At Pustevny, the Libušín lodge was burning, a third alarm level was in effect

Pustevny (Vsetínsko) - The Libušín lodge designed by architect Dušan Jurkovič caught fire at Pustevny in the Beskids shortly after midnight today. The building is a national cultural monument and serves as a restaurant. Firefighters brought the fire under control before three in the morning. Over 70 firefighters were involved on-site. Due to the highest monument protection of Libušín, the extent of the damage will be incalculable.
    "From a cultural and heritage perspective, this is an enormous loss, financially it can be estimated in the tens of millions of crowns, and moreover, it is the heart of visitor life at Pustevny," said Jindřich Ondruš, director of the Wallachian Open-Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, to ČTK. The museum has managed the building since 1995.
    Today, the Ministry of Culture stated that due to the highest protection of Libušín, the resulting damage has reached an incalculable value. "Libušín is part of the collection of the most famous secessionist folk buildings of the Beskids, which have become a symbol of Pustevny. The buildings at Pustevny were created based on the principles of assembling and combining various elements and motifs of folk architecture, which were taken from both the Valachian region and Slovakia. Jurkovič, through his architectural expression at Pustevny, drew attention to the wealth of revivalist forms capable of life," stated ministry heritage officials.
    The flames spread from the interiors of the lodge due to the wind along the roof, whose structure collapsed. Firefighters had to carry out two propane gas bottles. No one was inside the burning building, and no injuries to firefighters were reported. "The building was affected relatively extensively," said regional firefighters' spokesman Libor Netopil.
    The cause of the fire is being investigated on-site. A total of 12 firefighting units from the Zlín and Moravian-Silesian regions participated in the intervention. 16 tanker trucks were deployed.
    The building named in honor of Princess Libuše was opened in 1899. Its interior was adorned with frescoes and sgraffito depicting Valachian and Slovak legends, designed by Mikoláš Alš. Unique features included three secessionist chandeliers, a sideboard, a greenhouse, and a clock. Libušín has undergone reconstruction since 1995, along with the nearby Maměnka hotel, another building by Jurkovič; its restoration cost 25 million crowns. The museum will strive to restore the building. "It is insured. We also want to launch a fundraising campaign. Some things cannot be restored, so they will need to be made anew, but we have sufficient documentation," the director noted.
    The destruction of the lodge is particularly painful given that a European route mapping Jurkovič's works is being prepared. The architect significantly influenced the appearance of Luhačovice in the Zlín region as well. Between 1902 and 1907, he built ten structures and renovated four others, thus giving the spa town its unique appearance. One of Jurkovič's buildings in Luhačovice, Slovácká búda, was destroyed by flames in 2002. According to the firefighters, someone deliberately started the fire. However, the perpetrator was not found, and the police closed the case. One of the theories that investigators examined was insurance fraud.

Unique buildings at Pustevny designed by architect Jurkovič

The area of buildings at Pustevny in the Beskids consists of Libušín, Maměnka, Pustevenka, and the Wallachian bell tower. It was built between 1897 and 1899 at the request of the Pohorská jednota Radhošť according to the designs of architect Dušan Jurkovič and builder Michal Urbánek.
The ornate shape of the buildings was created by assembling and combining various elements and motifs of folk architecture from Valachia and Slovakia.
In 1947, the buildings faced demolition due to their poor technical condition. Only thanks to Jurkovič’s intervention were the buildings saved. A second threat of destruction to the area occurred at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s when the reconstruction of the buildings was halted due to a lack of funds. The entire situation was further complicated by a dispute over ownership of the buildings.
In 1995, the Wallachian Open-Air Museum became the owner of the area. In the same year, the area was declared a national cultural monument. In 1996, the museum began the reconstruction of Libušín and the Wallachian bell tower, which were opened to the public in 1999. That same year, the reconstruction of the Maměnka lodge began.

Profiles of the most famous buildings at Pustevny

The wooden tourist lodge was ceremonially opened on August 6, 1899. It bears the name of the legendary princess Libuše.
The interior is decorated with frescoes and graphics featuring motifs from Valachian and Slovak legends based on the designs of artist Mikoláš Alš. Portraits were painted by academic painter Karel Štapler.
Among the interior features are three secessionist chandeliers, a period sideboard, a greenhouse (glass cabinet), and a clock. Surrounding the table are 100 carved chairs.
In recent years, part of the beams of the building has suffered significantly from rot, causing the building to lean. It was therefore necessary to temporarily prop it up. Last summer, the rotten beams were replaced with new ones.
Currently, the building serves as a restaurant.

It was built in 1897.
In designing it, Jurkovič used as sources the forester’s house from Velké Karlovice, the Orság Košut homestead from Nový Hrozenkov, and the farmstead "U Petrusků" from Zubří.
Among Jurkovič's buildings at Pustevny, it has the richest segmentation and is the most rhythmically lively.
In 2003, after a complete reconstruction, it was reopened as a stylish mountain hotel with eleven rooms.