Palace & modernBratislava & Western Slovakia

Kamzík TV Tower: Bratislava's landmark above the forest

Kamzík TV Tower (Televízna veža na Kamzíku) rises on a forested hill in the Koliba area of Bratislava, in the Little Carpathians, and is the tallest structure in the city. Finished in 1975, this slim tower of reinforced concrete and steel is both a working broadcasting site and one of Bratislava's best-known landmarks, a good answer to the question of what to see away from the Old Town.

Slovakia's tallest tower looks like two pyramids joined at their bases, and on a clear day a restaurant on a slowly turning floor lets you see Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

WhereKamzík hill, Koliba area, Nové Mesto district, Bratislava

TypeTelevision transmission tower of reinforced concrete and steel, finished in 1975; about 194 m tall

Best forArchitecture and engineering fans, panoramic views and walkers in the Bratislava Forest Park

Getting thereOn the northern outskirts of the city, in the Bratislava Forest Park; a few kilometres from the centre

The history of the Kamzík TV Tower

The tower stands on Kamzík hill, part of the Little Carpathians, in the Koliba area of Bratislava, inside the Bratislava Forest Park and within the district of Nové Mesto. The hill rises to around 435 metres above sea level and can be seen from far around, which helps both the broadcast signal and the tower's visibility. From almost every approach road it is the first building of Bratislava that travellers notice, and its slender silhouette is clear from a distance.

The present tower replaced an earlier transmission tower. The foundation stone was laid in 1967 and the building was completed in 1975. A team of architects, among them Stanislav Májek, Jakub Tomašák, Juraj Kozák, Milan Jurica and Ján Privitzer, worked on the design. It was built at a time when Czechoslovakia was also constructing the Ještěd transmitter and mountain hotel near Liberec, while towers in cities such as Berlin and Moscow already served as unmistakable identification points of their capitals. The steel skeleton for the 17 platforms was made in the bridge works of the VŽKG company in Ostrava.

The structure is remarkable for its composite design in two materials. The core is a reinforced concrete shaft on a square base, with sides of 7 metres, and the outer structure consists of steel box columns joined to the core by steel beams above the first platform. There the concrete ends and a steel tube continues, topped by a laminate tube holding the UHF television antennas. For about two thirds of its height the tower has the shape of two truncated four-sided pyramids joined at their bases, one pointing up to the antenna and one turned towards the ground. The platforms are lettered from A to O, counted from the top. At the time it was a bold system: the concrete core works in compression while the steel rods at the corners work in tension.

The tower serves both broadcasting and the public. On platform J there is a round-the-clock monitoring centre that watches the quality of all television transmitters in Slovakia. The public parts are separated from the broadcasting operation: a café on platform D and a restaurant on platform E, around 70 metres above the ground, with their own entrance and lift. The seating in the restaurant stands on a turntable that slowly offers a panoramic view. The observation platform C was open to visitors until 1997, when it was closed because of dangerously strong winds.

The restaurant has had several chapters. The restaurant VEŽA closed in 2010, and in 2011 a new restaurant called Altitude opened with a new interior and Mediterranean cuisine. The tower has also followed the change in broadcasting: the first DVB-T multiplex was launched from here on 22 December 2009 and switched off on 27 July 2011, when analogue television gradually ended, and a second, public multiplex began on 29 June 2011.

Curiosities about the Kamzík TV Tower

It is the tallest structure in Bratislava and the tallest tower in Slovakia.
The tower has the shape of two truncated pyramids joined at their bases, a form similar to a Blaw-Knox transmission tower according to the German Wikipedia.
The seating in the restaurant stands on a turntable that slowly turns and offers a panoramic view.
In good visibility, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic can be seen from the tower.
The observation platform C was closed to visitors in 1997 because of dangerously strong winds.
The service lift can stop at the public platforms, but the public lift cannot go to the broadcasting levels, and the upper section of the tower is unsafe to enter because of strong electromagnetic radiation.

Tours near Kamzík TV Tower

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

5-Course Small-Group Bratislava Food Tour with Local Guide

★ 5 (47 reviews) · 3.5 h

See details ›

Military Guns Shooting Experience with GunMates Bratislava

★ 5 (44 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Bratislava Off the Beaten Path Tour - recommended also by Rick Steves

★ 5 (36 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Private Day Trip to Banska Stiavnica Unesco Site

★ 5 (32 reviews) · 10 h

See details ›

Visiting the Kamzík TV Tower

The public parts are a café and a restaurant at around 70 metres, with their own entrance and lift; the broadcasting levels are closed to visitors.
In clear weather the view reaches Bratislava, the Danube and over the border towards Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
The tower stands in the Bratislava Forest Park, so the surroundings suit a walk in the woods of the Little Carpathians.
The restaurants and the opening of the public platforms have changed over the years, so check what is open and the current opening hours before you go.
Other places on this site nearby include the Červený most (about 2 km), the Chapel of Saint Rozália (about 3 km), Aspremont Palace and the Clarissine Church (both about 4 km).

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Kamzík TV Tower is

Photos of Kamzík TV Tower

Questions

Where is the Kamzík TV Tower and how tall is it?

It stands on Kamzík hill in the Koliba area of Bratislava, in the Little Carpathians. It is about 194 metres tall, although some sources give a slightly different figure.

When was the Kamzík TV Tower built?

The foundation stone was laid in 1967 and the tower was completed in 1975. It replaced an earlier transmission tower.

Can you go up the Kamzík TV Tower?

The public parts are a café and a restaurant at around 70 metres. The observation platform C has been closed since 1997, so check what is open before you go.

What can you see from the Kamzík TV Tower?

In good visibility you can see Bratislava, the Danube, the Carpathians and, over the border, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Who designed the Kamzík TV Tower?

A team of architects including Stanislav Májek, Jakub Tomašák, Juraj Kozák, Milan Jurica and Ján Privitzer designed it.

What does the Kamzík TV Tower look like?

For about two thirds of its height it forms two truncated four-sided pyramids joined at the bases, with a steel tube and antennas on top. Its core is reinforced concrete and the outer frame is steel.