Where there is a will there is a way - we present Grabštejn
You may recall that in a previous post we were a bit bitter about the state of Czech monuments in terms of accessibility. From recent experience, we have to say that nothing eats so hot and nothing is as black as it looks.
In the past few days, our mapping team reached Grabštejn Castle, which still serves as a base for soldiers. We recommend arranging a visit in advance with the castellan (tel. 482724301) and she will arrange a tour for you. Although the castle and the military area can be bypassed, this route cannot be recommended for the physically challenged.
Our past experience in heritage buildings has forced us to be more cautious. In order not to risk anything, we arranged a passage to the castle in advance.
Ales and I were charmed by the attitude of the local staff. Nothing was a problem. They prepared both stationary and mobile raids, ...well, just great!
Of course, they won't be pouring concrete over the historic pavement for the sake of the handicapped, but the problematic thresholds can be easily overcome thanks to ramps and ramps. Grabštejn Castle is still undergoing a long and thorough reconstruction after the various atrocities left behind by the communist regime.
But what is not easy to see is that during the reconstruction, the handicapped and others were thought of beyond measure. The elevator, or more precisely the elevator platform, was sensitively incorporated into the historic space. Anyone with mobility problems can use it to reach the first floor. Here is the apartment of the lord of the manor and the period offices of the scribes and officials of the manor.
up and down this way
But the main attraction of these accessible spaces is the newly reconstructed chapel, which has long suffered from neglect since the 1950s. Despite a portable ramp to cross the historic thresholds, this chapel is accessible to people in wheelchairs .
As you may have noticed in the pictures, someone really thought when making it wheelchair accessible! Whatever the modifications are, it's tastefully incorporated into the space. I guess some of the solutions don't have much historical value, but they don't attract attention and feel like part of the facility.
Unfortunately, the second floor is not accessible to wheelchairs, there are only stairs. But even so, a guided tour on the first accessible floor takes about 50 minutes, which is definitely fine.
There is a lawn and a beautiful gazebo around the castle where you can sit, relax and recharge your batteries.
We managed to complete the tour on our own, without any other help. In the next post, we may talk about Hrádek nad Nisou, Trojzemí, and the camp and Kristýna reservoir.
Milan Novotny,
Society for the Promotion of Disabled Travel.