Libušín in Pustevny opened 120 years ago, in 2014 it burned down

Prague - The wooden cottage Libušín (and the adjacent Maměnka) designed by architect Dušan Jurkovič was opened at Pustevny in the Beskids 120 years ago, on August 6, 1899. The interior of the tourist lodge, which bears the name of the legendary princess Libuše, was decorated with frescoes and graphics featuring motifs from Wallachian and Slovak legends according to the design of the artist Mikoláš Aleš. Portraits were executed by the academic painter Karel Štapler. The cottage served as a restaurant until the tragic fire on the night of March 2 to 3, 2014, when it was almost entirely burned down. The damage to this national cultural monument was estimated at 80 million crowns.

The Wallachian Open-Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, which manages Libušín, decided to restore Libušín after the fire. Construction of the new Libušín began in the summer of 2017, with work expected to be completed this autumn, followed by the installation of gastro equipment, interior furnishings, and the building's approval process will be addressed. Libušín could open to the public at the beginning of next year. The restoration of Libušín is estimated to cost around 100 million crowns.

The entire complex of buildings at Pustevny, which includes not only Libušín and Maměnka but also the Pustevenka and the Wallachian Bell Tower, was built between 1897 and 1899 on the order of the Pohorská jednota Radhošť according to the design of architect Dušan Jurkovič and builder Michal Urbánek. The decorative appearance of the buildings was created by stacking and combining various elements and motifs of folk architecture from Wallachia and Slovakia.

In 1947, the buildings faced demolition due to their poor technical condition. Only thanks to Jurkovič's intervention were the buildings saved. A second threat to the complex arose at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s when reconstruction of the buildings was halted due to a lack of funds. Additionally, a dispute over the ownership of the buildings complicated the entire situation.

In 1995, the Wallachian Open-Air Museum became the owner of the complex. In the same year, the complex was declared a national cultural monument. In 1996, the museum began the reconstruction of Libušín and the Wallachian Bell Tower, which were made accessible to the public in 1999. The reconstruction of the Maměnka lodge also began that same year.