, who were related to the family of Neuberg. Conrad of Zedwitz acquired the Neuberg Castle in the year 1395 after he married Hedvika of Neuberg. In the year 1422, the Zedwitz estate was granted independence from Cheb by King Sigismund of Luxemburg, perhaps as a thanks for their non-participation in the Hussite Wars. As a result of that, the way of living in the Aš region changed, especially with regard to religion. Lutheranism started to spread in the region and soon it gained a powerful influence. In the 15^th century, the Church of Good Shepherd was built near the castle and in year the 1610, the castle of Neuberg burnt down. Until then, it had served as the headquarters of the Zedwitz family who ruled the whole Aš headland. Then the Zedwitz split up and moved to new chateaus in Kopaniny, Doubrava, Smrčina and Podhradí. Materials from the ruined castle were used for the construction of the new chateau in Podhradí, which was located in the close proximity of the Neuberg castle.  The original appearance of the castle is not known. Only a 22-metre high tower standing on a 29,5-metre high headland has been preserved. The circumference of the tower is 19.2 meters.

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Day 3#

Town hall

The Baroque building from 1733, built as the administrative center of the Zedtwitz estate, was destroyed by fire in 1814 and rebuilt between 1815 and 1816 according to plans by Angelus Pleffer from 1733. In 1885, the building was raised by a second floor and rebuilt into a pseudo-Renaissance form. After 1945, a museum was located here, later a city library. In 2003, the building was repaired and returned to its original purpose.

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