The unique wooden bridge in Bystrá near Semily will be taken over by the Liberec region

Bystrá nad Jizerou - The unique wooden bridge in Bystrá nad Jizerou in the Semily region will be taken over by the Liberec region from the municipality. It will be acquired as a gift. The suspension type wooden bridge is a national cultural monument, and the region intends to hand it over, along with the related land, to the Museum of the Czech Paradise in Turnov. This museum cares for regional heritage sites, said the regional governor Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region) today to ČTK. Last year, with significant assistance from the region, the bridge was successfully reconstructed.

The bridge over the Jizera, more than 30 meters long, is among the rare representatives of classic triangular suspension bridge construction in Central Europe. However, for anyone interested in a similar bridge, they would have to travel to Austria. There has probably been no similar bridge in the Liberec region in the past. Stone bridges have been typical for the region since the Middle Ages. The uniqueness of the suspension bridge in Bystrá is not only given by its construction method but also by the materials used.

"In 1922, it was built by the local miller Janoušek. He insisted on importing the main massive beams from Vítkovice in the Krkonoš Mountains," added the regional councilor for heritage care Květa Vinklátová (Mayors for the Liberec Region). According to her, the mountainous climate ensured a high density of the wood, which in turn provided greater strength and longevity. "The builder made a good choice, because despite the heavy use and age, the bridge has survived until the beginning of the reconstruction in an authentic and original form," she added. During the reconstruction, carpenters used more durable larch instead of the aging spruce wood.

Since 2013, the bridge had been in a state of emergency, but the small municipality with 120 residents struggled to find funds for its repair. The costs would have consumed three annual budgets. Ultimately, the Liberec region and the state helped Bystrá. The repair cost nearly five million crowns and took over a year. The Ministry of Culture contributed one million crowns and the region added another 3.85 million. "The museum will take care of the monument. We did not want to choose the option of the regional road management caring for the bridge, because we want it to be maintained somewhat more intensively, as befits a cultural monument," the governor added.