Simkovicova Hopes Some Parts of Krasna Horka Castle Could Reopen in Summer 2026

Bratislava, 23 December (TASR) – The lower and middle part of Krasna Horka Castle could be reopened to visitors at the end of summer 2026, if no safety risks are found during an inspection of the completed reconstruction works, Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National party/SNS nominee) said in a year-end interview with TASR. "Even though the lower and middle part of the castle has already undergone reconstruction, there are suspicions that the work on roof truss hasn't been carried out as it should have been," explained Simkovicova, referring to concerns about the structural stability which the Slovak National Museum (SNM) had already communicated in the autumn. A solution to problems with roof truss should be delivered by the Slovak University of Technology (STU). "The inspection will last until June. If everything turns out well and we can be 100 percent sure that there are no construction-related or technical risks for visitors, we would like to open at least these parts of the national cultural monument at the end of summer 2026," added Simkovicova. The reconstruction of the upper castle should be carried out in a way that does not restrict access to the rest of castle. "This area, which was most severely hit by the fire but for reasons I find incomprehensible wasn't reconstructed earlier, is being cleared of debris and vegetation," said Simkovicova, acknowledging that the public has been waiting for the completion of the work for a very long time. "One of the answers as to why this hasn't been achieved in thirteen years is also the fact that we had to spend 18 months analyzing the shortcomings that occurred during the reconstruction process in previous years," she said. Simkovicova doesn't understand why reconstruction commenced on those parts that were least hit by the fire, now complicating the work on the upper castle. Krasna Horka Castle was severely damaged by fire on 10 March 2012. The government approved nearly €35 million to restore the castle, and MBM-GROUP won the tender. The project, worth over €20 million, began in August 2022, and according to the original contract, the work should have been completed by August of this year, but it is still incomplete. jrg