The reconstruction of the Singing Fountain in Mariánské Lázně will be completed by the end of April

Mariánské Lázně - The largest reconstruction of the Singing Fountain in Mariánské Lázně to date is set to be completed by the end of April. It will be launched for the first time with musical accompaniment on April 30, said Mayor Martin Hurajčík (ANO) to ČTK. The modernization, costing 50 million crowns, will not interfere with the start of the spa season, which is scheduled in Mariánské Lázně for Saturday, May 10.

"We also agreed with the Mariánské Lázně Healing Spa on the rental of the Arnika space so that cultural events can take place and people can gather there. Everyone knows, however, that when it rains, a lot of water collects there, so the space needs to be adjusted. There will be a stage there for the opening of the spa season this year, and a supporting program will take place," said Hurajčík.

According to him, the area in front of the colonnade by the Singing Fountain will remain open to preserve its dignified character. However, the modernization of the colonnade, which began last summer, will not be completed, according to the mayor. Workers will not manage to lay new paving over about a quarter of the space, and it will not be possible to use it. The owner of the colonnade is the company Léčebné lázně Mariánské Lázně.

The reconstruction of the fountain began last summer during the spa season, when the company was working underground and only a material storage area was present by the fountain. Its operation was completely interrupted at the end of August. According to Hurajčík, the fountain was in a nearly emergency state and only functioning thanks to the conscientious care of Petr Matějka, who has been looking after it for several years.

The control room has been moved from the colonnade to the underground of the fountain. Workers replaced more than two kilometers of piping underground, many pumps, and the electronics were also modernized. In the above-ground section, the fountain's tank and stone surfaces were cleaned, and it has new nozzles and more economical sound and lighting systems. The revamped design of the fountain was also contributed to by Slovak architect Pavel Mikšík, who designed it between 1976 and 1986.

The fountain was built in Mariánské Lázně during the reconstruction of the promenade from 1982 to 1986. The characteristic attraction of the colonnade, with its eighteen-meter main tank, has been owned by the city since its inception. It has ten spraying systems with several hundred nozzles, the middle, or highest spray reaches a height of six meters. Until 2012, the operation of the fountain was managed by the Healing Spa Mariánské Lázně, after which the city took over its management. The fountain's operation is controlled by a computer that creates various spraying combinations, including colored lighting complemented by about 20 songs.