The Králická Fortress Area will be saved by European grants

Králíky (Orlickoústecko) - The extensive fortress area in Králicko may be revitalized especially by European subsidies. However, the army still owns nearly 250 objects. Until they belong to municipalities, associations, and the Pardubice Region, they cannot apply for funds. According to the first deputy governor Roman Línek, the property relations could be settled within one year, he told ČTK.
    "The region sees the fortress area as a tourist magnet," Línek said.
    The fortress area, which was created in Králicko between 1935 and 1938 and became the most heavily fortified area of the former Czechoslovak Republic, is already visited by tens of thousands of people annually.
    "In the last three to four years, 50,000 to 55,000 paying visitors came to see the accessible objects each year, only the Veselý kopec museum has higher visitor numbers," said Martin Ráboň from the non-profit organization Králická fortress area to ČTK.
    Currently, only a partial section of the area is accessible to the public. Many fortress bunkers and light fortifications lie deep in the forests and are unlikely to ever be made accessible. According to Línek, Lesy ČR, which owns the land under the objects and access roads to them, will not block the revitalization of the area.
    "In about a month, we will meet with representatives of Lesy, they should have identified objects suitable for tourism," Línek said.
    Of the three artillery forts, only one called Bouda is open to the public; discussions about its transfer have been ongoing for 20 years. Fort Adam is used by the army, so the accessibility of Fort Hůrka is being considered. Its advantage, unlike Bouda, is easier accessibility since it is located close to the road.
    "We would like to establish a museum there. We have been requesting the transfer from the army for the third year, but nothing has happened so far," said Králický councilor Ladislav Toth.
    The Králická fortress area also includes 56 infantry bunkers, ten of which are accessible or being repaired. In another ten to fifteen, a museum could be established in the future. A total of 185 so-called light fortifications were built, about six are irregularly accessible during the season.
    "However, there are museums and museums. There have been attempts to make them accessible here, but they did not offer regular opening hours and other services. It is pointless for them to be open three times a year, and the owner has a bunker as an interesting military cabin," said Ráboň.
    According to Ráboň, the sooner the ownership relations are resolved, the better. The objects are deteriorating more and more each year. For example, Fort Hůrka should become a pillar of visitor interest.
    "The army does pay for a security agency to guard the fortress, but the object is empty, it is not ventilated, and not heated. The interior suffers, floors and plaster are peeling. Installations are rusting. The longer this state lasts, the worse it will be for whoever has to repair it," said Ráboň.
    The Králická fortress area project will cost hundreds of millions of crowns. The repair of Fort Hůrka in Králíky is estimated at 80 million crowns. Tourist hiking and cycling trails are supposed to cost 20 million crowns. The renovation of the Military Museum Králíky is planned with a budget of 100 million crowns. The restoration of object K-S 14 and the cultivation of the surroundings should cost 2.5 million crowns.