The Heritage Institute opened the castle Janovice, preparing its repair

Rýmařov – The dilapidated Janovice Castle in Rýmařov in the Bruntál region is awaiting renovation worth more than 300 million crowns, after which this monument is expected to become an attractive tourist destination similar to the castle in Hradec nad Moravicí in the Opava region. The castle has been taken over by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), which is beginning pre-project preparations for the complete renovation. Heritage experts announced this during today's ceremonial opening of the castle.

"At this moment, we do not know the condition of the drainage, the state of the statics of the individual elements. We will still need to determine based on sondages, based on surveys, what is absolutely necessary to restore, replace, or reconstruct," said Petr Šubík, director of the NPÚ regional heritage administration in Kroměříž.

According to him, it is impossible to estimate how long the overall restoration of the castle will take. "When reconstructing such a large object, it is a long-term process, sometimes lasting ten years or even 20 years. Perhaps in five years we will have parts reconstructed, there will be new roofs, but the restoration will proceed gradually according to financial resources," Šubík said.

According to him, the condition of the castle is indeed dire. "It is a great challenge for us to advance this to other castles and chateaux that we manage. When I remember, for example, the castle in Hradec nad Moravicí 20 years ago - it was in a deplorable state, inaccessible, and after 20 years, it is really excellent," Šubík said.

The castle dates back to the 16th century, and it acquired its current form in the 19th century. Most of the furnishings were taken away after 1945, destroyed, or plundered. From 1949 to 2002, the castle housed an archive, but due to the deteriorating state of the building, the archival materials were moved elsewhere in 1995. After that, the castle was empty. Its renovation was long hindered by a court dispute with the descendants of former owners, and only very necessary repairs to ensure safety were carried out on the castle. After the property dispute was resolved, the castle was transferred last year to the administration of the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Matters, and last month it was taken over by NPÚ.

Since 2011, the city of Rýmařov had the castle on loan. The former Tin Hall with preserved Renaissance vaults in the front part of the castle is used by the city as a ceremonial hall. Rýmařov Museum has opened several rooms in the castle every summer season since 2012, where they displayed works by local schoolchildren. Visitors will be able to see these along with an exhibition of photographs titled "The World of the 'Janovice' Harrachs," which showcases the family of the most significant owners of the estate.

The new castle caretaker, Jitka Slaná, said that a provisional tour route will be prepared for visitors by the end of September. In June, the castle will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and during the holidays, Sundays will be added. "Tours will run roughly every hour. The guide will take visitors through several rooms and provide them with information about the history of the castle," Slaná said.

Culture Minister Antonín Staněk (ČSSD) said that he sees great potential in Janovice Castle and is pleased that it has been included in the Restart program aimed at supporting excluded regions. "Janovice Castle is a symbolic example of the state wanting to take care of significant cultural monuments that perhaps did not receive such care in the past," the minister said.

The city of Rýmařov wants to renovate the castle park, which has already requested its transfer into its ownership. "We have prepared a study for the revitalization of the park, where paths will be added, there used to be a fountain, so perhaps the restoration of that fountain, we want to tidy up both the grass and the trees and more or less restore the park in all its aspects. The budget is estimated to be around ten million crowns," said Rýmařov Mayor Luděk Šimko.