The military fortress Hůrka will open to the public after 51 years

Králíky (Orlickoústecko) - The military fortress Hůrka near Králíky in the Orlickoústecko region will open to the public after 51 years. The artillery fortress, which is the most completed structure in the territory of the republic, is preparing for its first visitor day on August 18. Martin Ráboň from the Association of Friends of Czechoslovak Fortifications told ČTK today.
    "We are putting all our efforts into this date. However, it is possible that the work may be delayed, and we may open on August 19 instead," said Ráboň.
    The army had a munitions depot in the fortress until this May. A number of modifications had to be made in five massive combat facilities with an extensive underground system of corridors and halls embedded deep in the rock mass.
    "A key requirement from the firefighters was to ensure an emergency exit, which has 290 steps and rises from a depth of more than 50 meters. We had to light it and provide appropriate railings," said Ráboň. Removing engineering closures, that is, the reinforced concrete walls with which the army sealed the fortress, was also technically demanding, added Ráboň.
    In the entire complex, about 300 lights also had to be replaced with energy-saving fluorescent lamps, and fire extinguishers were added. This year's modifications will cost about 600,000 crowns. The association will pay another one million crowns next year for further modifications.
    "The army maintained temperatures around 20 degrees in the fortress due to the munitions, which is unnecessary for museum operations, but such temperature and humidity must be maintained so that the air conditioning systems and light cables do not corrode and water does not condense on them," said Ráboň.
    Therefore, the association intends to acquire, preferably with the help of European subsidies, powerful equipment that will maintain the right climate in the long corridors. This is equipment capable of drying large halls and stadiums. It can deliver 6,000 cubic meters of dried and tempered air per hour, stated Ráboň.
    The association plans to operate the fortress year-round, and according to Ráboň, it will also be an interesting tourist alternative for skiers who spend weekends or holidays in the region during winter. The Hůrka fortress has one advantage; it is easily accessible as it lies just off the road. Tourists can also comfortably walk to it in 15 minutes from the central square in Králíky.
    The Hůrka fortress for 424 soldiers began construction in 1936 and cost 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 fortification in 1938 on orders without a fight. During the war, the Germans conducted artillery tests in the fortress and wanted to convert it into a factory for aircraft components. The factory was to employ prisoners, for whom a labor camp was also started to be built. Since 1946, the fortress has been closed, and at the end of the 1950s, a munitions depot was put into operation there.