Novohradska Forge
In the center of Nove Hrady,on the short road between the town square and the Old Castle, you can find the historic cultural memory "The Novohradska Forge", recently restored by the Town of Nove Hrady.
In 2002, I was offered the option to lease the forge.Together with the Rozmberk Society -who now holds the lease- we made this forge into something like a museum-workshop open to public.
We use the historic workshop and living quarters as a historic blacksmith workshop focussed on local traditional crafts and products.
The old stable and the barn hold exhibitions on the traditions of blacksmithing, coal mining, and other local traditions, displaying original maps and locally made tools and utensils.
The interior of the living quarters is restored in its 19th century glory and is used for special events and as information and education center on traditional crafts and products.
Together with the Society, we organized numerous public actions and projects for preserving traditional crafts and old folk traditions. The Easter, Mikulaus, and Christmas events have become a small tradition in their own by now.
Because the historic blacksmith workshop is too small for forging large pieces and is located in a urban area, I purchased an old machine workshop in the nearby forests.
Here he and his assistants work on the larger objects. Althouh a modern shed, this second workshop is also fully equiped with mainly old machinery including three large early-model electric power hammers, each too big to fit in the Novohradska Forge itself (which has an equally old smaller version).