In Rabštejn, they are repairing a stone bridge, one of the oldest in the Czech Republic

Rabštejn - The Road Administration of the Plzeň Region (SÚS) and the construction company SMP CZ have begun a complete renovation of the Gothic bridge in Rabštejn nad Střelou in the Plzeň region. The technical monument, built almost 700 years ago, is among the oldest preserved stone bridges in the Czech Republic. The renovation, costing 12 million crowns, is funded by the Plzeň Region and is expected to be completed in November, said SÚS director Pavel Panuška to ČTK.

SMP is also reconstructing a nearby retaining wall on the same road in Rabštejn, which is also in a state of disrepair. The repair, costing an additional two million crowns, is also starting these days.

The bridge on the regional second-class road from Žihle to Manětín or Žlutice has been mainly damaged by heavy truck traffic. SMP CZ, which also repaired the Charles Bridge in Prague, will primarily restore the structure, replace the insulation, and drain the building. During the repair, the bridge will be closed, and detour routes will lead through Žihle and also through Kralovice and Manětín. Pedestrians and cyclists can use a temporary footbridge. The renovation is supervised by heritage officials who ensure that original elements return to the same places.

“We are very proud of the bridge and are glad that it is receiving attention. However, its closure for more than half a year will cause significant traffic complications,” said Ondřej Fábera, chairman of the local committee in Rabštejn. According to him, the detour longer than 20 kilometers is substantial. Trucks drive over the bridge, but they shouldn't. More than 500 cars pass through daily. This will also create a major complication during the holiday peak. “Rabštejn is already packed with cars, and we don’t know what that will cause,” Fábera noted. Furthermore, two tourist routes pass over the bridge, but the signage does not guide them to the temporary footbridge. Rabštejn is currently negotiating with the region to install lighting during the reconstruction. “The long-term goal is to return the statue of Saint John of Nepomuk and the cross there,” Fábera added.

The bridge was built between 1335 and 1340; the longest operating stone bridge in the Czech Republic is in Písek. “Marketing-wise, it is the second oldest preserved bridge in the Czech lands, and it is documented to be from a time earlier than that of Charles Bridge. However, it cannot be established whether it was stone or wooden at that time,” Fábera stated.

The bridge, which is 55 meters long and 4.3 meters wide, was created as part of the land route from Cheb to Prague via Loket, Žlutice, and Rakovník. It is made of coarse-grained sandstone, with the lower part made of smoothly worked quads, the upper part from broken stone, and partly from slate. The bridge is also known from films and clips. Director Jiří Strach filmed the fairy tale Svatojánský věneček here, and the bridge’s backdrop is also featured in the Personal Jesus clip by Depeche Mode. Films such as Cesta z města and Cesta do lesa by Tomáš Vorel were also made in Rabštejn.

The small town, with 17 permanent residents and 75 houses, mostly recreational properties, boasts a first written mention from 1269 and town rights from 1337. “We organize over ten events there annually,” Fábera said. In the square, there is a year-round open museum, an information center, and the Četnická stanice café, where people can borrow keys to the Loreto chapel. From June to September, there are tours of the castle. The Jewish cemetery and two castle ruins are freely accessible.