RIGA, Sept 27 (LETA) - The Saeima education, culture and science committee lawmakers today supported for the first reading a bill that hands over Lielstraupe Castle and other properties used by the Health Ministry for the needs of Straupe Narcological Hospital.

The goal of the bill is to ensure preservation and protection of Lielstraupe Castle as the national culture monument, and keep it open for public use.

Cesis regional council chairman Janis Rozenbergs (New Unity) explained at the meeting that a special bills was necessary as the state may hand over to the municipality a property if at least 80 percent of this property will be used for the needs of municipality and 20 percent may be used by businesses. Cesis municipality do not need the premises for municipal institutions, but it is ready to open a museum, tourism information center in at least half of the premises, while the rest would be rented to development of stores, hospitality services, film making.

He also called on the Saeima to adopt the bill by the end of the year so that the local government may plan financing for repairs.

As reported, the state plans to hand over Lielstraupe Castle with a land plot of 1.87 hectares and seven other buildings to the Cesis municipality.

Lielstraupe Castle belongs to the state and until 2018 it housed Straupe Narcological Hospital. The premises are not appropriate for provision of medical services, therefore the hospital since 2019 has been moved to Strenci Psychoneurological Hospital. 

Lielstraupe castle was built in 1263 as a residence of Archbishopric of Riga.  It is one of the rare medieval castles in Latvia, which has been preserved until today, undergoing different reconstructions, and it is the only castle , which includes a church in the construction of the building.