Gočár's birthplace has a new owner, the castle in Semín will be renovated

Semín - The new owner of the dilapidated baroque castle with a brewery in Semín, Pardubice region, will restore the monument and open it to the public. He is committed to saving it within at least five years. Jan Kvasnička from Danup - Invest, the company that owns the property, told ČTK. The architect Josef Gočár was born in the castle. His buildings are among the peaks of Czech modern architecture.

In the extensive building, there could one day be a restaurant, accommodation, more luxurious apartments, a brewery, and a museum dedicated to Gočár. "First, we need to carry out a structural-historical survey, then at least repair the roofs. A project will follow. It also depends on whether it will be possible to draw on European grants,” said Kvasnička.

The baroque castle in Semín dates back to the 16th century. At the end of the 17th century, a brewery was added to it, where beer was brewed for more than 200 years. One of the brewers was the father of Josef Gočár. The brewery still hides original technologies.

The last owner was Jindřich Dvořák, who closed the unprofitable brewery in 1926. Afterwards, the buildings, which gradually fell into disrepair, were used as warehouses by the Pardubice and Chrudim breweries, and there were also apartments in them.

About a quarter of a century ago, the castle with the brewery had more owners. The partners disagreed on repairs, and only one owner remained, who transferred the property to his son. They then decided together to sell it. In the past, the municipality considered buying it, but with a small budget, it did not dare to undertake the repairs and management of the extensive building.

Repairing the Semín castle will be one of the expected investments in tourism around the Kladruby stud farm, which is striving for inclusion on the UNESCO list. With the increasing number of visitors to the stud farm, lodging and dining capacities in the area will gradually be insufficient.

For example, Řečany nad Labem plan to build a parking lot on the northern outskirts of the town along with a large outdoor miniature golf course. From there, the stud farm could organize rides to Kladruby. There is also the possibility of sightseeing boats on the Elbe.

"Regarding the Pardubice region, we have a significant debt in the condition of nearly half of the second and third-class roads, including some bridges, and we also face the construction of a new riding hall for the riding school and vocational school,” said Deputy Governor Roman Línek (KDU-ČSL).