Repairs of the Belvedere Castle near Valtice for 12 million are nearing completion

Valtice – At the Valtice Castle, workers are completing the repairs of the Belvedere lodge in these weeks, the last building, a so-called salet, in the Lednice-Valtice area, which has not yet been open to the public. The repairs will cost 12 million crowns, and the building is expected to open to the public next spring, said Lenka Beránková from the administration of Valtice Castle to ČTK.

"The reconstruction included, among other things, structural reinforcement of the building, repair of emergency facades, windows, and doors, floor repairs, restoration of historical painting, and reconstruction of parts of the networks and protective systems. The roofs of all buildings were supplemented and restored with covering and sheet metal elements," Beránková listed.

The work cost 12 million crowns from the budget of the Ministry of Culture. The Belvedere Lodge was built in 1806 on the so-called Fox Hill near Valtice, probably according to the design of Joseph Hardtmuth, the then princely builder and architect. The Belvedere was originally intended as the center of a pheasantry. After 1945, it became part of the local state farm, which included apartments and a grain store.

The completely devastated lodge was taken over by the National Heritage Institute at the end of the last millennium. Its rescue began with the replacement of the trusses affected by wood rot and gradual modifications to the interiors. The current work is the final stage of its repairs. In addition to the rescue and restoration of the building itself, there will also be a need to modify the ten-hectare park surrounding the lodge in the future. "For the last fifty years, there has practically been a resignation to its active shaping. It is necessary to remove invasive tree species and plant trees that will form a new backbone of the park by the time our grandchildren are alive, which is an integral part of not only the Belvedere but the entire Lednice-Valtice area," added Lenka Beránková.

The public has not yet had access to the interiors of the lodge, but this is expected to change next spring. From April 1, 2021, it should open to visitors along with a small café offering the best Valtice wines and outdoor seating, while the interior spaces are expected to host seasonal exhibitions.