Heritage conservationists are preparing the restoration of Kunětická hora according to Jurkovič's design

Ráby - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) is preparing extensive renovations of Kunětická hora Castle. Its appearance is set to partly return to the form it had before World War II, following the reconstruction based on the project by architect Dušan Jurkovič. The heritage conservationists have already received a promise of European grants for the renovations.

"We are planning to install a wooden palace with a restaurant where there is currently a refreshment stand. In addition to the restaurant area, there will mainly be an exhibition about Jurkovič," said Ota Minařík, head of the investment department at NPÚ Sychrov, to ČTK.

A modern addition will also be created in the northern wing of the castle palace, which is currently empty. It will contain additional exhibition spaces and displays. It will be necessary to modify the stairs and wooden galleries for this. Replicas of furniture and chandeliers originally designed by Jurkovič will return to the space above the castle gate, as the originals have been lost or only exist in fragments.

The total cost of the project proposal for Kunětická hora by Dušan Jurkovič - the poet of wood is estimated at 75 million crowns. The heritage conservationists are expected to receive 61 million crowns from European funds.

The castle structure was built on the summit of Kunětická hora in the middle of the 14th century. During the Hussite Wars, the castle was acquired by the commander Diviš Bořek of Miletínek, and in 1491 it became the property of the Pernštejn family. They fundamentally reconstructed it into a massive two-tower castle with a sophisticated system of fortifications. However, from the second half of the 16th century, it lost its original significance, which was exacerbated by its damage by Swedish troops at the end of the Thirty Years' War. In the following centuries, the castle was threatened by stone quarrying, which was only halted at the beginning of the 20th century. After World War I, rescue work was initiated by the Pardubice Museum Society according to Jurkovič's project. The Slovak architect had his own style influenced by Art Nouveau and folk architecture. He is the author of, for example, the resort lodges at Pustevny on Radhošť.