After years of neglect, the restoration of the historic brewery near the center of Bílina has begun

Bílina – After decades of neglect, the restoration of the historic building of the former brewery near the center of Bílina in the Teplice region has begun. The gable wall of the middle building and the roof over the brew house were already in a state of emergency. The work is overseen by heritage conservators. The repairs include the return of the Lobkowicz coat of arms to the center of the gable. A project for the roof repairs is also being prepared. This was stated by the city's deputy mayor, Karel Matuška (ANO).

The heritage-protected castle brewery closed in 1977. "For 50 years, no one has addressed the brewery complex; first, we cleaned it up, and now we need to secure it so that nothing falls on anyone," Matuška said. The gable wall facing the street has already begun to crumble. Its form has been altered several times in the past. At the request of the heritage conservators, it will be restored to how it looked in the 19th century. "Some windows will be moved, others will be bricked up. On the opposite side, it is not connected to the roof, which will also be addressed now," the deputy mayor added. The costs are around 4.5 million crowns.

Experts are also preparing a project for the roof repairs of two buildings. "We are considering what to do with the buildings that are not heritage-protected and are in a dilapidated state. We are contemplating demolition and landscaping the area under the castle," Matuška said. The city leadership is also looking for a purpose for the extensive complex and the building itself, where a mini-brewery could perhaps be established one day. "Everything will certainly take several years, but we believe that life will return to the brewery one day," the deputy mayor added.

The municipality bought the property in 1997 from William Lobkowicz, who acquired the brewery established in 1615 along with the local spa in the early 1990s through restitution. The city paid 1.6 million crowns for the buildings, where the Perla severu beer stopped being brewed around 1976. Nineteen years later, the city sold the brewery to Lesy Sever for 2.4 million crowns. However, the owner was unable to find a use for the brewery and did not obtain the funds necessary for its rescue. In 2022, council members agreed to repurchase the property back for the same amount.