Obří sud (Lázně Libverda)

Obří sud (Lázně Libverda) is a distinctive barrel-shaped excursion restaurant and dance hall located north of the village of Lázně Libverda in the Liberec District of the Czech Republic. Built entirely of wood, it stands 11.40 metres high, 14.15 metres long and 10.50 metres wide, with an interior volume of 10,000 hectolitres. The structure was commissioned by Stefan Hausmann from nearby Přebýtek, who was inspired by a similar barrel-shaped building that had stood on the summit of Javorník since 1899. The design was prepared by builder Anton Lux from Frýdlant, and construction permission was granted on 16 August 1930. Work began immediately with twelve carpenters, six bricklayers and three joiners, but rainy weather delayed completion. The restaurant opened on 1 February 1931 with a carnival celebration. Inside the barrel, there is a dance hall with a capacity of 160 seats, located on the ground floor and on a gallery, furnished with original furniture. In an adjacent building added later, there is a restaurant with 40 seats and a salon with 20 seats, as well as four guest rooms offering ten beds (three double rooms and one four-bed room). During summer months, outdoor terrace seating is available in front of the barrel entrance. The site also includes a parking area and a three-car garage. In the 1970s, the barrel underwent a complete reconstruction lasting four years, during which it was entirely dismantled and reassembled from new wooden parts. From 1974, when the Javorník barrel burned down, until 1 October 2011, when the rebuilt Javorník barrel reopened, the Libverda barrel was the only structure of its kind in the entire Czech Republic. In 1980, the Libverda barrel was featured in the London publication "Fantastic Architecture" alongside works by world architects such as Salvador Dalí and Antoni Gaudí. The restaurant offers views of the steep northern slopes of the Jizera Mountains. Nearby, at the northwestern side, is one of the starting points of the Singltrek pod Smrkem mountain bike trail. To the east is a stop on the "Vyhlídky nad Libverdou" circuit called "Vyhlídka Dobrého ducha MUHU," which includes an information board and a wooden carved statue of the good spirit Muhu, protector of the Jizera Mountains. Access is via a footpath from the south connecting to stairs from the colonnade in Lázně Libverda, or by a short paved access road from road III/29015. Parking is available for a fee at a private lot, with free parking behind the barrel to the north. Two stalls at the paid parking offer souvenirs and the local tourist stamp (number 359).

The construction of the restaurant was commissioned by Stefan Hausmann from nearby Přebýtek, inspired by a similar barrel-shaped building that had stood on the summit of Javorník since 1899. The project was designed by builder Anton Lux from Frýdlant. Building permission was issued by the district office in Frýdlant on 16 August 1930, and work began immediately with twelve carpenters, six bricklayers and three joiners. The building was to be completed that same year, but rainy weather delayed the opening. It finally opened on 1 February 1931 with a carnival celebration. In subsequent years, another building was added to the original barrel, containing a restaurant and guest rooms. In the 1970s, the barrel underwent a complete reconstruction lasting four years, during which workers dismantled the entire barrel and reassembled it from new wooden parts. The Javorník barrel burned down on 20 September 1974 during one of the frequent festive outings of the Skloexport company. From then until 1 October 2011, when the rebuilt Javorník barrel reopened, the Libverda Obří sud was the only such structure in the Czech Republic. In 1980, when a publication titled "Fantastic Architecture" was published in London, the Libverda Obří sud appeared among works by world architects such as Salvador Dalí and Antoni Gaudí.

• 2011

  Rebuilt Javorník barrel reopens on 1 October, ending Libverda barrel's status as the only one.

• 1980

  Featured in the London publication "Fantastic Architecture".

• 1974

  Javorník barrel burns down on 20 September; Libverda barrel becomes the only one in the Czech Republic.

• 1970

  Complete reconstruction begins, lasting four years.

• 1931

  Restaurant opens on 1 February with a carnival celebration.

• 1930

  Building permission granted on 16 August; construction begins.

Unique architectural landmark and excursion destination offering dining, dancing, and accommodation in the Jizera Mountains.

• Restaurant services

• Dance hall with 160 seats

• Tourist accommodation (10 beds)

• Souvenir and tourist stamp sales

1. 1Obří sud (Lázně Libverda) - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Obří sud (Lázně Libverda) - Czech Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org