Popular Prague’s embankment to undergo extensive renovation
The restoration of Prague’s Rašínovo nábřeží embankment along the Vltava River, originally meant to have started in the autumn last year, will begin in mid-April, the daily Mladá Fronta Dnes reported on Monday. The waterfront on the opposite side of the river in the district of Smíchov is also set to undergo renovation.
However, the riverside walkway has been lacking the necessary infrastructure to accommodate large crowds of people, such as benches, public toilets or waste containers.
Prague City Hall approved the changes to the embankment in February last year, but the renovation works were delayed due to administrative and technical reasons.
“We are still waiting for all the necessary building permits, but we expect to have them by mid-April, Prague mayor Adriana Krnáčová told the daily Mladá Fronta Dnes.
The revitalisation of Rašínovo nábřeží will mainly concern the renovation of 12 rooms set into the stone embankment walls, which have been closed to the general public. Some of them will be turned into public cafes and galleries featuring glass entrances, while others will be converted into public toilets.
The first phase of the renovation work will also include placing new benches and waste containers along the riverside walk and new infrastructure that will enable the facilities to operate.
The project, which should end by the autumn of this year at the latest, is expected to cost around 225 million crowns. According to Prague City Hall, the embankment will remain open during the renovation works and the farmers’ markets and festivals will not be interrupted.
The second phase of the waterfront renovation is planned for the years 2019 and 2020 and will include the construction of docks for boats, a floating spa as well as other facilities located directly on the Vltava River.
