The Liberec Region is looking for a use for the farm in Frýdlant, the school will not need it

Frýdlant – The Liberec Region is looking for a use for the Castle Estate in Frýdlant, which is currently used by the local Secondary School of Agriculture and Forestry. However, the school will not need it in two years, so it is necessary to find a new use for the valuable historical site. Experts have estimated the value of the dilapidated estate at 60 million crowns, but it needs an investment of hundreds of millions. The region does not want to sell the estate offhandedly, said Governor Martin Půta during today’s presentation in Frýdlant.

"The purpose of today’s meeting with regional and Frýdlant councilors and the mayors of the microregion is to discuss the possibilities of what could be in that estate in the future. We definitely do not want to dispose of the property, we do not want to sell it poorly, rather we are looking for a way where we could guarantee the future use of the property for the development of tourism here in Frýdlantsko," added the governor. According to him, the region plans to announce a public competition for the sale of the estate.

The agricultural courtyard from 1722 is located near the Frýdlant castle, about a third is used by the Secondary School of Agriculture and Forestry, another third by other tenants, and the remaining part is in poor condition and unused. The estate comprises four spacious buildings and a storage area. For it to serve the school and also police hippology, it would need a major reconstruction. Experts estimated the costs at over 480 million crowns. According to Půta, the high costs are the reason why the region has abandoned reconstruction and is preparing to build a new pavilion for the school for about 200 million crowns.

The company Lapid Czech Republic commissioned a study on the use of the estate, signed by the Liberec studio Mjölk architects. Lapid has been operating in the Czech Republic since 2006 and mainly engages in the implementation of modern residential projects utilizing historical buildings; for example, it is behind the reconstruction of the dilapidated farmhouse Kajetánka in Prague. "It will be a very costly investment, but we are ready for it," assured Jan Ramzer from Lapid at today’s presentation. According to him, the investment will exceed one billion crowns, but at this moment it is difficult to assess the condition of the buildings.

The study anticipates apartments, a hotel, and a hostel, catering operations, and a shop for regional products. There is currently a lack of accommodation and dining capacity in Frýdlant and the region. According to Jan Mach from Mjölk studio, the estate is a very valuable site with many preserved historical elements and unobstructed views of the unspoiled landscape and the nearby Frýdlant castle. Its location near the borders with Poland and Germany is a great opportunity, he believes. It can thus contribute to the development of Frýdlantsko and the whole region.

The Frýdlant Secondary School of Agriculture and Forestry offers two dozen fields of study, which about 800 students study. The planned new pavilion will allow the last fields still remaining in the nearby Hejnice to be relocated to Frýdlant. Director Miroslav Kudrna welcomes the plans for the new use of the castle courtyard. "I see it as an opportunity for practical teaching, for the professional practice of students in the chef - waiter fields; our gardeners can take care of the castle courtyard, another option is agritourism," he added.