Tachov will start a complete renovation of the riding hall in Světec this summer

Tachov – The thirteen-thousand-strong town of Tachov will commence the final phase of the restoration of its riding hall in Světec during the summer, which has been a national cultural monument since 2010. The completion of the complete reconstruction of the pseudo-Romanesque riding hall will require approximately 75 million CZK. As the owner, the town will receive up to two-thirds of the funding from European funds. This was stated today by Mayor Ladislav Macák (Patriots of Tachov).

"We will start construction in July or August; we must complete it, including billing, by the end of 2023," he said. Tachov will take out a loan for the construction, as it will have to pre-finance the entire project. From European funds through the Ministry of Culture, it will receive 60 to 65 percent in grants, while 30 percent will be paid from its own budget.

"Two elevators will be built on the sides to ensure that the tour routes on the individual floors are accessible without barriers. Additionally, construction and finishing adjustments need to be made, and everything must be equipped so that the riding hall is completely finished. The contractor has already been selected, and the work will be monitored by heritage protectors," said the mayor. A new museum of blacksmithing and herbs will be created there, along with facilities for performers, a restaurant, a caretaker's apartment, and storage areas. The architect Jan Soukup, who prepares reconstructions of key monuments in the region, has been collaborating on the restoration of the riding hall from the beginning.

The nearly 160-year-old monumental riding hall was condemned to destruction after nationalization in 1948; it is now an admired gem. After the Spanish Court Riding School in Vienna, it is the second-largest in Central Europe. In 1999, a decision was approved by a single vote in the council that the town would save the riding hall. At that time, it was merely ruins and collapsed walls. The only thing holding the structure together was the roof and ceiling. Repairs began in 2000, and the hall started to be occasionally opened to the public the following year. During that time, nearly 90 million CZK were spent on it, one-third funded by the town and the rest by the Ministry of Culture. The static integrity of the building has been resolved, and it now has a new roof, windows, and sanitary facilities.

Prior to the pandemic, the riding hall attracted about 6,000 visitors annually; filmmakers are also interested in it, utilizing the surrounding ruins of the unfinished romantic castle. "It is definitely an attraction. For a month now, a model of the riding hall has also been part of Miniaturpark in Mariánské Lázně," said the mayor. So far, the hall and the tour routes on the first floor have been opened, which will soon be expanded to include additional floors. This autumn, an exhibition on blacksmithing, which is currently in progress, will be accessible. During construction, the riding hall will occasionally be fully closed. Until September, the musical festival "Doors of the Riding Hall Wide Open," which started this week, will still take place there.