<Větrný Jeníkov> is working on a study for the repair of the local castle

Větrný Jeníkov – Větrný Jeníkov in the Jihlava region is working on a study for the renovation of parts of the castle, which also houses the municipal office. The left wing is intended to include a cultural hall, which the community lacks. A rough estimate of the costs is 20 million crowns, said the mayor of the municipality, Pavel Koníř, to ČTK. Since last Christmas, the community has regularly opened the castle to the public. People from all over the Czech Republic come to tours, interested in historically significant architecture that is usually not accessible.

"It was a spontaneous action by my wife, who felt sorry that no one had properly seen the castle. Even locals often only knew the office, the green salon, the library, and someone the wedding room. No one knew much about the history," said Koníř. His wife, Eva, a nurse by profession, also guides visitors through the castle. Monthly, around four ninety-minute tours are held, more frequently on weekends. This year, the castle will also host the Castle Night, which will take place on August 22.

The castle has had a new roof for about eight years, which, according to Koníř, is essential for preserving the monument. The facade is very damaged. Only about half of the building is utilized, which also includes the post office and library.

The municipality already had a building permit for the renovation, but its validity expired last year. "We see this as a challenge. In the municipal council, we agreed that the previous plan, which was to be an RAF museum that rented a few rooms here, was not interesting enough for the community to justify making a multi-million investment," Koníř said.

Instead, the municipality wants to modify the left wing of the castle. Architect Zuzana Hrubešová is preparing the study for this. A preliminary agreement with heritage officials will allow for construction interventions so that a social hall and a smaller cinema with a removable auditorium, making it versatile, can be created. While there is a cultural hall in the community, it is owned by a private individual, Koníř stated. In addition to social rooms suitable for hosting wedding receptions, a newlywed suite will be created in the castle so that the municipality can offer more services to wedding couples alongside the ceremonies.

When the renovation will begin will depend, according to the mayor, on financing options. The municipality, with an annual budget of around 27 million crowns, would like to obtain grants for it. So far, it is only prepared to pay for the renovation of the toilets on-site, which will cost about 600,000 crowns. The work is set to begin in September. This year, the lighting could also be replaced, for which the municipality received 160,000 crowns from the Vysočina Region.

The original medieval fortress was rebuilt into an early Baroque castle in the 17th century. The building underwent further modifications in the 18th century when it was owned by Jan z Minetti. The castle was also remodeled in 1840, after it had been damaged by a fire several decades earlier. However, it took on its current appearance between 1905 and 1907 with a neo-Baroque renovation ordered by the then-owner Richard Fiedler. Since 1950, the state owned the castle, turning it into apartments. It has been the property of the municipality since 2000.