Saturday, 15 March 2025
The Štiřín Castle in Central Bohemia has once again failed to attract a buyer, marking the fifth unsuccessful attempt to sell the historic estate. No bidders registered for the latest electronic auction, which had a starting price of 1.156 billion crowns, according to information published on the auction website.
The Office for the Representation of the State in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) confirmed the lack of interest and announced that it will now assess the next steps regarding the management of the property. The state office initially put the castle up for sale last September with an asking price of 3.3 billion crowns. Since then, it has gradually lowered the price and removed some parcels from the castle park from the offering.
Despite the price reductions, the property has not found a buyer. At a parliamentary control committee meeting in early February, ÚZSVM director Kateřina Arajmu reiterated that the office would not sell the property below its appraised value. On the same occasion, the committee recommended that the office begin discussions with the municipality of Kamenice, which has expressed interest in acquiring certain plots from the estate. The municipality hopes to obtain land along a road managed by the Central Bohemian Region to build a sidewalk, as well as the former hostel building and an old civil protection shelter to establish an additional kindergarten.
Located about 25 kilometers from Prague, Štiřín Castle previously functioned as a hotel with a restaurant, wellness center, and golf course. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs originally managed the property but transferred it to the state property office in June last year, having deemed it no longer necessary for its operations. At the time of the transfer, the site was already closed. This year, the property office confirmed that no other state institution had expressed interest in acquiring the castle, prompting the decision to offer it for private sale.
Štiřín Castle was constructed in the mid-18th century and underwent significant renovations around 1900, based on the designs of architect Jiří Stibral. The estate became state property after World War II when it was confiscated. Previously, it had been owned by the Ringhoffer family for decades. After the war, the castle was briefly used by scouts before undergoing a major restoration between 1985 and 1993 to be repurposed as a hotel.
The unsuccessful sale of Štiřín Castle is not an isolated case. Other state-owned properties have also struggled to find buyers. This year, auctions for the Veleslavín Chateau and the Broadway Palace in Prague ended without success. However, in mid-January, the auction of the Hanácká Barracks in Olomouc concluded successfully. After ten attempts, the property was sold to the Brno-based company Salibary for 91 million crowns.
Source: CTK
Photo: Štiřín Castle
