In the Krkonoš Mountains, a new Petrova bouda is being created

Špindlerův Mlýn (Trutnovsko) - A new Petrov Hut is being built since May at an altitude of 1288 meters above sea level on the ridges of the Krkonoš Mountains, which will replace the original building that burned down five years ago. The company Snowy Chalet, which is the investor of the hut, aims to have the rough construction completed by around mid-October this year. The full completion of the hut, which will consist of two buildings, is planned by the end of 2019. The estimated investment costs amount to 120 million crowns. This was stated to ČTK by Martin Havlík, the managing director of Snowy Chalet.

The builders from the company STAS Vrchlabí have already laid the foundations for the main building A, are building the first underground floor, and are preparing its ceiling. "The passages in the basements are being demolished, work on the foundations of building B has started, the current wastewater treatment technology is being removed, and planned passages through the reinforced concrete slab above the basements have been pre-cut and partially demolished," Havlík stated. According to him, the work is progressing according to schedule and, aside from rain and wind, nothing is currently restricting the builders.

The building permit was obtained by Snowy Chalet, which belongs to entrepreneur and owner of the Unicorn company Vladimír Kovář, last September. This followed several years of preparations as well as negotiations and an agreement with heritage protectors regarding the new appearance of the building. The heritage protectors originally demanded that a replica of the burned down monument-protected building be constructed, which the company refused as economically unfeasible. The resulting compromise includes two smaller buildings that are to reflect the form from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The new Petrovka is expected to have 62 beds. In the larger four-story building A, which connects to the structure from 1887 with its basic cubic volume of three above-ground floors, there should be 52 beds, including 12 in a dormitory and 40 in the accommodation area. In the smaller single-story building B with an attic, ten beds are planned in its accommodation section. Part of building B will also serve as a recovery point for tourists, and it will include a lodge with continuous operation.

The original Petrov Hut consisted of a trio of buildings. Since 2008, the deteriorating hut for tourists had been closed, and according to some experts, it was at risk of collapsing due to its poor technical condition. A major fire destroyed the building on August 1, 2011, leaving only the underground floors, parts of the outer walls, and a transformer station. According to firefighters, the fire was intentionally set, but the police did not identify the perpetrator, and the case was shelved.