Breathtaking PHOTOS: Hungary’s fairytale aristocratic castles

Hungary boasts a rich history and a wealth of cultural and architectural treasures. Its breathtaking aristocratic castles are some examples. Here are some of the most beautiful noble castles that you can even visit!

Hungary’s most beautiful aristocratic castles

Travelo has put together a selection of grand mansions that are well worth a visit.

BOTANIQ Castle of Tura

The BOTANIQ Castle of Tura. Photo: botaniqkastely.hu

In Tura, Pest county, stands a late 19th-century French neo-Renaissance chateau with slender towers similar to those of the Loire region of France. According to Travelo, the building was not only unique in appearance, but was built using the most modern technologies: electricity, central heating, and insulation.

Until renovation work began in 2005, the aristocratic castle building was completely neglected and is now a privately owned 5-star wellness castle hotel. For those not staying in the hotel, the castle park is open to the public, with restaurant meals available.

Festetics Castle

Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Béla Balla

With 101 rooms, this enchanting Baroque-style aristocratic castle would be right at home in a Disney fairytale! The castle, which was continuously built and expanded from the middle of the 18th century, was owned by the Festetics family for 200 years. The palm house and the former carriage house, which houses the carriage exhibition, are located in the castle park, while the new building housing the hunting exhibition and the historic model railway exhibition is opposite the rear exit of the park.

Esterházy Castle

Photo: facebook.com/fertod.esterhazykastely

In Fertőd, near the Austrian border, stands the complex of buildings of the Esterházy Castle, built between 1720 and 1766. The impressive residence took on its present form in the second half of the 18th century, based on the ideas of Miklós Esterházy. Joseph Haydn spent half of his active creative life in the castle, and classical music concerts are regularly held within its imposing walls to commemorate his stay. The Baroque-style castle and its stunning park are visited by up to 60,000 tourists from all over the world every year.

Károlyi Castle

The Károlyi Castle. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/fm2

In Fehérvárcsurgó, Fejér County, you will find the neoclassical, eclectic and baroque castle built in 1855, designed by the architects Henrich Koch and Miklós Ybl on the commission of György Károlyi. Shortly after the Second World War, no one bothered to preserve the complex and it became uninhabitable in 1979.

However, the castle was renovated in the late 1990s. The beautifully restored castle and its 40 hectares of parkland are open to the public on a guided tour, and its 23 rooms are now a hotel.

Which of these breathtaking aristocratic castles caught your attention the most? Have you ever been to any of them? Let us know in the comments!

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