The renovation of the park at the North Bohemian Museum in Liberec is planned to begin in May by the region

Liberec - The long-prepared revitalization of the park of the North Bohemian Museum in Liberec is set to begin in May. The selected contractor will have 18 months to complete the project. It should be finished before the end of next year, as reported by ČTK from the profile of Liberec Region, which finances the work at approximately 44 million crowns. The park restoration project was developed by Ateliér Krejčiříkovi, which specializes in the restoration of historical buildings. Its architects have also worked on restoring the parks of Sychrov Castle and the Kuks Hospital, among others.

The project involves the removal of unsuitable paved surfaces and non-functional or aesthetically inappropriate elements. Paths with impermeable surfaces will be replaced with permeable stone paving or crushed gravel areas. The park will receive new lighting, rainwater harvesting, and an irrigation system. The space will be barrier-free, and the project also considers new planting and care for the greenery and trees.

The history of the museum park dates back to 1876 when the Friends of Nature Association established the first public botanical garden in the Czech Republic at this site. However, the original garden completely disappeared under several meters of fill about 20 years later during the construction of the museum building. Among the most significant specimens in the park are mature native species such as European beech and Norway spruce, likely planted during the museum building's construction, and the dendrologically rare eastern spruce, over 100 years old. There is also the Ajansk spruce, red oak, larch pine, and the Nootka cypress.

"The park is aging, and some technologies are outdated; we are introducing new technologies of blue-green infrastructure that will allow water to absorb when it rains, making the plants thrive better," added Přemysl Krejčiřík from Ateliér Krejčiříkovi. According to him, water from the park quickly drains away during rains, which also damages the paths, washing away material from them. The paving around the museum, currently set in concrete, should thus be replaced with cobblestones set in a bedding.

Trees and shrubs, some of which will need to be removed due to their poor condition, will be supplemented with new planting. "Right now, there is only grass in the undergrowth, and we want to plant perennials that will bloom, and shrubs, adding an interesting layer to that space," said Krejčiřík. Gardeners plan to plant flower and shrub species that previously grew in the gardens of neighboring villas along Masaryk Boulevard, making them typical for the area.

However, the project also has its opponents; they do not like that rhododendrons, which currently obscure access to the museum, will disappear. They also find the planned revitalization too expensive and radical. Many believe the park is fine and that regular maintenance would suffice, although experts say that some trees are overripe and dangerous.