D Monday, January 25, 2010 News Country pile: Almasy Castle dates from 1725 and covers 13,000sq m (140,000sq ft). The good news: Its vacant possession. The bad news: It needs 1m-worth of work Pictures: Demotix Images All yours for just 0.3c GOT some change in your pocket? Want to buy a castle steeped in Oscar- winning glory? Well, now you can and it wont cost you a cent. To be precise, it will cost you one third of a cent. Remarkably, this castle is up for sale for just one Hungarian forint. Klara Perjesi, the mayor of the Hun- garian city of Gyula, about 200km from Budapest, is selling the build- ing. But, as always, there is a catch. The cheap sale of the Almasy Castle is a clever ploy to bring in an investor to redevelop the building, which is lo- cated in a tourism complex near a popular Hungarian spa. In the Oscar-winning film The Eng- lish Patient, based on Michael Ond- aatjes novel, Ralph Fiennes played real-life Hungarian aristocrat Count Laszlo Almasy. The castle was once owned by Almasys family. Mayor Perjesi wants the buyer to commit to about 1million-worth of renovations to the delapidated build- ings. The city will only sell the castle if the renovation costs are guaranteed by the buyer. The castle was built in 1725 and re- constructed after it was burnt down in 1801. It covers 13,000sq m and has lain empty for a decade. The region, known for its sausage festivals, is close to the border with Romania and offers a direct train to Transylvania. By Ross McGuinness But youll still need to be a millionaire Grand: Buildings needs attention Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html