Bystřice pod Hostýnem wants to renovate the former stable at the castle this year

Bystřice pod Hostýnem - Bystřice pod Hostýnem wants to renovate the former stable of its castle this year. The estimated costs amount to 5.9 million crowns. The space currently serves as a storage area and for organizing cultural events, but only in the season. After the renovation, it would be possible to use it year-round, said Mayor Zdeněk Pánek to ČTK.

The project includes the renovation of three historic rooms on the ground floor of the eastern and southern wings of the castle. According to Pánek, the floor will be repaired, the plaster and paint will be restored, the windows and doors will be refurbished, and ventilation will be adjusted. Builders will also connect the building to the water supply and sewage system, create sanitary facilities and underfloor heating, and repair the electrical installation.

The city wants to obtain a million crown grant from the Ministry of Culture for the renovation of the stable. If successful, the former stable will be reconstructed from July to October this year. The town hall also wants to continue the restoration of the wooden elements of the castle at the same time. The entrance doors to the rooms on the corridor of the northern wing of the castle are to be repaired for just under half a million crowns.

According to preserved documents, the castle was built in the first half of the 15th century by the Lords of Tvorkov. It is a unique example of the gradual modernization of noble residences. While others rebuilt their residences, in Bystřice, old buildings were preserved, and new ones were gradually added that better met the requirements for more comfortable living.

The last noble owners were the Loudons, descendants of the famous Austrian general. During the economic crisis of the 1930s, the last member of the family, Ernst Gideon Loudon, encountered serious financial difficulties and was forced to sell the castle. From 1935 to 1990, the army was based here. The town hall acquired the castle in 1991 and has been renovating it since then.

The pre-castle area has been completed, and the castle has had its facade, roof, and windows replaced. The municipal police, information center, and some departments of the town hall are located in the pre-castle area. On the ground floor of the main building of the castle, there is an exhibition of the city museum, and on the first floor of the eastern wing, there is an exhibition of historical bent furniture. The castle chapel has an exhibition dedicated to Napoleonic soldiers. Part of the castle is also used for hosting short-term exhibitions, concerts, and weddings.