The castle in Kroměříž was visited by 130,000 people this year, more than last year

Kroměříž, November 27 – The Archbishop's Castle in Kroměříž was visited by 130,000 people this year. This is more than last year, when approximately 119,000 visitors visited the monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Another 30,000 people visited cultural and social events at the castle and in the adjacent Podzámecká Garden this year. Aleš Taufar, director of the Administration of the Archbishop's Castle and Gardens in Kroměříž, told reporters today.

The director described this year's attendance at the castle as a record. "We are starting to hit personnel limits, because with a larger number of visitors, we are being asked to provide a higher quality guide," said Taufar.

This year, for the first time, more visitors chose the Via Magnifica route on the second floor of the castle than chose the representative halls on the first floor. The Via Magnifica route has been in operation since last year, guiding visitors through the Picture Gallery, the Man Hall, the private chapel of St. Sebastian, the Old Library and the cabinets.

The castle's castellan, Zdenek Galetka, attributes the higher attendance of the second floor to increased promotion. In addition, since this year, audio guides in four languages ​​have been available on the Via Magnifica route. The exhibition of paintings by the painter Josef Mánes, which was part of it, also contributed to its attendance.

Since this spring, the castle has been open year-round. Outside the main season, visitors can visit the castle tower with the treasury and the exhibition of the Archbishop's Guard in the Mill Gate, which is adjacent to the castle, on weekends. According to the castellan, foreigners are increasingly among the visitors. "These are mainly tours from Slovakia, a lot of tours from Poland. We also started to have Hungarian tourists and German speakers. There are quite a lot of them here. But I also met a Brazilian or a gentleman from Portugal," said Galetka.

During a professional survey of the castle grottos, i.e. artificial caves in the castle, hundreds of amethysts were discovered under a layer of mortar this year. "The grottos are in a state of disrepair, but thanks to security measures they remain accessible and allow at least a limited view of the enclosed spaces," said Alena Tobolková, head of the Olomouc archdiocese's heritage department. The archdiocese has launched a public collection to save the grottos and a website dedicated to the find.

Czech press agency, WT.24

Photo WT.24