At the castle in Valč, the renovation of the historic greenhouse will start this year

Valeč - A long-awaited reconstruction of the historic greenhouse will begin this year at the castle in Valeč, located in the Karlovy Vary region. The state castle has already received a promise of 34 million crowns from the Ministry of Culture for the construction, and work on the premises could start in the fall. The reconstruction is to be fully completed by the end of 2021 at the latest, said Tomáš Petr, the custodian of Valeč Castle, to ČTK.

"As for the restoration itself, it concerns not only the greenhouse, but also the castle's gardening, which directly adjoins the greenhouse and is an integral part of it. Additionally, it includes access paths, the use of the greenhouse indoors, and the vegetative component is also completely included," said the custodian. The construction is also to include the introduction of modern technologies that will facilitate the caretakers’ job of taking care of the plants in the greenhouse.

The castle's plan is such that after the reconstruction is completed, the greenhouse and gardening would be operated by a private tenant. They could, for example, establish a restaurant or café there. "The goal would be for the greenhouse to have as long opening hours as possible. To operate even in winter, so that people could enjoy coffee under the palm. Of course, if we cannot find a tenant, we will look for a way to operate the greenhouse ourselves," added Petr.

The castle's palm greenhouse is located below the stables, carriage house, and agricultural building in the lower part of the castle park. The structure, made of steel and cast iron, dates back to the 1870s and 1880s, when it was brought from Vienna by Count Vincenc Thurn-Valsassina. It was last restored in 1996.