The Lednice-Valtice Area has been in UNESCO for ten years, it needs money

Lednice (Břeclavsko) - More than 300 million crowns have been invested in the restoration of the monuments of the Lednice-Valtice area in Břeclav, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list for ten years. Although the region has changed significantly since December 1996, mayors and heritage experts believe it deserves greater support. The area is one of the three largest tourist attractions in the Czech Republic, along with Prague Castle and Český Krumlov. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world visit it each year.
    "Although we were inscribed among UNESCO monuments in December 1996, it's hard to celebrate in winter, so we will commemorate the anniversary now in the summer," said Libor Kabát, chair of the microregion Lednice-Valtice area and the mayor of Lednice, today to ČTK.
    Those who associate the area only with the castle and its park in Lednice are mistaken. It encompasses almost 200 square kilometers between Mikulov and Břeclav. The Liechtenstein family once transformed this space into an enormous park full of ponds, rare trees, and above all, romantic structures - so-called salets - that beautify it. The area is the largest aesthetically modified space by humans in Europe.
    The region has changed beyond recognition in the past ten years. For example, all rooms on the ground floor of the Lednice Castle have been restored, the unique palm greenhouse has been repaired, an art gallery displaying Liechtenstein paintings has been created in the castle, an artificial cave has been opened below it, and since the 1990s, boat rides on the castle's arm of the Dyje River have been a tourist attraction.
    This year, health spas utilizing the healing effects of jodobromide water have opened in Lednice. Fifty kilometers of bike paths connected to cycling routes in Lower Austria have been marked out in the area. The municipalities of the area have formed a microregion with Břeclav, which now contributes approximately 5.5 million crowns annually to its tourist promotion.
    According to experts, the area still lacks a sufficient number of quality accommodation facilities. Some salets have been renovated, but others continue to deteriorate. The Lednice Castle is still awaiting facade repairs and also roof repairs. The Valtice Castle also needs investment. Funding is being sought for the maintenance and modification of the Lednice ponds.
    "I perceive the state's support for the area as below average. The area is forgotten and prioritized below Prague. There is a lack of coordinated care for the area," said Dymo Piškula, the mayor of Břeclav, to ČTK today.
    If it were not for what is known as the "carving up of the bear," when lawmakers managed to secure important grants for the region during the state budget creation, much less would have been modified. He emphasized that the area is not just about monuments, but also nature and a well-maintained landscape. According to him, ministries often pass various problems regarding the area back and forth, expecting others to solve them.
    Approximately 280,000 tourists visit the Lednice Castle each year. Its adjacent park is freely accessible, and it is estimated that up to half a million visitors pass through it annually. "It would certainly be beneficial if a separate financial fund were created for the most visited UNESCO monuments, from which funding could be drawn. The funds that have come to us are certainly not insignificant, but on the other hand, there could have been even more," said Ivana Holásková, the castle manager in Lednice.
    The chair of the microregion, Kabát, admits that some expectations stemming from the site's inscription as a UNESCO monument have not yet been met, but he believes that the situation is improving. “Above all, it is necessary for the heads of individual ministries to realize how uniquely world-class the area is. In our opinion, they still have certain reserves in this regard,” emphasized the mayor of Břeclav, who is far from satisfied with the situation.