The Hůrka Fortress opened to the public 70 years after its completion

Králíky (Orlickoústecko) - The military fortress Hůrka near Králíky in the Orlickoústecko region opened to the public today, 70 years after its completion. It is the most completed structure of its kind in the country. Martin Ráboň from the Association of Friends of Czechoslovak Fortifications stated this today to ČTK.
    "We expect great interest from people. We are glad we managed to open before the end of the season. We will likely extend the hours of operation to accommodate all interested parties. We can take up to 60 people into the underground on a single tour," said Ráboň.
    The operators opened a basic tour route approximately 1600 meters long. The first visitors could view the main corridor, the ammunition storage, and the electricity source. In the coming years, however, the fortress will offer much more.
    "The fortress is embedded in the rock, the combat structures are very high and there are over 200 steps. The artillery blockhouse, which is perhaps the most attractive, has around 300 steps. Therefore, for exceptional occasions, like during the Cihelna event, we would reverse the tour route, and visitors would enter through the blockhouse and descend into the underground," said Ráboň.
    In the future, there could be a children's corner or an exhibition of toys in the underground. The association plans to showcase old postcards and photographs of the Králicko region, placing the fortress in a historical context. Experts will also be pleased with the upcoming exhibition on the unique Röchling grenade. This special projectile was able to penetrate a reinforced concrete fortress.
    "It is a secret weapon whose development was completed but ultimately halted because the Germans went into defense mode. The findings are being used in the development of current weapons, including those that might have been used in Afghanistan," stated Ráboň.
    A standard grenade was 50 centimeters long and 15 centimeters wide; the Röchling measured 2.75 meters and had a diameter of ten centimeters. Tests conducted by the Germans at Hůrka indicate that the weapon could penetrate 3.2 meters of reinforced concrete.
    Members of the association, with the help of experts, will also research historical sources to prepare an exhibition documenting the labor camps in the Pardubice region.
    "There were quite a few here. The conditions were horrific, and the mortality rate of prisoners was very high. A labor camp was built at Hůrka, but it was never completed. Prisoners were to manufacture components for the aviation industry. Another camp was immediately in Červená Voda," Ráboň stated.
    In the future, visitors will be able to walk through the fortress on their own without guides, allowing them to determine the pace of the tour and focus only on the exhibitions that interest them. Language versions for foreign visitors are also being prepared; they should be available in Polish, English, French, and German. Details about opening hours can be found at www.boudamuseum.com.
    The Hůrka fortress, built for 424 soldiers, began construction in 1936, costing nearly 25 million crowns at that time. Its current accounting value is many times higher, around 280 million crowns. However, the army had to leave the practically completed and combat-ready fortress without a fight in 1938 on orders. Since 1946, the fortress has been closed, and by the end of the 1950s, it housed a military ammunition depot.