The expansion of the Všestary Archeopark will cost over 21 million, and work will begin this year

Hradec Králové – The expansion of the internal exhibitions in the Prehistoric Archeopark Všestary in the Hradec Králové region will cost 21.5 million crowns. The work will be carried out by Staver Luže. It won the competition in which a total of seven companies participated. This is evident from the database of public contracts of the Hradec Králové region. The contract involves the construction of an extension and an annex to the existing building in the archeopark area. One of the project's goals is to enable visits to the exhibitions throughout the year.

"The start of construction work, or rather the handover of the construction site, is planned for the end of November. The construction work will last 18 months," said the spokesman for the regional government, Dan Lechmann.

The investment will cover building modifications, an extension on the existing structure, and a new annex at its rear. The builders will add an extension to the building in the southwest part of the archeopark so that it connects with the surrounding structures. The attic conversion will provide two workshops and a foyer with a projection hall and an internal exhibition for visitors. The project also includes an exhibition hall in the new annex. Additionally, new social facilities will be created. The annex at the back of the building will serve for practical demonstrations by experimental archaeologists.

The Všestary archaeologists plan exhibitions, lectures, and other events in the new spaces. As a novelty, they will offer an exhibition of archaeological finds from the construction of the D11 highway and will provide a detailed presentation of the maritime expeditions of Monoxylon in the permanent exhibition. Archaeological collection items from the Museum and Gallery of the Orlické Mountains will also find a place in the exhibition.

Through the maritime expeditions of Monoxylon in dugout canoes, Všestary archaeologists aim to contribute to the understanding of the spread of early forms of agriculture in the Mediterranean. The new exhibition will also feature a replica of a prehistoric vessel that participated in the fourth Monoxylon expedition in the Aegean Sea this summer. The Monoxylon IV expedition built on maritime expeditions in dugout canoes from 1995, 1998, and 2019.

The Všestary archeopark is established by the Hradec Králové region together with the University of Hradec Králové. The region contributes about two million crowns annually to its operation.

In the outdoor part of the complex, there are more than ten replicas of prehistoric structures, including a roundel, that is a circular structure, or a Neolithic house. Among visitors, students of all school levels are increasingly common, making the archeopark also serve as an educational center. The archeopark introduces visitors to life in prehistoric times through so-called living, experimental archaeology, and the entire attraction of the complex is based on methods of demonstration. The Prehistoric Archeopark Všestary is located about seven kilometers southwest of Hradec Králové and is the only archeopark of this comprehensive nature functioning in the Czech Republic.