Liberec Region receives subsidy for the demolition of the last 37 buildings in Ralsko

The Liberec Region has received a subsidy for the demolition of the last 37 dilapidated and unused buildings in the former military area of Ralsko. The cost is estimated at 38.9 million crowns, while the State Fund for Investment Support should provide 31.2 million crowns, which is 80 percent of the estimated cost. However, according to the experience of previous years, the price can be expected to go down significantly in the competition, said Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region) today.

The 250-square-kilometre Ralsko area was used by the Soviet army until the early 1990s. However, it was already used for military purposes in the first half of the last century. The German, Czechoslovak and Soviet armies took turns there between 1938 and 1991. The area is one of the country's most congested sites after the Soviet troops' stay, and the rehabilitation of the area cost over half a billion crowns. In 2007, the Liberec Region took over from the state a part of the area with about 170 buildings, a large part of which it has already demolished.

Since 2011, the region has had 65 objects removed from the military area, costing CZK 55 million. For example, the unfinished cultural house, the general staff, two boiler rooms and other associated buildings, as well as warehouses, dormitories, canteens and fire tanks have been demolished. Only ruins are left in the area, which the region is gradually removing, leaving the sites to be sown with grass or planted with pine, which is a native tree in the area. The final demolition and rehabilitation work there should be completed by the end of next year.

"Thanks to the demolition of unsuitable buildings, the former Ralsko military area is gradually becoming a pleasant place to live. The aim of the demolition work is to make Ralsko a clean and safe place that could be used for recreational purposes in the years to come, for example. By 2025, 37 buildings in Hradčany nad Ploučnicí and Svébořice will be demolished. In particular, the remaining smaller buildings will be demolished and the area will be completely cleared of all encumbrances," added Deputy Governor Jan Sviták (Mayors for the Liberec Region).

The area of Ralsko has great tourist potential - untouched nature with many natural monuments. The area also has a rich history. The central part of Kuřívoda was founded by Přemysl Otakar II as a royal town on the territory of the Bezděz manor. However, the settlement there was already in the younger Stone Age. The Ralsko Geopark was created in the area, which also includes the cadastres of Doksy and Hamr na Jezeře. The region also owns the area of the former military airport Hradčany, where it would like to build a solar power plant with a capacity of nearly 104 megawatts in the future.

Source: Liberecký kraj and CTK
Photo: Liberecký kraj