Some monuments in the Pardubice Region are awaiting repairs this year

Pardubice - Some well-known monuments in the Pardubice Region are awaiting repairs this visitor season. However, it will probably only partially affect tourist tours. For example, at the castle in Slatiňany in the Chrudim region, only the basic tour circuit will be available, that is, the first route of the castle exhibition, and if the weather and operational conditions allow, then also the castle tower, said the castle administrator Jaroslav Bušta to ČTK.

"Other tour routes are closed due to reconstruction and access to the park will be closed until the end of April, but it should gradually be made accessible," Bušta stated. Visitors will see the castle library with original furnishings in its new form. During the season, the room of Princess Charlotte will be opened, and there will also be replicas of historical blinds, shutters, and curtains on display.

The castle in Slatiňany is undergoing extensive repairs that will restore its original appearance. Work began last year and is expected to last until 2019. Heritage conservationists plan not only to repair facades, windows, and doors, but also to restore the gate. The outdoor loggia on the western wing, which was demolished in the 1950s, will be restored to its original form. Rooms on the ground floor of the eastern wing will be transformed into a visitor center. The project also includes modifications to the castle park. The so-called children's farm, where noble children learned to take care of domestic animals and garden, will also be restored.

At Kunětická hora castle, the first phase of repairs is expected to begin around the middle of the year, for which the National Heritage Institute has obtained an EU grant. The renovation will allow for the accessibility of the interiors according to the project by architect Dušan Jurkovič, where the First Republic installation with a restaurant will be restored. An information center with a shop and facilities for visitors, as well as a new exhibition, will also be created. According to castle administrator Miloš Jiroušek, the work should not significantly restrict operations. During the summer, royal festivities and concerts will take place, along with a festival in the castle courtyard.

The open-air museum at Veselý Kopec near Hlinsko in the Chrudim region is treating shingle roofs and wooden structures before the season. "As soon as the weather allows, we want to complete a larger repair around the stage, which needs to be drained and directed away to prevent the stage from being flooded before the season starts," said Ilona Vojancová, head of the Vysočina Folk Architecture Ensemble. The season at the museum will start on April 21, with traditional events planned such as the Veselokopecký fair and feast.

The castle in Litomyšl has already begun the season with a flower exhibition in the Renaissance halls on the ground floor. The exhibition was created for the 450th anniversary of the castle's founding and will run until April 2. During Easter, traditional tours and historical theater will also open. For the anniversary, the castle is preparing additional events. From June until the end of the summer holidays, there will be an exhibition of the most interesting and beautiful opera costumes from the National Theatre. In the autumn, a historical-artistic exhibition is planned, presenting interesting architectural elements of the castle, its hidden and generally inaccessible parts, such as roof gables, and objects in the castle's lapidarium and depository. At the end of July, a Spanish festival will commemorate the founder of the castle, Vratislav of Pernštejn, and his Spanish wife, María Manrique de Lara y Mendoza.

Svojanov Castle in the Svitavy region kicked off the season at the beginning of March, but so far only on weekends. From April, it will welcome visitors every day except Monday. "We have two new exhibitions. One relates to the history of the castle, and the other is an outdoor exhibition that will last until the end of April. It is mobile and is titled 'My Homeland, Paths of Transformation,'" said Květa Korbářová, who is responsible for the promotion of the monument. There is also a new view of the castle, as five lime trees that were in poor condition were cut down before the entrance. The forecourt has also been newly paved.