At the state castle in Telč, three years of renovations have been completed, and it will be accessible year-round

Telč - The three-year construction and restoration renewal at the state castle in Telč has concluded, totaling 241.5 million crowns, funded by the European Union. Two new tour routes and a modern visitor center have been added, and the castle will now be partially accessible all year round. Due to finishing works, only one tour route was open recently. Visitors can walk through the entire castle grounds starting from Friday.

The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), which manages the Telč castle, received 180 million crowns from European funds for the monument's revitalization. Construction work began in February 2020. "The journey has been very challenging, demanding toward that goal, but what matters is what has been achieved," said NPÚ director Naděžda Goryczková during today's ceremonial completion of the project State Castle Telč – Rose of Vysočina.

"Telč Castle is one of the jewels of Renaissance architecture in our country," Goryczková stated. During the socialist era, not much was invested in this monument, with the last major renovations dating back to the 1970s. "And that was not entirely in line with the interests of heritage conservation," she added.

The current restoration involved the buildings, gardens, and interiors. "The restoration of the Knight's Hall, the restoration of the unique Chapel of All Saints from 1580, all of these are huge values that required time, costs, and often nerves, as well as complex decision-making on the go," Goryczková noted. According to her, the greatest added value are the new tour routes. By making the castle accessible even in winter, the NPÚ has fulfilled its mission of year-round presentation of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

On the second floor of the southern palace, a newly created exhibit, the Castle Museum, presents the history of the town and the castle, as well as the personality of Zachariáš of Hradec, one of the most significant owners of the castle, who contributed to its admired Renaissance appearance. From the museum, visitors can also look into the chapel, which is his final resting place. In the previously inaccessible former castle brewery, a depository has been created with an exhibit called Treasures Behind the Curtain that illustrates the work of restorers. Experts at the castle have also restored around 300 items.

There are now five tour routes at the castle. According to caretaker Bohumil Norek, the castle museum, depository, and cellars will be open year-round. He stated that the castle now also has fully reconstructed electrical, water, and heating systems, and the entire area is equipped with fire safety measures, with detectors connected to the firefighters. As he said, caretakers are most afraid of fire. "We're not as afraid of thieves, because if they steal something, you can eventually find it somewhere, but if it catches fire, it burns down, and nothing remains," he explained.

The project for the castle's restoration was created by the Architectural and Civil Engineering Design Studio, and the construction work was carried out by the Geosan Group. In the years before the reconstruction, the castle in Telč was visited by up to 100,000 people per season.