Hungary’s mysterious pyramid in the Bakony Hills: A tragic love story and a Finnish miracle

You don’t have to travel all the way to Egypt to see a pyramid—just head to the picturesque village of Iszkaszentgyörgy, at the gateway to the Bakony Hills, to marvel at Hungary’s own pyramid, which has a fascinating history. Remarkably, like its ancient counterparts, this pyramid is even visible from space.

A tragic love story behind Hungary’s pyramid

Pyramids have been built by various civilisations throughout history, though their purpose has differed. While the Egyptian pyramids served as tombs for pharaohs, Mesoamerican cultures used their pyramids for religious ceremonies, occasionally involving human sacrifices.

The Hungarian pyramid in Iszkaszentgyörgy, however, has an entirely different origin. Its story reflects Hungary’s tumultuous 20th-century history.

The popular account suggests that the builder of this pyramid—clearly visible on Google Maps satellite imagery—was Siegfried Pappenheim. But the tale behind it is a sad one.

The pyramid was built in memory of Pappenheim’s nephew, who had fallen in love with a maid and wanted to marry her. His aristocratic family, however, vehemently rejected the match. Heartbroken and unable to find another way out, the young man took his own life.

A time capsule hidden inside

A passionate admirer of ancient Eastern culture, Siegfried Pappenheim constructed the pyramid in his nephew’s honour. However, its fate was far from secure. In the 1960s, the valuable building materials were scavenged by local residents, leaving nothing of the original structure, which had been built in the 1910s.

The pyramid was eventually reconstructed—this time by the VERGA Veszprém Forestry Company. Completed in 2014, the modern version stands on a concrete foundation and houses a time capsule containing newspapers and objects from 2014, according to Turistamagazin.

The Finnish businessman who rescued a castle

While visiting the area, it’s also worth exploring the partially restored Amadé-Bajzáth-Pappenheim Castle. The oldest parts of this historical building date back to the early 18th century, and its current design owes much to the Pappenheim family.

The family lived there until the end of World War II, even providing shelter to the Finnish embassy during the bombing of Budapest. After the war, however, despite their lack of collaboration with the Nazi occupiers, the family fled to Germany, and the castle was repurposed by the socialist regime in ways that led to its decline.

The once-grand interior was looted by locals, fine books were burned, or even used as toilet paper, Euronews reports. Over the years, the castle functioned as a workers’ dormitory, police station, shop, post office, pharmacy, school, and even a movie theater.

Surprisingly, its savior came not from Hungary, but from Finland. Businessman Ari Santeri Kupsus saw potential in the ruined estate and has since restored parts of it using his own money. In fact, he now spends every summer there.

Historic furnishings, a baroness, and a special sofa

Kupsus first learned about the castle in Finland, where he heard that it had once hosted the Finnish embassy. He was intrigued since, as he noted, Finland has no abandoned castles, so he jumped at the chance to save this one from total collapse.

He acquired antique furnishings and even managed to convince some villagers to return original items. One of the most touching recoveries was a Bible that had once belonged to the grandmother of Sybille von Manteuffel-Szoege, a 96-year-old baroness who now spends two weeks every summer in her childhood bedroom. Others returned chairs from the terrace, but much of the restoration involved items purchased at auctions—including a sofa set that once furnished Finland’s presidential palace. Notably, one of its chairs had even seated Princess Diana.

A castle with a Finnish resident

“I never intended to live here alone—what would I do with such an enormous building by myself? This place has over 30 rooms and covers about 2,000 square meters. My goal was to restore it for the public, and I enjoy showing people around,” Kupsus told Euronews.

The castle now hosts a variety of cultural events, from concerts to ballet performances. Every summer, it also provides accommodations for painters, supported by the Finnish philanthropist. Meanwhile, Baroness Sybille von Manteuffel-Szoege can still return to her childhood bedroom, which Kupsus has carefully refurnished in period style.

For more photos of the castle’s restored interior, visit Euronews.

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