Golf Course 3

Just 45 miles east of the city of Hamburg and a short hour’s drive from the German capital of Berlin to the west, you can find this wonderful Castle of your dreams that is for sale at a cool $4.1 million.

Built in 1822 by the famous Danish architect Joseph Christian Lillie for the wealthy Von Laffert family, Lehsen Castle was originally surrounded by more than a hundred hectares (about 250acres) of park-like garden complete with orangerie, mausoleum, forest and farmland. The last heir, Carl August von Laffert, sold the castle in the summer of 1899 to a farmer from D sseldorf, who owned the property until 1928. It was then bought by a businessman from the principality of

Liechtenstein who quickly discovered he could not afford the upkeep and once again the unlucky castle was passed to a new owner, an agricultural development company which settled 34 farmers on the grand estate. Five years later the company went into liquidation and the poor farmers ended up shouldering the massive debt. In 1935 the castle stood empty for the first time in its long history.

During World War II the castle served as a convalescent home for mothers and later on as a maternity hospital, before being handed to the state of the German Democratic Republic to house a children’s home. Sadly, lack of investment led to the castle’s demise and a plan to tear it down.

A last minute reprieve came in the form of the local municipal council which used the grand old mansion as offices and from 1970/90 the local people of the village of Lehsen struggled to raise money to keep their treasured castle from ruin. Alas, the castle was too big and the coffers too small and for nearly ten years the castle stood empty once again.

In 1999, a private investor fell in love with Lehsen castle and with seemingly limitless time and money, restored the property to its former high standard. By this time the original estate had been reduced to 14 hectares (about 33 acres) as much of the land had previously been sold to clear debts;

but the remaining park was beautifully re-established with baroque sculptures and a magnificent pond. Inside, the rooms have marble floors and crystal chandeliers and golden fittings in the luxurious bathrooms. In the ‘hunt room’ each massive hand-carved wooden chair has its own motif. A large wine cellar was renovated and modernized.

State of the art technology includes an all encompassing alarm system; there are five garages and a 150 metre driving range should you wish to improve your golf handicap.

If you become the proud owner of this modern fairytale your property also includes a beautiful landscaped park with big shady trees, a prestigious gate with an impressive driveway and a game park with deer that come up to

the terrace. Castle Lehsen actually looks more like a small version of The White House, seat of the US government, so here is an opportunity to preside over your own domain.

There is a stud farm two kilometers away and within 30 minutes in any direction there are golf courses, private airfields, tourist destinations and it is only a short distance from the Baltic Sea.

The owners have suggested that this could be successfully converted into an exclusive hotel. There is also an adjacent lot that is available if more land was needed for the new owner’s plans.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Real Estate