Bulgaria spends £80million of European taxpayers’ cash on making ancient castles look like ‘cheese and cardboard’ in bungled restoration
- The Balkan nation has spent £80million of the EU’s Regional Development Fund
- Instead of returning to former glory, construction work has made a mockery
- Local government near the Krakra fortress have vowed to undo shoddy work
The Bulgarian government has spent tens of millions of EU money on botched restoration job on medieval castles.
The Balkan nation has spent £80million of the EU’s Regional Development Fund to fix ancient castles and fortresses, but instead of returning them to their former glory, construction work has left them as laughing stocks.
The expensive reconstruction work has left the relics looking like they are made of ‘cheese and cardboard’ and this has turned tourists off the site.
The Roman fort of Trayanovi Vrata near Ihtiman among others have drawn the ire of conservationists
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The medieval for of Krakra in Pernik, western Bulgaria and the Roman fort of Trayanovi Vrata near Ihtiman among others have drawn the ire of conservationists after they were rebuilt with polymer concrete, often used to make pavements.
The Telegraph reported that both the EU and the government have privately admitted that lessons should be learnt from the debacle, according to a report.
‘It’s weeping – a weeping fortress,’ Stella Duleva, a conservation architect, said of the Trayanovi Vrata. ‘It had survived 16 centuries, and now it’s ruined.’
Before the restoration works: Ruins of the medieval Bulgarian fortress Krakra at Pernik
Such was the backlash of the restoration of the Krakra fort in Pernik that local authorities have said they will dismantle the additions in 2019.
The Pernik fortress has been dubbed ‘cardbaord castle’ because of shoddy moderations.
The Byzantine fort of Yailata has been dubbed ‘cheese fortress’ after it was rebuilt with smooth white blocks that clash with its weather-worn facade.
The strange debacle comes as the European Union faces fresh scrutiny as to how its development funds are spent.
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