The Petrova hut in the Krkonoš Mountains is being destroyed by moisture and vandals

Špindlerův Mlýn (Trutnovsko) - At Petrovka in the Krkonoš ridges, collapse threatens. Water is leaking into the wooden structure, which is listed as a cultural monument; it is snowing inside and vandals are taking valuable equipment from it.
    "If something is not done quickly, it will collapse next winter. Water is leaking in, and rot is spreading inside. If more starts flowing in, no one will be able to save Petrovka," stated the heritage conservationist from the municipal office in Vrchlabí, Marta Žídková. Heritage officials want to negotiate with the owner of the building. "If I can reach an agreement with the owners, I will handle it amicably; if not, I will use measures provided for by the heritage law. I can order necessary rescue work, and if it is not carried out, I can impose a fine," Žídková said.
    The building is owned by the Prague company Snowy Chalet. "We have secured the building several times to prevent free access, but it has been in vain. Within two days, the barriers were always broken down. We have also reported break-ins to the police multiple times," said company representative Karel Janda, who claims that improved security for the chalet using steel nets is being prepared. "No one should be able to overcome those. However, it is not possible to install them in the frost. As soon as the snow melts, we will secure the building and fix it up to ensure it lasts," Janda stated, not wanting to disclose how the company plans to use the property.
    On the Krkonoš ridges at an altitude above 1200 meters before World War II, there were 30 mountain lodges, of which 21 were on the Czech side of the mountains. Six ridge inns disappeared without replacement, and both Petrovka and Sokolská bouda have been closed and deteriorating for a long time. "Petrovka is a gem of mountain architecture, which has no parallel in our country. The only buildings comparable are probably Jurkovič's wooden Art Nouveau constructions at Pustevny in the Beskids," stated landscape ecologist and Krkonoš history expert Pavel Klimeš.
    The first lodge at the site of today's Petrovka was built in 1811 by Johann Pittermann, after whom the lodge is named, a corruption of his surname. The next owner, Vinzenz Zinecker, converted it into a hotel with a grass-covered roof, a glass balcony, and a veranda seventy-five years later. He decorated the facade with patterns made of two-colored slate. The decline began with the conversion of Petrovka into a union recovery lodge in 1949. Since then, no significant investments have been made in the lodge, and no one has addressed the exceptionally high energy demands for heating and water heating, the modernization of rooms to a higher standard, or the improvement of service quality.
    Petrovka ceased to serve tourists in 2008, a year after the then-owner sold it for economic reasons and the new owner closed it due to alleged preparations for reconstruction.