Next summer, the renovated southern wing of Špilberk will open to tourists

Brno - Next summer, the administration of the Brno Castle Špilberk will open its southern wing to the public, which has been under renovation since last January. The demanding work will cost 155 million crowns and will include the restoration of the interiors. The project is expected to help revitalize the castle to make it a tourist attraction for all generations, said Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) to ČTK today. Part of the work also included archaeological research. According to scientists, it has brought several surprises.
     The southern wing is relatively spacious. A circular tour route will be created within it, which will include spaces for exhibitions. A permanent exhibition of modern art is planned.
     A new ticket office and souvenir sales will be established. The restoration of a previously popular castle wine cellar is also planned. The southern wing will provide facilities for actors during performances in the castle courtyard. One of the terraces, offering a view of the eastern part of Brno, will also be accessible.
     The southern wing, along with the eastern bastion of the castle, needed the restoration of the roof, frameworks, and internal plastering. Craftsmen still have the restoration of windows and floors ahead of them.
     The work has allowed archaeologists to explore the structure. In their long-inaccessible areas, they found shards of pottery and elaborately decorated tiled stoves from the period when Špilberk was the residence of the Moravian margraves from the Luxembourg family. Among the curiosities is the discovery of a perforated copper sheet. Most likely, parts of it were used in the Middle Ages to produce counterfeit groš. How it got to the castle and to whom it belonged is unknown.
     Equally unusual is the discovery of military epaulettes from World War II, when the castle served as barracks for the German army. They were also inhabited by their allies - the Vlasov army. Before the arrival of the Red Army at the end of the war, one of them tore them off and hid them under the floor.
     Špilberk has been undergoing repairs for many years. Its casemates, administrative building, and most of its wings have been restored. For the current work, Brno, which is the owner of the castle, received a grant of 42 million crowns from the European Union.