The Baroque Hospital of Kuks has started the season

Kuks (Czech republic) April 1 - The Baroque hospital in Kuks is the first monument in the Hradec Králové region under the administration of the National Monuments Institute (NPÚ) in Sychrov to start the tourist season. The novelties include, for example, a printed guide to the area, the Map of Experiences, castellan Libor Švec told ČTK today. Other monuments in the region under the administration of the NPÚ will start the season this weekend. In addition to the hospital, the NPÚ has the castles of Hrádek u Nechanic, Náchod, Opočno and Ratibořice in the region. Other castles and chateaux will also start the season this weekend.

"There are already visitors in the area. Today, however, we expect only individuals, we expect higher interest at the weekend," Švec told Czech press agency an hour after the opening.

The Map of Experiences is intended for families with children. "In the form of activities and fun education, visitors will be introduced to the outdoor area and the history of the place. They have the opportunity to write and paint on this Map of Experiences, which is available at the hospital's cash desk," Švec told CPA.

New information panels will be at the entrance to the area, in the herb garden and in the freely accessible basement of the hospital. "They will contain information not only about the history of the area, but also a depiction of the original appearance and updated information about the flora in the herb garden," said Švec.

The administrators of the monument pay great attention to the herb garden, it is one of the main attractions of the Baroque area. "All plants will now have information signs with a QR link to the website, where visitors can read more detailed information about the plant or tree," said Švec to CPA. The garden is open all year round, is divided into 144 flower beds, where over 400 species of plants will be on display this year as well.

In the courtyard of the hospital, restorers will this year repair the statue of the Little Christian Warrior from 1731, which comes from the workshop of Matyáš Bernard Braun. The statue was originally intended for Braun's Nativity Scene, where it was also carved. "However, it was never erected there and was placed in the courtyard shortly after its creation," said Švec. The statue probably depicts the founder of Kuks, František Antonín Šporek.

Maintenance of the sculptures will continue this year in Braun's Nativity Scene in Nový Les. The Nativity Scene is a group of sculptures and reliefs carved by Braun into the rock and incorporated into the landscape. Twice a year, students from the Litomyšl Faculty of Restoration of the University of Pardubice come here, who clean and preserve the sculptures and reliefs under the supervision of experts. From Kuks, Nový Les can be reached along the red and yellow tourist routes. The Nativity Scene in Nový Les is accessible year-round.

The first major event in Kuks will be the Garden Markets from April 25 to 27. The hospital was visited by 59,058 people last year, which is the most of all five monuments administered by the National Park of Sychrov in the region. The season in Kuks will last the longest of the mentioned monuments, until the end of November, while the season in the others will end on November 2.

The hospital was built at the beginning of the 18th century by F. A. Špork to care for elderly and incapacitated men from the area. Only the hospital with the Holy Trinity Church and the crypt have survived from the original extensive spa complex. Ten years ago, the hospital underwent extensive renovation.

Czech press agency | WT.24