In the Old Town Bridge Tower, a wine shop has been opened

Prague - Unique Gothic cellar spaces are now open at the Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague. The room, which dates back to the 1370s, a period when the Charles Bridge was built, can be visited for free. There will be a ticket office for tower visitors located in the space, and wines from vineyards established by Charles IV will also be sold there. This was announced to journalists today by the owner of ABL, Matěj Bárta. ABL manages seven Prague monuments that belong to the city.
    The underground vaulted room was devastated in the 1980s, according to Zdeněk Chudárek from the National Heritage Institute. Restrooms with a catch pit were built there at that time, and due to the concrete floors and cement plaster, the space was very damp.
    During the renovation, conservationists discovered traces of the original wooden formwork in part of the vault. In the past, this covered the rest of the vault but was removed during the adjustments made in the 1980s.
    The managers want to use the spaces as a ticket office but also as a stylish wine shop. Visitors will be able to take home only wines from the vineyards founded by Charles IV. For now, wines from the vineyards of St. Klára and Salapka, as well as from Karlštejn, will be available.
    ABL has managed the Old Town Bridge Tower along with six other monuments since last August. Annually, it pays Prague 55 million crowns for the lease and has also committed to investments in the buildings amounting to five million. The opening up of the tower's basement, which cost about one million crowns, is one of these investments.
    The company also plans to restore the historic trusses from the 14th century, which are currently inaccessible to the public, by the end of spring.
    The management of the monuments by ABL has been long criticized by some experts. They dislike that the company was founded as a security agency and thus lacks experience in managing historical sites. They also criticized the connection with Transportation Minister Vít Bárta (Public Affairs), who founded the agency and owned it until the summer. Before entering the government, he sold it to his brother Matěj. There has also been discontent regarding the allegedly historical costumes of the custodians who attract tourists.
    ABL has leased the monuments from the Prague Information Service, which has praised the collaboration so far.