JÁCHYMOV – gateway to the Ore Mountains

The television and radio transmitter on the summit of Klínovec has been one of the most prominent landmarks of the Ore Mountains for half a century. Its construction was preceded by an enthusiastic period of amateur radio activity, when members of a Czechoslovak organisation established the first provisional transmission facilities here in the 1950s.

The municipal power plant ranks among the most important technical structures in the town’s modern history. Built between 1912 and 1923 according to the design and under the supervision of Franz Rehn, it represented a decisive step in the electrification process that fundamentally transformed everyday life, mining operations and the spa industry.

The highest mountain of the Ore Mountains, with its stone observation tower, mountain hotel and extensive ski resort, ranks among the most important tourist destinations in the region. Klínovec combines a rich tradition of tourism, exhibition history and the dramatic fate of its summit hotel.

The Radium Palace Hotel is one of the most significant buildings of the spa town. Since its opening in 1912 it has experienced international fame, wartime decline and post-war renewal, and remains a symbol of luxurious radon therapy in Europe.

Today’s Aquacentre Agricola was established as the world’s first state spa institute dedicated to radium therapy. Constructed between 1906 and 1911, it became a landmark of spa architecture and remains a symbol of Jáchymov’s therapeutic tradition.

Built in 1950, the Miners’ House became an important cultural and social centre during the uranium mining era. Its history reflects the period of socialist reconstruction, cultural activity, and eventual decline, culminating in the demolition of the building in 2013.

The Cultural House in the spa district was built between 1951 and 1952 as a representative social centre for Soviet advisors working in the uranium mines of Jáchymov. The monumental structure in the style of socialist realism remains a reminder of the town’s uranium era and the ideological atmosphere of the period.

The Forest Café, known as Belvedere, was built after 1929 by hotelier Jaroslav Urban as part of the development of the Radium Palace spa complex. It became a popular promenade destination and a meeting place for leading figures of interwar Czechoslovakia.

The remains of Freudenstein Castle represent a unique example of early modern fortress architecture and are most likely the youngest castle in the Czech Republic. Construction began in 1517 to protect the silver mines and the newly founded town.

The ruin of Peter’s Mill in the Mill Valley is considered the oldest preserved water mill in the Czech Republic. Dendrochronological research dates its construction to the years 1525–1530.