The Štiřín Castle has not been sold even on the seventh attempt

Kamensice - The Central Bohemian Castle Štiřín could not be sold by the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) even on its seventh attempt. No one registered for the electronic auction with a starting price of 884.34 million crowns this time either, as stated on the auction website. The property office has been trying to sell the castle, which was previously used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since last September.

ÚZSVM took over the Štiřín castle in June 2023. When no state institution expressed interest in it, they offered it for sale. The first attempt took place last September, with a starting price of 3.3 billion crowns. In subsequent auction rounds, ÚZSVM gradually lowered the price and also removed part of the land in the castle park area from the sale offer. Despite repeated price reductions, no interested parties ever registered for the announced auctions.

The Štiřín castle, located about 25 kilometers from Prague, previously served as a hotel with a restaurant, wellness center, and golf course. Originally, Štiřín was managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced that it did not need the complex and transferred it to the property office in June two years ago. At the time of the transfer, the area was closed, according to the office. Last year, the office announced that no other state institution expressed interest in the castle, and therefore it would initiate the sale to private interested parties.

The Štiřín castle was built in the mid-18th century. It took on its current appearance around 1900 after modifications according to the design of architect Jiří Stibral. The state acquired the Štiřín castle after World War II as a confiscation; it had been owned for decades by the Ringhoffer family. After the war, it was briefly used by scouts as well. From 1985 to 1993, modifications were made to the castle to enable its use as a hotel.

Real estate auctions with high starting prices organized by ÚZSVM recently have typically ended unsuccessfully. In addition to the Štiřín castle, attempts to sell, for example, the Prague Veleslavín castle or the Prague Broadway Palace also repeatedly failed. Conversely, the March auction of the Prague house U Hybernů was a success; it was sold for 447 million crowns, becoming the second most profitable sale in ÚZSVM history. The highest amount to date, 790 million crowns, was gained by the state from the sale of the area at Republic Square in Prague. Currently, the property office is offering around sixty buildings for sale.