Prague Castle model taking shape in prison workshop

Inmates at a prison workshop in Horní Slavkov are creating a scale model of Prague Castle, which will take two years of painstaking work.

At about 22 meters long and 15 meters wide, the 1:25 scale replica will be the largest model ever crafted at the prison’s workshop, which has operated for over a decade making detailed miniature structures, according to volunteer Radek Jirsa.

The project focuses on recreating St. Vitus Cathedral, the landmark chapel within the Prague Castle complex. The nearly 4-meter-tall replica cathedral tower is already taking shape. However, Jirsa notes the full cathedral will be more complicated than their previous model of the similar St. Barbara Cathedral in Kutná Hora.

"The overall object is not that complicated, it’s the details that are the worst,” said one inmate, who has spent six years at the workshop completing over two dozen models. He is currently working on recreating the cathedral’s intricately designed roof and coverings.

When finished, the model will have an internal iron framework with plastic, plexiglass, and cast resins to reproduce the buildings’ linings, roofs, windows, and other features. The completed replica will then be transported to the Boheminium Park in the spa town of Mariánské Lázně, where a painter will add further realistic touches.

The park will display it prominently alongside other Prague landmark models from the workshop, including Powder Tower, the Břevnov Monastery, and Vyšehrad, which the inmates from Horní Slavkov also helped to create.

The miniature Prague Castle project underscores the commitment to precision and historical accuracy within the prison's modeling program, providing inmates with job skills while preserving Czech architectural heritage.