Ninth attempt to sell Štiřín Castle begins with a starting price of CZK 720 million

The Office for State Representation in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) is launching its ninth electronic auction of the Štiřín Castle complex today at noon. The starting price is set at CZK 720 million, less than a quarter of the initial CZK 3.3 billion reserve price used in the first auction attempt in November 2024. If sold, it would be among the highest-value transactions recorded by the office.

The auction will run for 24 hours. A minimum bid at the starting price is required to validate the sale, and subsequent increases must be at least CZK 50,000.

ÚZSVM assumed ownership of the property in June 2023 after it was transferred from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which determined it no longer needed the premises. The property was first offered to other state bodies, but no institution expressed interest. The castle’s furnishings were later transferred to the National Heritage Institute, and the grounds were prepared for public auction.

Over the course of repeated auction rounds, the office gradually reduced the price and removed certain plots from the sale, including parts of the park now managed by Czech Forests and land designated by the municipality of Kamenice for sidewalk construction. Despite price adjustments, no bidders participated in the first seven auctions. In the eighth round, one party submitted the required deposit but placed no bids.

Štiřín Castle dates to the 18th century and previously operated as a hotel with a restaurant, wellness facilities and a golf course. The property was shaped by early 20th-century modifications designed by architect Jiří Stibral and by renovations carried out between 1985 and 1993. It belonged to the Ringhoffer family for decades before being nationalized after World War II.

If sold, Štiřín could become one of the most lucrative transactions in ÚZSVM’s history. The current record is the October auction of Prague’s Broadway Palace, which reached CZK 848 million, pending a matching right by the tenant. Before that, the highest sale was the 2015 disposal of the former monastery complex at Prague’s Republic Square for CZK 790 million.

Source: CTK