Tourists can visit the new post office on Sněžka from today

Pec pod Sněžkou (Trutnovsko) - The first tourists visited the newly opened post office at the summit of Sněžka this morning. People will find basic refreshments, postal services, and the opportunity to enjoy a view from the observation terrace located on the roof of the building in this modern facility. Jaroslava Skrbková, the investor of the construction, told ČTK today.
    "We moved furniture and prepared everything for the opening all night, but we succeeded. The post office will now be open every day from 08:00 to 17:00," the investor said.
    According to her, the post office will also become a venue for wedding ceremonies, with the first one planned for August 8, followed by the traditional St. Lawrence Pilgrimage on August 10, during which hundreds of pilgrims will ascend to the summit of Sněžka. "I am glad that after all these years we managed to open the post office before the pilgrimage," Skrbková said. The post office is open based on a preliminary usage consent, and it must obtain a final occupancy permit within one year. The original post office building will also disappear from the summit of Sněžka within a year.
    The construction of the post office, designed by architects Martin Rajniš and Patrik Hoffman, began in summer 2006 with the modification of the foundations of the original Czech hut. The modern building is made from wooden parts reinforced with steel rods and is complemented by glass panels that cover hydraulically operated wooden shutters. The building was symbolically opened during last year's St. Lawrence Pilgrimage by President Václav Klaus, with the opening expected to follow within a few weeks. However, the work was complicated by a dispute between Skrbková and the construction company. Skrbková took over the construction only last December and claims that she will probably sue the company.
    The original Czech hut from 1868 was closed in 1990 and demolished in 2004. The selection of the design for the new post office was accompanied by turbulent discussions, with objections coming from the managers of the Krkonošsko National Park. Special permission for construction in the park’s most strictly protected zone had to be issued by the Ministry of the Environment.