The renovated fortress Dobrošov offers a new visitor center and exhibition

Dobrošov - The repaired pre-war fortress Dobrošov in the Náchod region will open to the public on May 17. Today, trial operation began for schools and pre-booked groups. The Hradec Králové Region invested almost 96 million crowns into the monument, representatives of the regional government told journalists during the presentation of the fortress. In the area, a new visitor center with an audiovisual exhibition has been created over the past three years, and both the above-ground and underground parts of the fort have been renovated to resemble their appearance from 1937 to 1938.

"The Dobrošov Fortress is an important monument of the line of border fortifications from the period before the Second World War. Even before the reconstruction, it was frequently visited, and thanks to this revitalization, it has the potential to become one of the main attractions of the Hradec Králové Region," said governor Martin Červíček (ODS).

Before the reconstruction, the fortress received around 30,000 visitors annually, and its operation is managed by the Náchod Museum. The Dobrošov Fortress is a national cultural monument and has belonged to the region since 2015.

Construction work on the fortress reconstruction began in June 2019 and was completed last summer. During the winter, work underground was limited due to a nesting colony of protected bats. The total cost of the project is 95.7 million crowns, of which the construction accounted for 74 million, while the rest was allocated for project documentation, construction and technical supervision, and other expenses. The prices include VAT. Two-thirds of the costs will be covered by European funding from IROP.

All three above-ground buildings and the underground spaces of the fort have been renovated. The aim was to restore and secure the original structures, install new electrical wiring, and also to remove some damage incurred in modern history. Conversely, the builders preserved damage from the period of Nazi occupation, such as when German soldiers shelled the Můstek blockhouse. An elevator was also installed in the Zelený blockhouse during the reconstruction.

"We had the inadequate visitor center demolished and built a new structure in its place, equipped with facilities for staff and tourists as well as large exhibition spaces equipped with modern audiovisual technology. We are currently also preparing to build a new kiosk," stated deputy governor for investments Pavel Bulíček (Pirates).

The visitor center features a new exhibition dedicated to the development of Czechoslovak fortifications and events during the mobilization period in 1938. It includes an exhibition of a collection of miniatures of soldiers from the Czechoslovak army from the First Republic by Lubor Šušlík, soldiers' uniforms, and a model of the Dobrošov fort. There is also a cinema hall in the visitor center.

The individual above-ground structures, the infantry blockhouses Můstek and Jeřáb, and the artillery blockhouse Zelený are also accessible. Between them, there are 1,750 meters of connecting corridors and 750 meters of underground spaces at a depth of 20 to 39 meters below the surface. "The reinforced concrete blockhouse Jeřáb is newly equipped with collection items and exhibits that evoke its condition in 1938," stated Lukáš Vaníček from the regional government.

The Dobrošov fort, along with 12 other artillery forts, was to defend the state borders. Construction work began on September 13, 1937, and was planned for two years. Workers managed to complete three out of the seven planned structures before construction was halted following the events in Munich.