The renovation of the hunting lodge near Ostrov in the Karlovy Vary region will be extended until September

Ostrov – The completion of the rescue of the hunting lodge in Mořičov near Ostrov in the Karlovy Vary region will be extended through September due to archaeological research. The work was originally scheduled to finish in August. The contract worth approximately 10.7 million crowns without VAT was awarded to the company Bolid M, and the city received an eight million crown grant from the European Union for the project. From the beginning, the work has been overseen by heritage conservationists and a structural engineer, and most of the materials used consist of original construction elements, said the mayor of Ostrov, Pavel Čekan (independent, elected by the Local Party).

"The rescue of the Mořičov lodge is currently in its final stages. The walls are now somehow conserved according to the project to withstand weather conditions. After the archaeological survey, we can start working on the floor, which will be made of bricks. In the center, there will be a catch pit that will drain the water that falls here,” described the progress of the work, Čekan said.

Upon completion of the restoration, a resting area for visitors to the educational trail "On the Old Roads around Ostrov" will be created in the ruins. A wooden path will lead around the building, and inside there will be simple seating reminiscent of the original layout of the structure.

The rescue archaeological research began on July 7 at the city's request. It was intended to verify the expected existence of an arched underground space beneath the lodge. However, archaeologists did not find any remnants of an arch or any other ceiling during the survey. According to experts, it can be assumed that the construction of the original sunken area has also disappeared.

The hunting lodge was built between 1738 and 1739 by the then owners of the Ostrov estate, brothers Ludwig George and August George from Baden-Baden. Since the beginning of the 19th century, it has been in decline, and by the mid-19th century, it was already described as a ruin. In 1964, it was declared a cultural monument. The current restoration aims to prevent its further decay and preserve a significant representation of the Baroque landscape around Ostrov.