On Sychrov, they are renovating the majestic staircase, so the park is closed

Sychrov - Sychrov Castle near Turnov has temporarily closed its spacious park. The reason is the repair of the majestic two-armed castle staircase located at the entrance to the park. The staircase is popular among filmmakers, and Timothy Dalton also stood on it in one film. The dismantling, new piles, and reassembly of the massive sandstone staircase will cost approximately ten million, said the castle's curator Miloš Kadlec to ČTK.

Work on the restoration of the staircase will continue until autumn, but the twenty-three-hectare park in the English style will be accessible to the public starting April 1. "Right now, the view is not exactly pleasant because there is a crane disassembling the individual steps of the staircase," Kadlec stated. To ensure that people can safely pass through the park, workers will create a passage. "Visitors will be able to observe how this beautiful characteristic staircase is slowly reassembled like a puzzle," the curator added.

Sychrov Castle is one of the most significant neo-Gothic buildings in the Czech Republic and is a national cultural monument. Originally a Baroque castle built at the end of the 17th century, it was renovated by Prince Kamil Josef Rohan in the mid-19th century. The outdoor castle staircase, which filmmakers often use, is from that time. "It has probably played the most in the film The Beauty and the Beast with Timothy Dalton. The dictator spoke from that staircase in the guise of Timothy Dalton," Kadlec noted. The staircase was also prominently featured in the fairy tale Fišpánská jablíčka and in an episode of the series The Adventures of Criminalistics.

The restoration of the staircase is necessary due to long-term structural issues. "I dare say that the structural problems were caused by the search for the Amber Room right at this staircase, when drilling rigs in March and April 1991 went to great depths," the curator explained. Based on the assertions of treasure hunters, mysterious underground spaces were sought at Sychrov. "However, nothing was found, only the staircase was disturbed," Kadlec added. According to him, a basic renovation was carried out in 1994, but it did not resolve the issues.

Sychrov is the only castle in the Liberec Region that is open all year round. It is also the most visited monument in the region, attracting 126,621 visitors last year. The castle collection of 240 portraits is considered the largest collection of French portrait art in Central Europe. Since March, there has been a new exhibition at the castle on the theme of dolls and toys of aristocratic children. The exhibition reminds visitors that some of the last Rohan owners had seven daughters.