Ongoing works

The restoration of the western facade is almost finished and it looks amazing. Over the summer, we installed all the windows in the roof of the castle. The windows of the western facade are in production and we plan to install them before winter. Those in the larger eastern facade will not be installed until next year when the easter facade restoration will take place. We have received the initial assessment from the authorities on our wastewater treatment plant revitalization and we are working on the project for its building permit. We are deciding on a heating solution for the castle. In both cases, we want to choose ecological and renewable solutions.

Is it possible to visit the castle?

Due to the ongoing restoration works the castle and its immediate surroundings are closed to the public. However, the castle and its restoration can be observed while walking through the surrounding park and meadows, which are open to the public and provide nice views of the castle. The park also houses the Slovak National Uprising Memorial, a National Cultural Monument, which was restored in 2020.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye

It wasn't about buying a castle. It was about this castle.

For me, Castle Kunerad‘s uniqueness lays not only in its position and beauty, which is currently more visible with the heart than to the eyes but it is also in memories and knowing its unfortunate fate. Then, one day, before the last fire in autumn 2018, I had an idea or perhaps more a dream to do something and attempt to change its unfortunate fate. The decision to approach the, then owner, Spa Rajecké Teplice came immediately after the latest fire - it was the beginning of 2019 and the owner confirmed that the castle is for sale.

We started with the information gathering, calculations and talks, a lot of talks with smart people - those that understand the historic monuments, architecture, history, engineering, finance and doing business in Slovakia. But especially with those who have tried something similar and helped me realise that I am not the only fool in the world and gave me a lot of valuable advice and information.

Some warned that this will be an investment with no return and many years of stress. Others advised to sit in the corner and not get up until the idea was gone. They helped me to see the reality and the problems that need to be solved. But above all, there were a few, who understood, saw the dream, the desire to create something beautiful that remains for the generations to come. Each of them helped me to get a little closer to the final decision. Of course, my stubbornness to prove that when one tries, even impossible things could happen, also played a role.

And so in May 2019 the final two phone calls. The first was to the mayor of Kunerad, because at that time the municipality had also considered purchasing the castle. She didn't take me too seriously – many people “interested” to do something with the castle had been contacting her. Still, she confirmed that the village would welcome when someone else brings the castle back to life. The second phone call was to the Spa Rajecké Teplice with the final offer. It was accepted almost immediately. After that, it was only about the formalities.

Until one Friday morning I received the SMS

What next? The castle has a long reconstruction ahead and will survive only if it is economically self- sufficient. But more about that the next time.

Na Slovensku máme veľa pamätihodností, ktoré sa pýšia názvom hrad, zámok alebo kaštieľ. Hrad je najčastejšie definovaný ako stredoveké alebo staroveké opevnené sídlo, ktoré sa stavalo na vyvýšených miestach alebo v mestách a plnilo hlavne obrannú funkciu. Kaštieľ je zase mestské alebo vidiecke sídlo šľachtica stojace na rovine, obyčajne v parku, má skôr reprezentatívnu funkciu a je komfortne zariadené.

Názory na to, ako zadefinovať pojem zámok sa však líšia. Termín sa začal používať v období renesancie a vo väčšine slovenskej odbornej literatúry, slovníkoch a encyklopédiách sa považuje za synonymum hradu. Našli sme aj autorov, ktorí definovali zámok takmer zhodne ako kaštieľ. Najlepšie túto dilemu vystihla Viera Dvořáková v článku Hrady, zámky či kaštiele. Tvrdí, že pojem „zámok” nie je presne vymedzeným synonymom pre hrad alebo väčší kaštieľ a aj napriek snahám sa nepodarilo preukázať existenciu ďalšieho typologického druhu šľachtického sídla označovaného slovenským výrazom zámok.

Nepomohla ani zahraničná literatúra, keďže takmer v žiadnom inom jazyku samostatný výraz nemá. V češtine sa používajú len dva výrazy hrad a zámek, podobne poľština pozná zamek (hrad) a kasztel (kaštieľ), nemčina používa Burg (hrad) a Schloss (kaštieľ), maďarčina vár (hrad) a kastély (kaštieľ). A angličtina (castle) a francúzština (chateau) má dokonca len jeden.

Všetky tri pojmy – hrad, kaštieľ a zámok – sú pevne zakotvené v slovenskom jazyku, ľudovej slovesnosti i krásnej a odbornej literatúre. Vyskytujú sa v zemepisných názvoch i miestnych označeniach.

A tak je rozhodnuté. Kunerad je síce odbornou definíciou kaštieľ, ale tento kaštieľ bude aj naďalej niesť názov Zámok Kunerad.

Shortly after we were registered as owners of the castle, the media reported that we planned to have it under the roof before the winter. Everyone, including us, wished that was the case. However, the experts made it clear that unless we plan to build a self supporting structure around the castle, it will not have a roof anytime soon.

There were hundreds of tons of rubble inside making it impossible to safely move inside. The rooms in which we stood freely only a month ago were now impassable as the ceilings damaged by fire and water gradually collapsed, sometimes over three floors. The basement seemed fine, but it had visible water leakages. It was not clear whether the outside walls were stable enough. In addition, they were preserved at different heights so unless we wanted to level them all to the first floor level, no temporary roof could be built. It was October 2019 and we needed to find another solution.

We were lucky to find experts who had experience with similar projects - architects from AOCR (they worked, for example, on the extensive reconstruction of the Hotel Carlton in Bratislava), the local construction company RBRing (Chateau Gbeľany or the New Synagogue) and structural engineer Halvoň (Chateau Gbeľany and many other similar projects). The solution consisted of clearing the rubble from the top of the building with the help of platforms and a hydraulic arm, gradually working their way down to the bottom of the building. The rubble would be exported by wheelbarrows. Although this procedure is more expensive, it is more delicate, alowing us to preserve the most of the historical substance of the building.

After the completion of the cleaning work, the ceilings of two floors were to be built, which will be final in terms of material, shape and height, so that they do not have to be rebuilt in the future. Not only will they improve stability, but covering them with insulation, they also protect the castle from the weather condition. In the meantime, we will have time to work on a final reconstruction project that will take months. Even if the castle remains without the roof, it will be protected from rain and snow.

After consultations, the Regional Monuments Office approved this plan. And so the work could finally begin. It was the beginning of December.

How did it go? And what surprises did we encounter? Read our next post.

The first work on the castle went unnoticed. Since it was unsafe to enter the building, we decided on one October weekend to document and collect the fallen balustrades and the remains of the stone railings. Later, the construction company helped us to load them on pallets and transport to a storage to be restored later. Sadly, most of them were not destroyed in the fires, they were smashed to pieces by vandals. However, we found out that many of them are just concrete replicas of the original ones - made of sandstone. They were probably replaced during the reconstruction in the 1970s.

At the beginning of December, the first rescue work on the castle itself could begin as it took some time to figure out how to do so safely - we wrote about it in the last article titled „The roof“.

Four construction workers began to remove burnt roof debris and chimneys with the help of platforms and a hydraulic arm. What fell was later taken out using wheelbarrows, no machinery could get inside. By Christmas, some progress could be seen, but it was only a fraction of what still needed to be done. We therefore agreed with the construction company to increase the number of workers. They worked in difficult conditions, in freezing temperatures and snow. Gradually, they also removed all dangerous wooden ceilings, plumbing, heaters, wiring and debris. The exposed walls were covered with plastic to protect them from the water and ice. Mid-March, on the tenth anniversary of the second of the castle‘s three fires, after extracting an incredible 1,200 tons of rubble, we started with the first works, which were not just cleaning. The work on the ground floor ceilings has begun.

Along the way, we needed to resolve number of issues and surprises. More about that in our next article.

Cleaning the rubble continued during the winter at a satisfactory pace and we were pleased that it was possible to enter the castle safely. However, we also experienced surprises and problems that needed to be solved.

Despite the fact that there is a distribution transformer directly on our estate, it took seven months to get connected to the grid. Initially the problem was unclear ownership, then rusted distribution boxes (we built a new one) and some delay was caused also by the pandemic.

Thieves visited the castle several times, once they stole an electric generator and tools, another time part of the historical stairway. We had to hire a 24/7 security service.

We also had to deal with issues while disposing of the rubble. The nearby landfill in Šuja seemed like an obvious and simple solution. However, due to limits on different types of waste, driving tons of rubble there would increase the waste disposal rate for the residents of Kunerad. As we did not want to increase their financial burden, the rubble was separated and driven to another landfills around Žilina. The sheer amount surpassed everyone's expectations, which is one of the reasons the works so far did cost three times more than planned.

And finally, some inconvenience was also caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. After initial delay, works resumed while implementing necessary measures. However as we live in Switzerland we were unable to travel to Slovakia for almost four months due to closed borders and mandatory state quarantine. We had no other choice than observing the progress remotely on photos and videos. And we wanted to be there so badly. During such a project it is very difficult to make certain decisions from a distance.

Kunerad Castle is not the only National Cultural Monument we are going to take care of. Not far, in our castle park, there is another - the Monument of Slovak National Uprising. Like the castle, it needs repairs.

The Monument was built in 1965 to commemorate the World War II events of the Slovak National Uprising. It is known that 2nd partisan batalion of M.R. Štefánik under the command of Major Popov was stationed in the castle. That was the reason why the castle burned down for the first time on September 25, 1944 with the advance of the German troops.

Shortly after we became the owners of the Monument, we were approached by the local civic association AKURAD with a request to cooperate on its restoration. Petra Dubeňová, who leads the association, has told us, why they care about it:

"The SNP Monument is not only a National Cultural Monument, but together with the castle it belongs among the cultural heritage, for which the village is known. For the last 5 years, our association has been taking care of the Monument, cleaning it every year before the Uprising celebrations, which take place every year at this Monument. We, as a civic association, were long bothered by his bad condition. However, it was not in our power to do anything about it. We are grateful to the new owner of the castle in Kunerad, whom immediately expressed interest in its restoration. We are pleased that the civil and private sectors can come together to protect the cultural heritage. Thanks also go to the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic for the trust and support in the restoration of the monument. "

The author of the architectural design of the Monument is Ing. arch. Martin Kusý, the author of the sculptures is Rudolf Pribiš, the author of the text is Milan Lajčiak. The Monument itself has a rectangular floor plan made of granit stone and consists of two parts - a panel with a memorial plaque and a pylon with a sculpture of a female figure. It was ceremoniously unveiled on Sunday, November 6, 1966, and in February 1981 it was declared a National Cultural Monument.

The restoration works have already begun. Will they be completed in time for the celebrations in August? What else interesting did we learn about it? Read in one of our future blogs.

Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.

At the end of August 2019, when the authorities confirmed the transfer of the castle and its surroundings to us, the feelings were mixed - a huge joy that it really worked out, an equally great dose of respect and at the same time concerns. That it will be harder than we can imagine, that we will incurr debts for the rest of our lives, that we will not agree with the authorities, that there will be a lot of preassure on us from the media, activists and the public as was on the previous owners... And how did it turn out? Mostly better than we expected.

The media
The media interest was expected. Due to the castle’s misfortune over the last 10 years, it experienced more media attention than any other castle in Slovakia. We bought it because we wanted to save this historical building, we were not looking for publicity. We therefore decided not to communicate through the media until the castle was in a better shape. However, we always politely answered the journalists who contacted us. The first was the local newspaper MyŽilina, then national TV RTVS, ... We expected that after the first wave, the media interest would fade. Within half a year, however, after 30 articles or TV reports have already been published, we got to understand that the interest and support comes from the public that cares about the castle as much as we do. And so, from May 2020, you can regularly read about our successes and mishaps in our efforts to restore the castle on our website, Facebook and Instagram.

Monuments Board
We have been told that the Monuments Board of Slovakia is a group of slow government officials detached from the reality. However, people we met at the Regional Monument Board in Žilina were true experts who prefer to spend their time outdoors at the historical sites and there are very few of them compared to the number of monuments they oversee. Nevertheless, they have always made efforts to address our requests as fast as possible, regardless of the deadlines prescribed by law, in order to help us in our efforts. We did not agree on everything, but they were open to a dialogue and we were open to listen and learn. So far, we always managed to find a solution.

Rescue work
The aim of our efforts so far was stopping further deterioration of the castle and protecting most of its historical value. In practice this meant clearing the rubble, statically stabilizing the castle walls and protecting it from the bad weather conditions. We thought we could do it in just a couple of months. The castle showed us that with historical monuments, nothing can be rushed. We often needed to revise our plans, patiently looking for new ways which costed more time and money. But all such actions have helped to preserve its historical value on which you cannot put a price tag.

People
Being just an expert in your field is not enough, you also need to have a feeling and respect for the historical monuments and not to fear unknown. We were lucky to find such people. Was it so called beginner’s luck when one manages to meet the right people on his journey by coincidence? We would like to take this opportunity and thank those who spent time and efforts with us and the castle (in no particular order):

What's next
Before the winter, we plan to complete a temporary roof. This will be the end of the rescue works and the construction noise will cease for some time. The walls of the castle need to dry properly before they can support the new and final roof. And so, during the winter, the castle will be getting ready for its next phase in the silence disrupted only by singing birds, snowfall and the sounds of the Kunerad stream. We will use that time to make decisions that will shape the castle for the generations to come. The project of the final restoration is a very responsible task and we will take as much time as the castle needs until everyone – we, the Monuments Board, and hopefully the general public - will be pleased. In the meantime, we will continue to share our news through our website and social media.

During the spring were the rescue efforts in full swing but we didn't get to enjoy the castle at all. We live in Switzerland and due to the COVID-19 measures we couldn’t visit Slovakia for almost four months. We were managing all the efforts and monitoring the progress only remotely. At that time, we also opened the virtual gates of the castle to the public by launching this website and social media.

With the arrival of the summer, the borders opened. We travelled to Kunerad early June in a rainy weather to see the castle and attend several business meetings. Just as we were about to leave Slovakia, TV Markíza and Miroslav Bellan, a long-time supporter of the castle, called us with a request for a short interview. We met at the castle, answered a few questions, and continued in a friendly conversation. It was then, when it occurred to us that we could invite them inside, since the castle was already safe to enter. It was the first tour of the castle and we were surprised by the excited reactions. That was the moment when the idea to open the castle to the public for one day was born. We planned it for the end of August during the Slovak Uprising celebrations, which are organized annually by the village in our castle park.

However, the deteriorating corona situation in Slovakia meant that we needed to take social distancing measures, by limiting the number of visitors. As a result, we decided not to promote the guided tours, which is why it was not mentioned on our website and Facebook, where we otherwise regularly inform the public about the news from the castle.

22^nd of August turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. We also had a small anniversary – it was exactly 1 year since we became the owners of the castle! The Uprising celebrations started by unveiling of our renewed Uprising Monument (you could read about its reconstruction in our blog The Monument). The unveiling was attended by state and local government representatives - Minister of Defense Jaroslav Naď, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Gábor Grendel, president of the Žilina Regional Assembly Erika Jurinová, representatives of the British and Russian embassies and several members of the Parliament. And, of course, many citizens of Kunerad and the surroundings, for whom we, together with other members of our family, prepared the guided tours of the castle. It was our first personal encounter with the public and it was full of emotional moments. We are grateful for all the words of support, for the interest, for the caste stories of those who used to work there or visited it in the past, for ideas and for the inspiration. It was not about us creating experiences for the visitors but the visitors who prepared an unforgettable experience for us.

The summer was full of other nice encounters too. Meeting with the Janíčeks, who restored Château Gbeľany and family Kováčik who revived almost forgotten Château Kubínyi. Not only we share the same view on the importance of preserving historical monuments, but they were also willing to share valuable experiences from their castle restoration journeys. Opera singer Martin Mikuš also stopped by and tested the acoustics of the main hall. The castle was also visited by several members of Slovak parliament. They first asked for only a short tour, said to be in a hurry, but in the end, they were fascinated by the castle and stayed longer. And not to forget to mention countless conversations with those who were just passing by.

Towards the end of the summer, we made the decision to divide the renovation project into multiple stages. We want to continue the renovation work but at the same need time to think through every small detail about how the castle will operate, what style the furnishing will be in, how to marry the historical renovation techniques with the modern ones and to secure financing. And so, in 2021, we will start with what we already have plans for and managed to consult with the Monuments Office. Namely the restoration of the stone cladding and terraces, which are deteriorating fast and would not last another year. And at the same time, we will build the roof. The final one. But more about the roof in our next article.

The unique red castle roof is what stuck in the memory of everyone who visited Kunerad castle in the past. It was possible to admire it from as far as the mountain top of Martinské Hole.

Many will be surprised that the original roof was not red at all. Count Balestrem used natural slate as a roofing material adding the roof softness and charm with its blue-gray luster. Why nobody remembers it anymore? In 1944, the roof burned down during the Second World War’s Slovak National Uprising. And the photos from the pre-war period are only black and white where a blue-gray color is indistinguishable from red.

After the War, the castle was confiscated and during the preparation for its reconstruction, the decision was made to use sheet metal painted red as a roofing material. Difficult to guess why. Slate is one of the most expensive roofing materials, so it would be logical to assume that after the War the state did not have the money to spare. In addition, there are no slate mines in Slovakia. Or should red symbolize the starting period of communism? All we know is that it was not only the material and color that have changed, but also to some extent the shape of the roof in order to fit one extra floor.

That way, it remained for more than 50 years, until the then owner, Rajecké Teplice Spa, undertook its reconstruction. In agreement with the Monuments Board, they chose a modern titanium-zinc roofing having a color very similar to the one of slate, but being simpler and cheaper to install and maintain. Unfortunately, it did not last long – in March 2010, just before its completion, it burned down. Years of deterioriation that followed as well as the third fire in 2018 meant that in the autumn of 2019 we bought the castle without a roof.

The Monuments Board warned us already during our first meeting, that it was necessary to rebuild the roof in its original appearance, and therefore gray. Preserving the history was the reason why we embarked on the whole project, so it didn’t take too long to convince us. This was followed by the decisions about its shape and height (since even those varied over time and the original plans have not been found), structural engineers, architects, carpenters, fire protection experts, experts on slate, humidity, heat and cooling ... and here we are today sitting in front of a finished project approved by the Monuments Board.

In the coming months, we will spend time obtaining building permits and finances, as well as putting together a team that can build such a unique roof. If all goes well, we'll start in a year. Until then, the walls of the castle need to rest and dry under their current temporary roof, which has only just been completed.

So what will be the final roof like, which is already the fourth (!) in the relatively short history of the castle? It will respect and remind all its eras - its shape will be almost the same as it was designed after the war by the well-known architect Ferdinand Čapka, just as you all remember it. The roofing, natural blue-gray slate, will resemble the original roof that Counts of Ballesterm built. And in its inside it will be a very much "today's" roof - modern load-bearing structures that save and illuminate the space, thermal insulation, but also air conditioning, fire protection or elevator engine room - all invisible from the outside, but contributing to the energy efficiency of the castle as well as for the comfort of its future visitors. We hope that this roof will be more fortunate than the previous ones and we look forward to one day welcoming you underneath it.

Together with the Castle, we also bought 66,000 square meters of surrounding land. A small part of it is coverd with a forest and the rest is a park with 511 trees. The park is declared a National Cultural Monument and Spa Area. Like the castle, it was neglected for many years and its beauty was gradually covered with greenery.

In the arc1hives, we did not find any information about its original state but we know from the period photographs that only two lime trees, now two hundred years old, grew in the immediate vicinity of the castle. From above, up to the edge of the forest, it was surrounded by a natural meadow. In the meadow below the castle, the Ballestrem family planted several fruit trees, which supplied the castle residents with fresh fruit.

In the post-war period, when the castle was transformed into a sanatorium, the park underwent various transformations. Sidewalks were built for spa guests, in the forest area was even a rest area with loungers for the treatment of patients with tuberculosis and other lung diseases. No wonder, the purity of the air around the castle was then considered to be one of the best in Europe. The National Uprising Memorial was also built in the park - you could read about its reconstruction in our article Memorial. And next to the main staircase leading to the castle, an alley of spruces was planted.

Before we started planning the future of this maginificent park, we needed to find out what trees need to be preserved as well as their condition. And so we started with a dendrological survey. During the last three months of 2020, you could meet a team of experts around the castle, who measured and examined every single tree to determine their size, species, value and health.

What was the result? There are several valuable individual trees in the park, including two hundred-year-old lime trees. Some were infested with pests and the treatment in a gentle and environmentally friendly way can take more than a year. It is also necessary to remove the new overgwrown greenery so that it does not take nutrients from rarer individual trees and it is possible to walk around the park again. Probably the biggest decision we need to take will be the future of the spruce alley located directly under the castle. Its planting in the 70's was unsuitable for this terrain and climatic conditions, and even though the spruces have, with their height, already outgrown the castle, their roots are not deep enough to secure stability of the trees in severe wind conditions for much longer. They are becoming a danger not only for the castle, but also the people who move around it.

In the coming weeks, we intend to transform the results of the survey into a plan, which we will discuss with the Monuments office and the relevant authorities. Next summer, we could start with at least the necessary treatment. The architectural and restoration plan of the park, which will take into account its future use, sidewalks, maintenance and planting of new greenery, will come into play only later in the future.

This year, you will hardly see any heavy machinery at the castle. Last year was different - a hydraulic arm was removing burned debris, trucks were transporting tons of rubble, ceilings were being built above the remaining floors, and finally a temporary roof was put in place. The works we have planned for 2021 are no less ambitious, although they will be less noisy and less visible.

The final roof of the castle will surely acquire most of our attention, highly complex consisting of 41 dormers and 5 turrets. Although we received a building permit during February, we do not expect to be able to start the construction work this year. According to experts, the walls of the castle need to dry for a few more months, which doesn´t leave us enough time to complete before next winter. To help the drying process, we plan to remove the remaining plasters and tiles from its internal walls. In the menatime the architects will fine-tune the details on the implementation project and we will need to secure financing.

The roof might take up the most of our time, but the be state of the external stone cladding and terraces is more urgent. They are the last part of the castle, which are in a citical condition.

If you do not see us removing the plastering or renovating the stone cladding in the castle, you will most likely meet us in the surrounding park. During the summer, we will be treating the rare trees, cutting down the dangerous ones, and removing the overgrown vegetation.

These days we pay a lot of attention to the castle’s water supply and treatment. Castle's own was built in the 80's and consists of a well, a pump station, a reservoir, water and sewage pipes and a wastewater treatment facility. We'll tell you more about it and our plans in one of our next blog posts.

And while doing all this, we'll also be working on the final restoration project.

Historical documents mention a Castle chapel dedicated to St. Therese of Lisieux. It used to be located on the north side of the castle and "guarded" on its outer wall by the statue of St. Stephen. We believed that the chapel was destroyed in the post-war period when it was rebuilt to fit two floors and several rooms.

Last spring, during the preparation of the ceilings, a brick arch was discovered in one of the rooms. There are many of them in the castle, but this one was a mystery, as it could not be part of a door or window. It was located on one side of the wall only and too high for the door. With the help of photos provided to us from the Count Ballestrem family album, we concluded that this is where the chapel once was, and the arch was part of the altar. We decided to immediately stop the work on the ceiling, as it was planned to be built directly through the arch. In cooperation with the architects, structural engineer, and Monuments office, we redesigned the plans for this space so that it respects the original hight of the chapel and exhibit the alter arch.

And what happened to the statue of St. Stephen? It survived on the castle’s facade in an almost undamaged condition and is currently on display at the Regional Monuments Office in Žilina. After the restoration, it will return to its original spot on the facade.

We wish you all a peaceful happy Easter to you and your families

We started the castle reconstruction without any expectation of finding new original features. After all, the castle burned down three times, it has been renovated several times in the last hundred years using modern materials and technologies, and 10 years ago an extensive architectural-historical survey was carried out and documented.

That is why the latest discovery is a pleasant surprise for us. During the reconstruction of the stone cladding in the basement, under a layer of dust and dirt, fragments of the flooring, terrazza, appeared on the original stairs and on the floor. After the inspection, the conservationists confirmed that the material was used by Count Ballestrem when the castle was originally built. For the floor he chose a beautiful combination of red, yellow, black and white colours (see photo). A less striking black-gray-white colour combination was used on the stairs.

And what exactly is a terrazzo? It is a composite made up of cementitious binder mixed with granite, marble, quartz, glass, or other materials. It is an ecological purely natural material, in the production of which no toxic substances are used. With roots tracing back as far as the ancient mosaics of Egypt, the terrazzo flooring we know today comes from 18th century Venice.

The terrazzo fragments we found in the castle’s basement will be preserved. Perhaps, once the modern floor tiles will be removed, we find even more of it. And certainly, it gives us and our architects a reason to think about whether we incorporate this floor covering into the rest of the castle restoration project.

The terrazzo fragments we found in the castle’s basement will be preserved. Perhaps, once the modern floor tiles will be removed, we find even more of it. And certainly, it gives us and our architects a reason to think about whether we incorporate this floor covering into the rest of the castle restoration project.

Photo: Vladimír Majtán, KPÚ Žilina

When we embarked on the journey to save Kunerad Castle, we knew that just our own finances are not enough to finish the project. It did not discourage us, but it meant that from the moment we became the owners, we were not only solving for its stabilization, temporary roof, renovation project or building permits, but also financing options.

One of those possibilities was the grant program of the Ministry of Culture supporting projects focusing on the protection and complex reconstruction of national cultural heritage. In the spring, after months of preparation and meeting demanding conditions, we too submitted our project, focused mainly on financing of the final roof. And it worked out. We are extremely honored and grateful that the program committee chose us as one of only seven successful projects out of 42 great ones. They granted us 600,000 euros that will cover approximately 2/3 of the cost of the roof. With that we are a huge step closer to bringing this romantic castle back to life.

Next is a public procurement to select the roof supplier, which should be completed by the end of November. If everything goes well, the roof construction will start next spring. The unique roof of Kunerad Castle, which, as in its early days, will hide two floors within, have dozens of dormers, 5 turrets, steep slope and will be covered with natural slate.

We would like to thank the Ministry of Culture for their trust.

When we extracted more than 1,300 tons of rubble during rescue work last year, it was inconceivable that even more construction waste could be produced. However, as we started renovating the external staircase, terraces and stone cladding early this summer, we were convinced otherwise. It is as if concrete was used in the post-war reconstructions to solve all the problems.

A thick layer was poured under the stone cladding in several places, causing the damage pushing it off its original axis. Cement mortar was used instead of lime for masonry works causing its gradual disintegration. But the worst off were the external staircase and terraces. Their level was artificially raised by 30-40 cm after being covered several times with new layers of concrete and insulation without removing the old ones. Not only did they have to carry extra tons of weight, but it also caused drainage problems, as they were raised above the ledges that were supposed to protect them from the weather. All this caused them to get into the current state of deterioration and could have collapsed.

With the help of the workers of two construction companies we started to dismantle them and have been removing those artificial layers of concrete for weeks. Terraces, stairs and stone cladding are regaining their original shape, height, material and appearance, will also be significantly lighter and protected from the weather for decades to come.

And what is happening with all that extracted rubble? As most of it is concrete, it will not end up in the landfill, but gets recycled. After being crushed it is typically used instead of gravel while building roads.

End of August marked two years since we became the owners of Kunerad Castle. What did we achieve and how was the second year different from the first?

We started the first year knowing almost nothing about the construction, architecture, historical buildings protection, laws or doing business in Slovakia, media communication and, in fact, about the castle itself. We just wanted to save this preacious historical building. That's probably the only thing that hasn't changed in those two years.

The first year was a race against the time over how much of the castle remains can be saved. The ceilings and parts of the walls fell almost daily, we had two conflicting expert opinions in our hands – so nothing to really lean on and the first structural engineer who came to see the castle did not even want to enter. Things started moving in the right direction after we managed to find a structural engineer and a construction company who would not get discouraged by an idea of restoring a ruined castle. Together with our architects, they found a way to extract the rubble from the castle, restore the fallen turret, stabilize the walls by building new and final ceilings, cover the castle including terraces with the temporarily roof and install the water drainage. After a little over a year, we could say that the castle had the worst times behind.

The second year was much calmer – the priority was for the castle walls to dry for at least a year before the work on the final roof could begin. We used the time for a number of other important activities. First of all, we completed the project and obtained the building permit for the roof. We then submitted a grant application to the Ministry of Culture. As one of only seven successful projects we received a government grant that will cover just over half of the cost of the roof renovation. We will receive the grant after the public tender process for the roof contractor is completed. It is currently underway.

The second year was also about getting to know the castle and its surroundings better. We spent time not only studying historical documents, but also the castle itself. We explored each of its rooms, found elements that the historical documents did not mention, assessed their age and origin, and adjusted the restoration plans accordingly. We also got to know the park, where dendrologists helped us describe each of its more than 500 trees and we cleaned the park from some of the overgrown greenery. And some of our time was dedicated to the water system of the castle, as it has its own source of drinking water and water supply.

The construction work did not stop completely. We needed to repair the external stone cladding, which holds its beautiful terraces; else they were in danger of collapsing. The masonry was done very professionally by the team of Braňo Piroha, who already restored the stone walls on several Slovak castles. Reconstruction of the terrace and the main external staircase is currently underway. We have removed from them more than 30 cm of old concrete and insulation layers layed during the past renovations. By winter, the terraces will receive new insulation and the stairs will be fitted back.

But the best experience of the second year are definitely seven weeks during the summer, which we spent living in the castle itself – without a bathroom, kitchen, phone reception or internet. We had time to get to know the castle better, watch the sunrise and sunset or the midnight starry sky and experience conversations with the people of Kunerad as well as casual passers-by. At the end of the summer, we opened the castle to the public for one afternoon. More than 400 of you came to visit in just three hours.

We are looking forward to meeting you also this coming year, when, if all goes well, the castle will get a new roof.

Dust, bruises, nature, hikes, castle, horseflies, stream, tent, walkie-talkies, 10 children and two adults. This is what a summary of my last week of July would look like if I could only use single words. However, they will not give it a justice, so let me continue using sentences :).

Our days there seemed alike. In the morning we woke up at seven in the tents put up inside of the castle by the sound of squeaking rusty iron gate, a sign that workers were coming. The smoke from their cigarettes was better than any alarm clock. Gradually, we all crawled out of our tents and half-asleep we walked down to the house under the castle for breakfast. Not everyone slept in the castle, the younger boys were in a house on temporary beds. I mean, it's hard to say if they slept at all, because no matter how soon as I got up, I was always greeted by three-year-old Vincent and five-year-old Felix, full of energy, chasing a football, or chocolate balls in a milk.

Before ten o'clock we used to leave for trip. I guess the longest was the hike to Veterná, where we climbed about 800m in elevation and walked total 22km. Along the route we could enjoy the beautiful view of Martinky, Kunerad valley, but also of the blueberry bushes, that pleasantly surprised us along the ridge. When we returned, Jana was already waiting for us with the youngest Vincent, usually with a pot full of something fragrant and tasty, although I have no doubt that we would have eaten pretty much anything then.

Soon after, we literally jumped into an ice-cold stream, that flows by the castle. The water was very cold, but more annoying were the horseflies that were lurking around waiting for those not submerged. Short of the body heat but richer of a great experience, we used to play ultimate frisbee with a rugby ball using the hockey goals on a volleyball court later. We played either until sunset or until the coming storm forced us inside. Those days with no lightnings above, we lit a fire, listened to crickets and the crackling of fire for a long time. On the way up the castle stairs, we encountered not only the frogs jumping around the construction site, but also bats crossing the carpet of stars above us. That week was great. I'm looking forward to the time when I will be able to stay in the castle without mice running down the halls, bathroom instead of temporary toilet and the plaster no longer falling off the castle walls:).

Although ... won't I miss the tent and the smell of freshly cut grass?

The appearance of the castle will undergo one of the biggest updates in its history. It will get back its roof that was missing for more than 10 years following two devastating fires. And it will not be any roof, the new one will, like the original one, be made of slate. The work will start this spring following two years of intensive preparations. The project will be partially financed by a grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

However, the roof is not the only project in our ambitious plan for 2022. It also includes:

Well, fingers crossed!

In the castle park there are also three outbuildings where the staff working at the castle used to live. We plan to restore them so they can again serve the same purpose or be opened to the visitors.

Last year we repaired the roof on the largest one. The second building, located right by the road, seems to be in a good shape from the outside and has been inhabited for the longest time, but in the meantime the ceilings inside have collapsed. These structural problems, combined with moisture and mold, mean that it will need to be thorn down and rebuilt. Both of these buildings were structurally changed several times after the war and we plan to restore them in 2-3 years.

The most picturesque of the outbuildings is the smallest one, the cottage under the castle. Despite being overgrown by the trees and one even destroyed its roof, it still maintained most its original architectural elements. Although it is not listed, it is important for us to preserve its historical value. Our architects prepared a project for its restoration and we were already granted all the necessary permits to begin the construction works. If all goes well, already this summer the cottage will be freed from the greenery and from the rubble, its damaged walls will be repaired and, like the castle, it will get a new roof. As the cottage will be used in the future as accommodation for the castle visitors, some structural elements will copy the style used in the castle - for example, its roof will also be made of natural slate. However, do not rush to book a room just yet, as utilities will only be connected in 1-2 years, together with the castle.

We have prepared answers to the 5 most frequent questions related to the Castle’s roof construction.

Will the roof be red as people remember it?
No, it will not be. When it comes to color as well as the roofing material, we are going back to the original, which was natural slate. It is dark gray and it was used on the roof by Count von Ballestrem who built the castle beginning of the 20th century.

When will the roof be finished?
Certainly not before this winter, after all, this is one of the most complicated roofs of all Slovak castles. Whether it will be completed in the spring or summer 2023 will depend on the upcoming autumn and winter weather conditions.

Who is building the roof?
The main supplier of the roof is the Moravian company Teslice, which specializes in historic roofs. They selected several subcontractors locally and also our structural engineer and roof supervisors are from Rajec and Žilina. Therefore Slovak and Moravian Czech languages can be heard on the building site at the moment. The slate for the roof will soon "arrive" from Spain, when a team from Orava experienced in working on slate roofs on French castles, will join them.

How much will the roof cost and who is financing it?
The original budget from two years ago assumed that the roof would cost just below one million EUR. However following the price inflation of the building materials as well as some additional building work that needed to take place before we can start working on the roof itself meant significant increase. The final price we will pay Teslice coming out of the public tender reached 1.4 million EUR. We finance the construction primarily from our own savings. The Slovak Ministry of Culture contributed 600‘000 EUR after our project was selected for the national cultural monuments restoration government grant.

There are some steel structures visible on the roof. Was also the original roof made of steel?
The original plans of the castle have not been preserved, nevertheless we know that there was no steel in the roof. However, the steel is not completely unnatural for the castle - the original steel beams can be found in several floors, which is not so surprising in the case of Kunerad Castle. Not only was the castle built before World War I, when steel was already used in construction, but Count von Ballestrem also owned mines and steel factories. The steel on the new roof will have limited use, only for the main supporting structures and will not be visible once the roof is finished. The rest of the roof, including 33 dormers and 5 turrets will be made of wood. Thanks to the use of steel in the main supporting structures the roof becomes lighter and, above all, simpler. The two-story roof space will be comfortably habitable, as it will not be intertwined with a large number of wooden beams.

When asked how we manage such a challenging project of saving the Castle on the top of our day jobs abroad, the answer is always the same. We only set goals for a year in advance and focus strictly only on those. In 2022 we planned for 6 activities and this is how we (mostly) succeeded

And what have we planned for 2023? More on that next time.

Exactly one year ago, the first wooden rafter to form the castle’s new roof was erected. To this day, I still remember the feeling of joy and relief that after two years of preparation the roof is becoming a reality. It was coupled with caution and concern as to whether it will all turn out well.

This is not our first roof blog. You could read about the history of this unique roof (probably the most complicated of all Slovak castles), as well as the decision to use the slate in one of our earlier posts. Shortly after we started the reconstruction, we published the most frequently asked questions where, for example, you could find out who builds the roof and how we finance it.

Since then, a lot has happened on the roof and we had a lot more decisions to make than we anticipated. On every inspection day, new questions, problems and ideas would come up. We felt particularly great responsibility when making the decisions that influence the appearance of the roof, because those will remain visible for future generations. Whether it was the choice of the exact shape and laying of the slate, the shape and size of 34 cooper decorations on the tops of the dormers and turrets, the copper ventilation, the colour and the shape of the cornice above the windows, the solution for fixing the lightning rod, or the location, material and shape of the snow barriers.

During this summer, we will publish three separate blogs dedicated to the three most challenging decisions. In the first of them, we will share the decisionmaking around using the glass on the tips of the three largest castle’s turrets. Next will be about the possibility of making the fifth floor (attic) inhabitable and questions about how to bring natural light there. And the third will be dedicated to chimneys - the original roof had 11 of then, only two have been preserved and today's heating systems don't require more. However in an effort to preserve the authentic appearance of the roof, we were looking for a way to return at leats some of the chimneys back the roof, find them a new function and not to extensively exceed the budget.

We plan to finish the roof in the fall. We don't have an exact date yet, because we solve for precision and quality over speed. And we can't influence the weather. However, we have two dates boldly marked on the calendar. December 31, by when the roof must be finished, so that we can keep the subsidy from the Ministry of Culture, which covers approximately 35% of the roof reconstruction costs. We would like to draw your attention to Sunday, October 1st, when we will open the castle to the public for one afternoon during the Days of Architecture event.

The elevator is not a typical element found in historical buildings. Kunerad Castle too didn’t have one, except for a small one between the basement and the ground floor, probably used already by at times of the Count von Ballestrem. However, for a five-story building that will serve as a hotel, an elevator is a must. Its careful integration into the historical building of the castle was not easy at all.

The first proposal was ready fairly quickly. The place right next to the reception seemed ideal and also on the upper floors it turned out to be an ideal placement. The project was prepared, approved and we planned to build the shaft during the winter of 2021/22, before the work on the roof begins.

During the summer of 2021, however, we began to have doubts as to whether the most efficient solution is also the right one. We realized that the elevator would pass through the former chapel, which was destroyed during post-war era and rebuilt into four rooms. As we increasingly felt the need to restore the chapel, the feeling that having the elevator shaft in its corner is not right became stronger every time we glanced into the chapel. The decision not to have the shaft in the chapel and to completely rethink the project was born at a time when the work on it should have been in full swing.

There were several possible solutions, but none of them would fit the architecture of the castle as easily as the "chapel" option. At end we figured out a way how to keep the elevator in the reception area and reach all floors. However, we had to give up two rooms on the upper floors. On the top floor, the shaft even "sticks out" of the roof. Fortunately it is in the dormer area, which, after a slight adjustment, hides it completely. Looking from the outside, no one will suspect that the elevator ends there.

The complete redesign of the project and the delay by several months cost us some effort and money. Also as a consequence the work on the shaft had to be coordinated with the work on the roof, which had started in the meantime. In the end, we are convinced that taking the time generated the best outcome and we will return the castle its chapel. We are looking forward to introducing it to you in one of the future posts.

After two years of non-stop work and a significant investment of effort and money, the castle's roof is finally complete. The result is even better than we could have imagined. We were considering taking a break to recharge our batteries. However, not even the last slate has been laid on the roof yet, we were already looking ahead and have some exciting plans in store:

First on the agenda is the restoration of the facade. We will begin with at least a portion of the facade, if not the entire thing. Together with the facade, we will install made to measure windows. Did you know that the castle has 148 of them in total? We have already selected the supplier and are in the process of finalizing the details and obtaining the necessary approvals.

While not visible to the naked eye, the utilities are a crucial component of the renovation project. Castle is surrounded by nature so we are committed to using ecological solutions and renewable energy sources, and are currently finalizing plans for an ecological waste water treatment system that includes retention and reuse of rainwater, as well as heat pumps for heat and hot water production. The timeline for implementation depends on the approval process.

The castle has its own drinking water well, which was built 40 years ago and we have been gradually repairing. We have conducted a pumping test, renewed the permit for drinking water, cleaned the reservoir, renewed the fencing of the well, removed overgrown greenery, replaced valves, revised hydrants, and conducted camera monitoring of the sewage system. This year, we will replace the pump and decide whether to replace the entire water line or just a part.

Finally, we will also be working on the park, either repairing one of the outbuildings or tending to the greenery itself.

We appreciate all your support and wish you a successful year.

The story of finding original inventory from Kunerad Castle began in February when Danka Labantová from Kunerad messaged us on Facebook. She was renovating a part of the house where her grandparents used to live, and she found an inscription on the back of the wooden crucifix on the wall: "From Kunerad Castle, 30 August 1944. Slovak Uprisig era." She would like to give it to us. She added some photos and her contact. A comparison with photos from the former chapel of Count von Ballestrem confirmed that she might indeed have a very rare find. At her home some days later, we learned that her family connection with the castle is way more than found crucifix.

Her grandfather worked as a forester for Count von Ballestrem, her grandmother was a cook there. She proved it with several photographs, including those of her grandfather with Count von Ballestrem on a hunting trip. She went on to tell how, when the grandparents got married, the countess gave them some furniture - a wardrobe, armchairs, a table and chairs - as well as china from the castle. She walked us through the attic where all of it was stored. The furniture is in a bad condition. A few weeks later, we could load those treasures in a van. They are awaiting a restoration and some research to prove, that they are authentically from the castle. As for the furniture we are almost certain. With the china the research is more difficult. We will be happy to share the results with you in the future.

Are these the only objects that remained from von Ballestrem era of the castle? Danka’s story gives us hope that perhaps there might be more out there. One gentleman called us earlier with a few pieces of cutlery and a wardrobe. And it is possible that we also managed to get hold of the rifle of Count von Ballestrem, or his gamekeeper. If your grandparents also managed to save something from the castle, please contact us on Facebook or by email

Lastly, we would like to express our gratitude, respect and admiration for Mrs. Labantová. Not only took she care of all these objects for years, but especially for donating them for free. These objects have a great value for us and the history of the castle. They will form part of an exposition that we are preparing for the castle, once it is fully restored. They will help restoring the original atmosphere the castle had under Count von Ballestrem. Danka Labantová and her family will always be welcome at the castle.