The monastery in Plasy in the Plzeň region has reopened its tour route with the clock tower

Plasy – Visitors could once again tour the circuit at Plasy Monastery in northern Plzeň today after several years, a route that leads to the building connecting parts of the old royal palace, the baroque granaries, the gothic chapel, and the clock tower. The monastery, which has been undergoing extensive reconstruction for several years, has completed the first phase of repairs to the granary and tower. One of the largest clock mechanisms in the Czech Republic is located there, said the curator Pavel Duchoň to ČTK.

Repairs to the three-story baroque granary with the clock tower began in Plasy three years ago. The project, costing 100 million crowns, also included repairs to the gazebo. However, the granary had been closed previously due to an earlier reconstruction of the abbot's residence costing 200 million crowns.

The main task of the granary's reconstruction was to address the emergency state of some parts, including the stone staircase and to ensure the stability of the wooden structures in its interior and in the tower. Heritage preservationists also repaired the dials on the facade of the tower. "We are ready to continue with the next phase. Now we primarily addressed the poor construction condition, roofing, trusses, stairs, but we have designed and prepared the next phase of repairs to the granary, which includes what interests people a lot, such as the gothic chapel and the interiors. We have submitted a request for 150 million crowns," said the curator.

The 17th-century baroque granary building is unique in that a two-story gothic chapel is incorporated into the agricultural building. The lower one is dedicated to Saint Wenceslas, and the upper one to Saint Mary Magdalene. The chapels are connected by a staircase, and the lower chapel features fresco decoration from the mid-13th century.

The granary is dominated by a 47-meter-high tower with a 340-year-old baroque clock mechanism. "It is one of the largest clock mechanisms we have in Bohemia. Its specificity is that it is wound daily by our clockmaker. He has to climb over 100 steps and pull a weight of over 607 kilograms up to a height of ten meters. So that is a daily sport," noted the curator.

The shorter tour to the clock tower is accessible with a guide only twice a day during the holidays. The morning tour takes place at noon when the mechanism begins to strike. People can see the machinery in motion.