In Bečov, heritage protectors received the Europa Nostra award

Bečov nad Teplou (Karlovy Vary) - The conservation and presentation project for Bečov Castle, which was awarded the European Europa Nostra prize, should, during the next four to six years, allow access to this historical monument, which is exceptional due to its preservation. Additionally, the educational part of the project will offer the opportunity to learn and see the development of architecture as well as the possibilities and techniques for conserving similar monuments on specific cases, stated the castle's curator Tomáš Wizovský to journalists today before the ceremonial award of the Europa Nostra prize in Bečov.
    Bečov Castle, which is part of the complex of two palaces and a castle in Bečov nad Teplou in the Karlovy Vary region, began construction in the mid-14th century. However, the last significant construction modifications were made in the 16th century. Thanks to this, it has preserved its original form and its appearance has not been disrupted by later reconstructions.
    “It will be like a textbook of architecture. Bečov Castle will serve as a one-to-one scale model of a castle,” described the significance of preserving the original appearance of the monument one of the project's authors, Miroslav Hanzl.
    According to the general director of the National Heritage Institute, Naděždy Goryczková, the conservation work on the castle should cost around 30 million Czech crowns over the next approximately six years. Culture Minister Jiří Besser (TOP 09) promised today that the Ministry of Culture would provide these funds.
    According to the vice-president of the non-governmental organization Europa Nostra, John Sell, the Bečov project received the award thanks to the thoroughly prepared conservation, which will preserve the value of the original building elements and also due to the idea of enabling public access to the castle even during the conservation phase. He stated that the duration of the implementation, which will take several years, is not a disadvantage for the project, but rather the opposite.
    The Gothic castle comprises a monumental grouping of the chapel tower, the ancient donjon, and the connecting wing. When the castle's owners began constructing a new palace right next to the castle in the 16th century, the castle remained almost unutilized, thus preserving itself until now. It is currently inaccessible to the public, and today’s ceremonial award of the Europa Nostra prize was the first opportunity in nearly 400 years to view this unique monument.
    The Europa Nostra award for Bečov is not the first that the Czech Republic has received. Since 2002, it is already the eighth award. However, it was first awarded in the category of studies and research.