Heritage conservators will begin the restoration of the historical garden of Pernštejn next year

Nedvědice - Heritage preservationists are likely to begin restoring the historic garden of Pernštejn Castle near Nedvědice in the Brno region next year. The extensive grounds are located on a slope and have been deteriorating since the 19th century. A total of 117.5 million crowns will be allocated for the repairs thanks to a European grant from the Integrated Regional Operational Program, representatives of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) told reporters today. The project was ceremonially launched today in the presence of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (ČSSD).

Pernštejn is one of the gems among Gothic castles. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was complemented by a unique baroque garden on the slope below the castle, but the aristocracy later could not afford to maintain it. The state now intends to restore it. "We have a project financially valued at 117 million, and the garden will be restored by the end of 2020," said the director of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), Naděžda Goryczková.

Heritage preservationists have completed the project for the building permit. This year, they want to select a company through a tender to carry out the repairs. According to Goryczková, the project would not have been realized without funds from the European Union. Pernštejn is perceived by preservationists as the most fairy-tale-like of Czech castles, but most visitors are unaware of the baroque garden.

"The restoration project is the first funded by IROP in Moravia. We are extremely pleased that this project was successful; we see it as a huge debt to garden art, which is still somewhat overlooked," Goryczková stated.

The noble garden of Pernštejn began to deteriorate in the 19th century. Its maintenance was already quite costly at the time. After 1945, the entire area was nationalized. In the following decades, the garden completely fell into disrepair, partly because it was not one of the accessible parts of the estate.

The reconstruction needs to address the paths and trails crossing the garden, among other things. It is adorned with a Chinese pavilion, an obelisk, gazebos, baths, and a pond. The project includes the reconstruction of water distribution systems for pools and a fountain. An independent element with a necessary need for structural reinforcement is the so-called Countess's garden above the park and two gazebos.

The complexity of the repairs corresponds to the resulting amount, according to the castle's custodian Jakub Zdeněk Škrabal. "In the end, we will not repair everything, such as the greenhouses, but people should see a vision of what it looked like around 1805, when the gardens were in full bloom and were among the most beautiful in Moravia," Škrabal said.

Pernštejn is one of the oldest and most visited castles in Moravia. Last year, it was visited by 113,423 people. Interest in it is growing. There will be a new tour route through the gardens in 2020. Their existence is linked to the investments of Baron Schröffel at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The period inventory states that there were 588 fruit trees and a wide variety of exotic plants in the greenhouses on the property.