The Trenčín Museum in Trenčín welcomed 173,429 visitors to its branches in 2022. From the point of view of the total number of visitors, it is the second best result after 2019, when 2,036 more visitors visited the museum's branches.

Attendance reached record numbers

"The year 2022 was our second best year in terms of attendance, which we are very happy about. It is confirmed that quality services and a valuable cultural program, combined with appropriate entertainment and relaxation, are the right path that visitors seek and appreciate. We will continue to maintain this trend that we have set, not only in connection with the preparation for the European Capital of Culture, but with the overall strategy of the museum. At the same time, this season we invested significantly in the reconstruction of buildings, which again gives us room for further growth and development" , says the director of the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín Mgr. Peter Martinisko.

Two branches in Trenčín recorded the most significant increase in traffic. At the Kostnica facility (Karner St. Michael), the number of visitors increased more than twice (230%). In Kat's house, it is almost double (177%). Attendance was significantly influenced not only by the innovative exhibits, but also by the novelty that the museum prepared for visitors. After purchasing a ticket to Trenčín Castle, visitors could also visit these two branches as part of the joint entrance fee.

Traditionally, the most visited branch in 2022 was Trenčín Castle. A total of 145,553 visitors visited it, the strongest months being July (25,765 visitors) and August (31,466 visitors). For the second season, visitors had the unique opportunity to connect their visit to the castle directly with the Brezina forest park, from which they can come to the castle, or leave the castle area and continue with a visit to the forest park.

In the summer season, the most visitors were the Matúš castle festivities, which attracted more than 4,000 visitors during the August weekend. The same number of visitors was also attracted by the Krampus event, which took place in October and attracted the highest number of visitors in one day in history. At the end of the year, the castle again achieved a record number of visitors, thanks to the Exhibition of Fairytale Costumes, organized in cooperation with the Barrand film studios.

Renovations and investments in 2022

In order not only to preserve, but also to reconstruct and develop the historical monuments managed by the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín, reconstruction works with a total value of more than half a million € were carried out or started.

A significant reconstruction of the premises took place from January to August in the Podjavorin Museum in Nové Mesto nad Váhom. The exterior facade of the building was repaired, the interior spaces were completely painted, the boiler room was modernized and a new wooden walkway was installed. In September, the roof was renovated on the so-called famine, which is a monument of Trenčia Castle. As part of the reconstruction, the old wooden shingles were removed and disposed of, battens were replaced, new roofing was installed and it was painted with natural materials. The reconstruction project worth €48,000 was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic from the grant program Obnov si svoj dom.

In October, high-rise works were carried out on the roofs of the 5th gate, the summer tower, the cannon bastion, the mill, the chapel and also on the roof of Kostnice (St. Michael's Corner) at Trenčín Castle. The roofs of all these buildings underwent a complete reconstruction and replacement of wooden shingles in 2019-2020 with a total investment of more than €110,647. In order to preserve the longest possible lifespan of the wooden roof, it was necessary to treat them with linseed oil, thus treating more than 900 m2 of roofing. This investment worth €11,150 was paid from the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín's own resources.

At the end of the year, a large-scale replacement of the lightning conductors at Trenčín Castle began, which will continue into 2023. The investment worth €482,921 is necessary for the approval of the reconstructed castle buildings, which were started in the 1970s. This expensive investment is also financed by the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín from its own resources. During the whole year, the revitalization project of Draškovič manor took place, the completion of which is planned for the first half of 2024. The goal of the project is the complete restoration of the monument of Draškovič manor. It will serve not only as a place for the presentation of history (museum), but also as a place for providing tourism services at a high level.

A high-quality program that appealed to a wide range of visitors

The Trenčín Museum in Trenčín has traditionally prepared a rich and high-quality program and content for the general public in its branches. Also this year, the branches participated in the nationwide activity "Night of museums and galleries", which attracted more than 2,600 visitors.

In total, in 2022, the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín offered the public 28 events, 9 expert lectures in the County House and a completely new concept of lectures in the field "Walks through the New Town". They brought 3 separate thematic cycles, within which 9 expert lectures were held directly in the field, i.e. in the underground spaces of Nové Mesto nad Váhom, on the archaeological site and in the premises of sacred buildings.

The Podjavorin museum in Nové Mesto nad Váhom prepared a Retro exhibition of furniture and useful objects after the reconstruction of the premises. The premises of Kúrie Ambrovec, in addition to a stable exposition of the residential culture of noble residences, also offered pottery workshops and an interactive educational program for schools. Traditionally, most events took place at Trenčín Castle. The summer season was filled with historical fencing, archery, knight and dance performances, supplemented by interactive activities for visitors. As part of the summer program, there were also knightly fights on horses. Performances by falconers and feathered raptors were a daily part of the program during the summer season at the castle. This summer, Trenčín Castle became part of the family game "Swing Search", organized by KOCR Trenčín Region, in which a swing with a view of the region was placed in the area of Trenčín Castle. The autumn program was enriched by the free event "Crafts unite us", which took place in the renovated South Fortification. The event was organized as part of the joint cross-border project "TreBuChET - Trenčín, Bučovice, Protect European Traditions". A new addition to the program was the Wine Festival at the castle, which has the potential to become a traditional autumn event at the castle.

An exhibition of Slovak authors Jarmila Dicová Ondrejková and Nika Dic titled "Together in Life and Art" was held at Trenčín Castle. The exhibition was held on the occasion of their life anniversaries and presented the important chamber painting and illustration work of the artists.

The unique exhibition "Bride of the Past" installed in the castle's exhibition space presented Czechoslovak women's wedding fashion in the years 1940-1993. Through the private collection of the owner and curator of the exhibition, Juraj Fur Jr., it presented women's wedding dresses and costumes that were made up of Czechoslovak fashion salons, national enterprises, manufacturing and artistic cooperatives and private tailors.This exhibition collaboration between the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín and a private collection was realized with the financial support of the SPP Foundation.

The banner exhibition "Transformations of the Castle", authored by JUDr. Mgr. Tomáš Michalík, PhD., zooms in on the transformations of individual castle objects captured by the lens before and after the reconstruction.

Important events in 2022

In April 2022, exactly 400 years have passed since the Hungarian royal crown was brought to Trenčín. By commemorating this anniversary, the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín subscribed to the common history and Hungarian heritage, as a sign of which a replica of the Hungarian royal crown was exhibited at the Trenčín Castle.

In 2022, the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín celebrated the 145th anniversary of the founding of the Natural History Society of Trenčín County, the institution that was at the beginning of the museum's foundation. On this occasion, there was a celebration of the foundation of the association, which was attended by cultural and political personalities of the community, as well as former employees of the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín. In honor of the association's founder, Dr. Karol Brančík, an exhibition was installed from the collections of the Trenčín Museum, commemorating his life and work.

Plans for the 2023 season will bring both traditional events and attractive novelties

The Trenčín Museum in Trenčín is preparing an attractive and at the same time high-quality program for its visitors in the next season as well. A cycle of professional lectures, exhibitions and attractive events, including news, is prepared again. "The goal is to attract and satisfy demanding visitors, who will repeatedly return to the branches of the Trenčín Museum not only for the content part of the exhibitions, but will also like them as a place where they can spend their free time to the fullest. We will focus not only on families with children, who will certainly appreciate this season's novelty - the mini farm at the castle. Through modern technologies, we also have the ambition to attract young people, the so-called Generation Z, who perceive the world mainly through technology. Not only for them, a modern mobile application will be available at Trenčín Castle, which will bring history closer to them in the language of the 21st century. As part of the summer program at the castle, we also have attractive news prepared, which we are working on with partners from the regional cultural community, but which we will not reveal at this time. But the visitors definitely have something to look forward to," says Ing. Katarína Špačková, head of the marketing and communication department of the Trenčín Museum in Trenčín.

Source: Ing. Katarína Špačková, phone: +421 901 918 858, e-mail: katarina.spackova@muzeumtn.sk, Trenčín Museum in Trenčín

Photo: Marián Kališ