The south fortification of the Trenčín Castle had a significant defensive function in the past, and Trenčiansky Castle made it unreachable. But this is a past. As part of the reconstruction of the fortifications, a completely new entrance to the castle with a separate treasury will be built in the southern walls. Visitors will also be able to access those castle premises they have not been able to see until now. The Trenčiansky Castle will thus become an accessible area as one of the largest Slovak castles. Reconstruction visitors will not feel at all. A new treasure house could try for a year.

Approximately this year, the public will be able to choose which office to use at the entrance to Trenčiansky hrad. There will be two equal. The original one, which has been operating for a long time in the castle, and welcomes tourists coming directly from the city, or a brand new treasury , which will be created in the premises of the south fortification of the castle. This is less known to visitors, as the public is not made accessible during the castle tours. This will change after the reconstruction. A completely new access road will be built to the Trenčín Castle , leading through the Brezina Forest Park and the Cherry Village, and will bring people comfortably to the fortifications of the south fortifications. They will be able to use the new entrance to the castle with a separate treasury. "With this step we will surely make the castle more attractive, as we will get another entrance from Brezin forest park, through which it is easier for us, for example, to come to Trencin itself. The function of the south fortifications is as if they turn, as in the past the castle had to defend against the conquerors, on the contrary, it now opens and the castle is more accessible. The castle will thus be one of the largest in Slovakia , "said Peter Martinisko , director of the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín, who is in charge of Trenčiansky Castle.

All these changes await the Castle Matúš Čáka and its surroundings thanks to the cooperation of the Trenčín Self-governing Region (TSK), the regional city of Trenčín and a cross-border partner; of Bučovice. The joint project TreBuCHET - Trenčín, Bučovice, We Protect European Traditions , has been successful in the framework of the Interreg VA-CR-2014-2020 co-operation program with a request for funding from the European Union of almost € 3 million. At the same time, the project was rated as the best when it received the highest score among all the submissions. As part of the implementation of the project, the changes will affect not only the Trenčín Castle and its new entrance, but also the access road in the Brezin and Cherry Forest Park in Trenčín as well as forest park and calvary in Bučovice. "The role of the project is to combine the cultural traditions and history of both nations, through four monuments, including Trenčín Castle. Thanks to the project, the accessible area of ​​the castle increases by almost one-third. We therefore promise increased castle attendance , as people will be able to see other castle spaces that they have not been able to do before. Moreover, in connection with the park Brezin there will be a really attractive place for relaxing for families with children ", commented Jaroslav Baška, who also thanked both partners for the project.

The Trenčiansky castle will be crossing the Mlynská tower . "Here we will build a small bridge that was once a tram. This time it will be solid, but it will correspond with the look of the historic paddy bridge. Through the Mlynská tower we will then get to the newly built bridge over the castle ditch that connects to the lower portal in the wall of the wall. Next, it passes through the internal ditch and staircase to Jeremiah's Tower, respectively. to the upper castle. This will create a completely new visitor circuit with a separate entrance through a new cash desk , " Martina Lamačková added. The preliminary plans of the museum include the purchase of a train that visitors of the castle could take from the Bus Station in Trenčín during the summer months to re-enter the southern fortification through the Brezina Forest Park.

Of the total budget of the TreBuCHET project, € 3 million for TSK is € 1.45 million. Of this, EUR 1.38 million is a contribution from the European funds, the remainder being co-financed by the TSK. The design of the new entrance to the castle itself was preceded by cooperation with the Regional Monument Office in Trencin and several architectural researches, restoration and archaeological research, the results of which were incorporated into the project documentation.

The south fortification was built on the turn of the 15th and 16th century by the Zappolska family to defend the most vulnerable part of the castle. There are 16 and 20 meters deep ditches in it that could only be reached with the help of paddling bridges. The south fortification is one of the most beautiful parts of Trenčiansky castle, but for visitors it is closed for a long time. It was only available for a short time in the 1990s.

Visitors to the castle are not going to be reconstructed

Directly in the premises of the south fortification of the Trenčín Castle, the construction was handed down to the contractor, which is Metrostav, as, in a solemn way. "In the coming days, the construction of the building and the adaptation of the access road will be started, in order not to damage any archaeological findings under the way. The construction works themselves will start within two to three weeks, " informed TSK Regional Development Director Martina Lamačková. The duration of the work is estimated to be 364 days, especially during the winter months, as well as potential archaeological finds. Visitors to the castle undergoing reconstruction do not feel comfortable, the hours of the castle should not be touched.

The project partners Trenčín and Bučovice will adapt the premises of unique forest parks

The main cross-border partner is the Trenčín region of approximately 6.5 thousand Moravian town of Bučovice . "We will renovate the Princely Park in the city. Our two regions, the Trenčín and the South Moravian region, will link as a symbol of cooperation a footbridge, which will be built at the Trenčín Castle and in our town park, " found the symbolic building bourgeoisie mayor Jiří Horák. The city of Bučovice has received almost 1 million euros from the European funds.

The city of Trenčín has received almost half a million euros in the project. You will use them to build a thematic educational walkway leading through the Cherry Orchard, as an access to the castle with the appropriate mobiliar. "It will take us to the end of next year, that is to say after this first phase, which is the reconstruction of the south fortification," said Lord Mayor Richard Rybníček during the handover. The efforts of TSK and the city were also appreciated by the rector of the Trenčín University of Dubcek in Trenčín Jozef Habánik, who interpreted the university's interest in providing education to his students in a city that wants not only study but also cultural and social life.

Two European projects in one year

The TreBuCHET project - Trenčín, Bučovice, Protecting European Traditions, however, is not the only project in which TSK was a successful applicant for funds in the framework of the cross-border cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in connection with Trenčiansky hrad. Another successful project is the bicycle project called " Bicycle" in the history of Trenčiansky Castle, which connects the new cycle path with the pilgrimage site Skalka nad Váhom, the town of Nemšová and the border area with the Czech Republic. The cycle path itself should start building during the summer holidays.

The Trenčín Castle is now the second most visited historical and cultural monument in the region , right after the Bojnice Chateau. More than 128,000 visitors visit it annually. Implementation of the two mentioned projects (TreBuCHET - Trenčín, Bučovice, We Protect European Traditions, Bicycle in the Footsteps of History) can be expected to further increase these statistics. With the same objective, TSK invests additional funds in Trenčín Castle. "We are planning to build an administrative building, a greenhouse with new social facilities, a café and other facilities. We would like to start working with this month already, " Baška newsmanship said.

Source: Odd. communication and international relations, TSK

PHOTO: Radovan Stoklas