Great reconstruction of Ještěd is still not in sight, interest in it is still very high.

Liberec – The planned major renovation of the Jested hotel and transmitter in Liberec, costing hundreds of millions of crowns, is still in the preparation stage. There is currently no timeline for the start of the reconstruction. Petra Miterová, a media spokesperson for Czech Radiocommunications (ČRA), which owns the national cultural monument and Czech building from the 20th century, told CTK. The landmark above Liberec remains one of the largest tourist attractions in the region.

Even 50 years after its ceremonial opening, it still serves its original purpose; in addition to the transmitter, there is still a hotel and a restaurant. About 85 percent of the guests are Czech, said Milena Lánská, a representative of the hotel operator, to CTK. This was not the case in the past, according to her. "It took us some time for this to change. Initially, it was a German clientele, and those people seemed afraid to enter the restaurant," Lánská added.

According to her, the restaurant is interesting because it is different during the day and evening. "In the daytime, the menu is designed to serve quickly, so people are not afraid to come in while on a trip with a dog or with a backpack. In the evening, the atmosphere changes, the tablecloths are set, candles are lit, and the evening menu is offered. The chefs must completely change their mood, and everything slows down in a way," she said.

Accommodation in the unconventional hotel, located at an altitude of 1012 meters above sea level, is also a draw. "We have 22 rooms, and the occupancy is around 85 percent," Lánská noted. However, she cannot estimate how many people visit the unique technical monument, which is shaped like a rotating hyperboloid, each year. Many people do not even enter the hotel and stay on the observation terrace. Before the cable car stopped operating, it transported about 300,000 people to the top each year. Others walked, rode bikes, or drove up. It is still crowded at the top even now, despite the cable car having been out of service for almost two years after a tragic accident. According to Lánská, the cable car especially helped them during the off-season. "For example, on a foggy and windy weekday in November," she added.

The uncertainty regarding the future of the cable car, which the city of Liberec wants to take over from Czech Railways, is also affecting preparations for the complete renovation of the hotel and transmitter. "The situation regarding the reconstruction of Jested has complicated due to the cable car accident and its cessation of operation, as the architectural study includes the revitalization of Jested but also the upper station of the cable car," Miterová noted. When ČRA presented the architectural study for the repair of Jested three years ago, with estimated costs of over half a billion crowns, it also included the construction of an observation deck on the roof of the upper cable car station.

Czech Radiocommunications have owned the transmitter and hotel since 2000. Since then, they have invested more than 60 million crowns in repairs. "Czech Radiocommunications are continuously carrying out repairs on Jested according to a long-term plan. Jested will also need larger and more comprehensive repairs of the skeleton and concrete structures, which will be very costly. These repairs should be part of the planned reconstruction," Miterová added.