Jičín will replace or repair 300 windows of the Valdštejn Castle

Jičín - The city of Jičín wants to gradually replace or repair about 300 windows of the Valdštejn Castle. The work is expected to be carried out by the Třebíč company Archatt Památky, which offered a price of 10.97 million CZK in the competition. The first phase of the window work, costing approximately one million CZK, should be done this year, with the windows in the wedding salon on the ground floor of the castle being prioritized. This was reported today by the city hall spokesperson Magdaléna Doležalová.

Some of the castle windows will be replaced, while others will be refurbished. The city hall hopes to complete the investment in phases by 2021. However, the speed of repairs will depend on how much money the city council allocates for repairs in each year.

The city hall also plans to build a new entrance to the castle that would connect the main courtyard with the castle gardens. The new entrance should significantly improve comfort during cultural and social events or wedding ceremonies at the castle. Currently, the castle garden is accessed from Valdštejn Square or Smiřických Street. The construction of the entrance is part of a long-term concept for building modifications at the castle, for which the city has obtained a building permit.

The aim of the city hall is to gradually repair the entire castle, estimating the costs to be in the tens of millions of CZK. The very first in a series of planned investments is the repair of the information center on the ground floor and the area on the first floor, where the tax office used to be located, which began in June. The costs amount to over 14 million CZK. Previous investments in the castle primarily addressed emergency conditions, including those related to the boiler room and heating.

Jičín Castle was built after 1608 and burned down 12 years later due to an explosion of gunpowder. Under Albrecht of Wallenstein, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1633. The castle last underwent a significant reconstruction in the 1960s. In addition to the information center, the castle currently houses a basic art school, a museum, and a gallery. Part of the space includes a wedding salon and a restaurant.