Last summer, tickets to visit one of the reservoirs under Žlutý Kopec sold out fast. This year, the City of Brno is working to make the reservoirs more accessible for visitors. A contractor has been chosen to design new entrances to the reservoirs, as well as adapting the area to meet safety requirements and visitor needs. Photo credit: Marie Schmerkova / MMB.
Brno, Jan 21 (BD) – The City of Brno is taking another step to making the reservoirs under Žlutý Kopec accessible. On Wednesday, city councillors approved a contractor to design new entrances and make several modifications in and around the monument.
Last July, the historic reservoirs were partially opened to the public through guided tours organized by TIC Brno. The public showed great interest and tickets sold out quickly. According to the Mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková (ODS), the positive public response and the victory for the reservoirs in the Tourist News 2020 poll confirmed that opening the monument further would be worth the investment.
The reservoirs can currently be accessed via shafts and ladders. It is necessary for safety purposes to equip each reservoir with two entrances, and this fire-safety requirement needs to be met before visitors can enter. Water tanks and an electrical installation will also be constructed so that visitors can turn off their flashlights during the visit.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”290″ gal_title=”Zluty Kopec – Reservoirs”]Photo credit: Jan Cága / TIC Brno.
Jiří Oliva (ČSSD), Deputy Mayor for Property Management, described the balance between preservation of the site and the possible development for tourism and cultural purposes, as well as making the space available for filming.
“Changes to the monument must be as small as possible, so as not to disturb the unique atmosphere, but at the same time make it possible in the future to hold regular public tours and organize certain cultural events. The space is also attractive for filmmakers, who have repeatedly expressed interest in shooting in it before. We are considering placing a waterworks museum in one of the reservoirs, another space could again be partially flooded and presented to visitors in an untraditional way from on boats’’ explained Oliva.
The construction includes not only modifications to the reservoirs but also the adjacent area. New access roads, landscaping, lighting and new benches are some of the modifications planned. The reconstruction of a building for visitors is also needed and visitor facilities such as cash registers or toilets could be added.
The contractor selected for the project, David Prudík, is responsible for preparing the project documentation – it is anticipated to be ready this year, according to the contract. The City called for the submitted project documentation to cost no more than CZK 1.5 million.
