New Ralsko castle owner revealed

The new owner of a 12th century castle in the village of Ralsko in northern Bohemia has been revealed as Czech businessman Milan Baier. 800 square metres around the site were recently put up for sale by the army and forest service, which hitherto administered the land. A controversial tender process ensued with an anonymous bidder emerging victorious, despite the efforts of Ralsko locals to acquire the site. In total five bidders vied for the site, with a minimum asking price of 120,000 crowns; Ralsko authorities were reportedly willing to offer 150,000 but were told that the winning bidder had offered substantially more. Milan Baier, a local from nearby Mimoň, was ultimately revealed as the new owner and has promised to keep the site accessible to the public and to consult with local citizens as repairs are carried out. But locals remain unhappy and are seeking to overturn the sale and have reportedly even appealed to Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra for help, arguing that such a historical site should remain in public hands.

Author: Dominik Jůn