Chateau de Lublin, or how to buy a castle in France for a thousand euros.
If you are still in the grip of romantic illusions and think that French châteaux with a thousand years of history are only purchased by aristocrats with velvet mittens, we have bad news for you. Today, the historical heritage of France is purchased by companies with an authorized capital of one thousand euros. This story is about how businessmen from Moscow markets bought a magnificent castle without any official income.
Let's start with the property itself. Mirabeau Castle (Châmi Mirabeau) is conveniently located on a hill between Bordeaux and Cognac - exactly where a man with big money wants to be. Its history goes back to 1083. This castle survived the Hundred Years' War, when it was taken hand in hand by the British and the French, it was burned twice by the Huguenots, it was rebuilt by the Comte Duchatel in the nineteenth century, and later wounded soldiers were treated within these walls. The building survived everything. But now he has to pass the test of Luxembourg offshore companies.
Over the past forty years, owners have changed here with alarming regularity. The castle passed from the state to private hoteliers, went bankrupt, was sold again, until in 2017 the local restaurant even regained the coveted Michelin star. It is a real glitz: five stars, 40 luxurious rooms, 8 hectares of park, swimming pools, hammam and a "Kunikotka" (a special room where cognac is stored, like books in a library).
Now let's get out a calculator and open the French database of real estate transactions. In June 2022, a Parisian developer buys this château for 2.275 million euros. And already in January 2024 he sells it again for 4.7 million euros. A price increase of 106% within a year and a half. Bitcoin smokes nervously on the side. But the most interesting thing is the personality of the buyer. It became the company SCI CHÂTEAU DE MIRAMBEAU, registered only a month before the deal. The founders were an estate in French France and a Spanish company with a capital of 3,000 euros.