Ústecký kraj is negotiating the rental of Mount Říp

Ústí n.L. - The Ústí region is considering leasing 70 hectares of land that cover Mount Říp. The governor of the Ústí region, Jana Vaňhová (ČSSD), has already met with representatives of the Lobkowicz family, who own the land. Radek Vonka (ODS), a councilor involved in the negotiations, confirmed this to ČTK today. The region wants to use the site to boost tourism.
    According to Vonka, it is currently not possible to say in what legal form and whether the land on Říp might also be purchased.
    According to today’s Hospodářské noviny, there is also a variant for leasing the mountain for a symbolic one koruna per year.
    Vonka pointed out that in the case of selling the land, the state would have a right of first refusal because it is a national cultural monument. If the region obtains the mountain, it would open the door to European subsidies. The region plans to mark new cycling routes, hiking trails around the mountain, and install new informational boards. The viewpoints, which are overgrown with bushes, are also to be restored, the newspaper writes.
    Vonka said that currently there are inadequate toilets at the top of the mountain, and the path to the summit is also poor. He added that the region has prepared a marketing plan aimed at Czech tourists, which would promote not only Říp but also other historical sites in the region related to Czech statehood, such as the memorial to Přemysl Oráč in Stadice in the Ústí region and Peruc in Louny, where, according to romantic legend, Prince Oldřich and Božena met.
    Josef Tachecí, the mayor of Krabčice, from where the path to the summit of Říp leads, told ČTK that he welcomes any efforts by the region to make Říp more attractive. This year, with the help of the region, the municipality opened a parking lot and sanitary facilities at the foot of Říp. According to Tachecí, more tourists would mean a revival for the municipality. He added that currently tourists can have a good meal there, but there are no accommodation options, which could change if the project is successful.
    The spokesperson for the Association of Czech Travel Agencies and Agencies, Tomio Okamura, claims that Říp has great potential to attract Czech tourists, which is currently unused. He believes that the region would have to offer more than just repaired paths and new signage if it wanted to maintain interest year-round. He suggests that it would be suitable to build, for example, a lookout tower and attractions for children on Říp, so that the mountain could focus on family tourism. A restaurant at the top of the hill would be fitting to offer traditional Czech gastronomic specialties at an acceptable price. He claims he would not be opposed to the idea of building an environmentally friendly hotel with wellness services on the hill. Similarly, important sites are successfully utilized in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
    In recent years, Říp has also become popular with the ČSSD, which now leads the Ústí region. They hold meetings there, and before the 2006 elections, they even invited former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to the site.
    The Lobkowicz family acquired the land on Říp during the restitution along with the rest of their ancestral estate. William Lobkowicz, with whom the region is negotiating about Říp, was born in 1962 in Boston. He comes from the Roudnice branch of the family. For this branch, properties such as the castle in Nelahozeves and in Roudnice nad Labem have been returned. In 2003, representatives of the Roudnice branch were also given the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague’s Hradčany, HN reported.