Observation tower at Senftenberger See

The Aussichtsturm stands on flat land beside the Senftenberger See, three kilometres north of Hosena. It is a steel tower thirty-one and a half metres tall, leaning ten degrees towards the water. A paved cycle path runs past the base, linking the southern shore with the village. The lake is a flooded former mine, surrounded by sandy heath and pine woods. In the distance the Koschenberg ridge rises above the horizon. The tower was built in 2000 and 2001 to give visitors a clear view over the lake and its surroundings. Its 176 steps lead to a covered platform thirty metres above ground. Every year a stair-climbing race takes place on the tower. Local glassworks once used the quartz sand dug from the lake bed, and the water now fills old sand pits turned into bathing beaches. Visitors reach the platform by a straight staircase inside the sloping shaft. From the railings they can see the lake stretching southwards, the village of Hosena to the west, and the reed beds where birds nest along the shore. On clear days the tower’s height lets them pick out the wind turbines on the Koschenberg. The sandy paths around the tower are popular with cyclists and walkers.