Geneva worried by Kazakh plans to renovate Swiss castle

The château has a park sloping down to Lake Geneva and a splendid view of the Jura mountains. Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi

A Kazakh heiress wants to renovate a Swiss castle by Lake Geneva before she moves into it. But Geneva heritage preservation authorities are worried.

Dinara Kulibayeva, daughter of former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, plans major work on Chateau Bellerive, which she bought for CHF106 million ($115 million), a record sum in the canton, reports Swiss national broadcaster RTS. Geneva authorities are worried and are about to launch a procedure to classify it and give the historic building more protection.

The 17^th century château, with its splendid view of the Jura mountains and park sloping down to the lake, is one of the jewels in Geneva’s architectural crown, says the RTS report. It needs renovation, but the new owner’s plans also include an indoor swimming pool, an underground car park and cutting down some 30 trees.

Kulibayeva, who is also the wife of oil magnate Timur Kulibayev, already owns a huge property a few kilometres away. She plans to sell it and move to the château but wants to make sure everything is to her taste first.

This is not the first time that concerns have been raised about luxury properties bought at spiralling prices by rich Geneva residents from central Asia and Russia.