The construction of Petrovka is nearing completion, work is being done on the interiors

Špindlerův Mlýn - The construction of the new Petrova Bouda on the ridges of the Krkonoš is nearing completion. Builders are mainly working on the interiors. This week, they also cleaned the construction site and removed waste. The opening is anticipated at the end of 2019, said Martin Havlík from Snowy Chalet, the investor of the construction, to ČTK. The original Petrova Bouda was destroyed by fire on August 1, 2011.

The construction of the new "Petrovka" at an altitude of 1288 meters, which began in May 2016, is proceeding according to schedule. "The building is to be handed over to the investor in June 2019, following which work on completing the interior furnishings and supplies will begin," Havlík stated. Currently, inside the building, for example, sanding is taking place, interior cladding and beams are being painted. Work is ongoing on partition walls, and internal installations are continuing. "The facing stone for the bases is also being split, and additional waterproofing for the technical room is being constructed," Havlík added.

The new Petrovka consists of two separate buildings, the main A and the smaller B. Building B is a separate structure that will serve to accommodate guests with a capacity of ten people. In the larger four-story building A there will be a restaurant, 52 beds, of which 12 are in a dormitory and 40 in the accommodation part, while the basement will feature amenities such as wellness, technical facilities, and storage. The main building was created under the supervision of heritage protection authorities, as it was designed as an extension and annex to the remaining original Petrova Bouda from 1887, which is protected as a historic site. "Buildings A and B already have a complete roof structure, essentially a finished façade, internal divisions, and other trades are at various stages of completion," Havlík informed ČTK. According to him, both buildings should have a complete façade, roof, finished construction work on internal distributions including heating technology, and a completed wastewater treatment plant by the end of the year.

The total cost of building the new Petrovka is approximately 120 million crowns. Petrova Bouda is being constructed in extreme climatic conditions. At the beginning, builders faced inclement weather. For example, due to strong winds, the tower crane had to be replaced with a mobile one.

The cause of the fire that destroyed the original Petrova Bouda, which consisted of a trio of buildings, is unknown. According to firefighters, the fire was intentionally set, but the police did not identify the perpetrator and the case was closed. A week before the devastating fire, flames appeared in the building, but the fire was managed to be extinguished at that time. In the form known to visitors of the Krkonoš before the fire, it existed for over a hundred years. Only part of the outer walls and the transformer station were saved from Petrova Bouda. Since 2008, the dilapidated building has been closed to tourists.