<status>The castle park in Czech Republic near Kosíř will shorten its opening hours due to vandals</status>

Prostějov – The castle park in Čechy pod Kosířem in the Prostějov region will shorten its opening hours starting Wednesday, closing two hours earlier. The management of the area is responding to long-term negative experiences with vandalism, damage to historical property, and security risks that occur mainly in the evening hours. The aim of the change is to ensure better protection for one of the most significant historical landscape compositions in Moravia, said Martina Vysloužilová, spokesperson for the Regional Museum in Olomouc, to ČTK.

The park will be accessible daily from July 1 from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. "This is not a decision we made overnight. We are long-term resolving cases of property damage, theft, illegal fishing, or destruction of plantings. There are also increasing situations where people move in areas where it is not appropriate for safety reasons. As the management of the area, we bear responsibility not only for the cultural monument but also for the safety of visitors," stated the castle custodian Martin Váňa.

Among the incidents the management has dealt with in recent years are thefts of copper gutter downspouts, damage and theft of roses, destruction of new tree plantings, illegal fishing, or repeated findings of activities by people using drugs. There are also concerns about the protection of entrusted property, such as the newly built boat rental.

Another damage was caused by an unknown perpetrator by illegally introducing fish into the Small Pond, which was prepared as a water biotope after revitalization. "They multiplied to such an extent that their capture is no longer possible by ordinary means. Therefore, the management anticipates that the Small Pond will need to be drained again in the fall in order to remove the unwanted fish stock. This is a completely unnecessary intervention with financial and operational impacts that threatens the results of the recently completed revitalization," added the spokesperson.

The goal of these steps is not to close the park to people but to keep it in the best possible condition for future generations, said Jakub Ráliš, director of the Regional Museum in Olomouc, which manages the castle. "We manage a unique cultural monument, the restoration of which costs tens of millions of crowns and requires daily expert care. We want the castle park to remain a place where people like to return," Ráliš added.

The castle park in Čechy pod Kosířem covers an area of more than 20 hectares, and visitors can admire a number of rare domestic and exotic tree species. Many of the trees here are over a hundred years old and represent a significant part of the historical and landscape value of the area. The park has undergone extensive revitalization of its water system in the last two years. The reconstruction of the ponds began in 2024 and followed the draining of the Large Pond due to its emergency condition. The restoration included dredging the reservoirs, strengthening the banks, restoring historical elements, and building a new dock for boats. The Olomouc region invested tens of millions of crowns into the project.