The Czech Republic's Tallest Towers Are Up for Sale — and Face Demolition Without Urgent Repairs

Czech Radiocommunications (CRA) has put the Liblice B radio masts up for sale near the town of Český Brod — two 355-metre guyed towers built in 1976, among the tallest structures of their kind in Europe. The towers lost their original purpose after medium-wave broadcasting was phased out, and their future now hangs in the balance: whoever buys them will need to invest at least 170 million koruna in urgent repairs, or risk seeing the towers torn down.

CRA has not set a fixed asking price, saying the final sum will be worked out through negotiations with potential buyers. But the company has already made clear that without major investment, the towers cannot be saved. The biggest concern is the guy-wire system — experts estimate the current supporting cables will only hold until the end of 2026, and replacing them alone would cost around 120 million koruna. On top of that come the costs of anti-corrosion treatment and a full overhaul of the lifts running inside the towers.

Whoever takes ownership will also be responsible for keeping the aviation warning lights and other safety systems running, since the towers pose a significant hazard to aircraft. According to CRA, a detailed inspection could well uncover further hidden defects. Even demolition wouldn't come cheap: it would require extensive planning, environmental measures, waste removal, and special precautions given the towers' size and location.

The Liblice towers were originally part of a nationwide medium-wave broadcasting network, but their importance declined with the shift to digital broadcasting. Transmissions from the site stopped in 2021, and the structures have essentially stood idle ever since.

Local residents oppose demolition, viewing the towers as a recognisable landmark of the region. The civic association Spolek přátel obce Liblice has proposed several alternative uses — opening the towers to tourists, or handing them over to rescue services or the military. Lifts inside the masts run all the way to the top, which in theory could allow visitor access if the safety systems were modernised. But such a transformation would require substantial investment along with the agreement of the owner, authorities, and any prospective operators.

This isn't the first time the Liblice B towers have faced the threat of demolition: their smaller, 150-metre neighbours at the Liblice A site were torn down back in 2004, while a 270-metre radio tower in Topolná in eastern Czechia was dismantled in 2022. The fate of the country's tallest structures remains uncertain for now — a new owner could preserve them and find them a new purpose, or they could become the next chapter of Czech engineering history to be demolished.

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Source: expats.cz