PHOTOS: Hungarian fairy tale castle opens in December

The astonishing castle of Tiszadob in the Great Hungarian Plains awaits its visitors with new exhibition rooms and an entirely renewed park from 8 December.

According to turizmus.com, the Andrássy Castle of Tiszadob (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County) is one of Hungary’s most outstanding castles. Gyula Andrássy ereceted the French Gothic-style building between 1886 and 1890 following the plans of Ignác Alpár. Count Andrássy was an active participiant in the Hungarian Revolution and freedom fight against the Habsburg dynasty between 1848 and 1849. After the defeat, he left Hungary, but the Habsburg authorities symbolically (in effigie) hanged him.

Less than two decades followed, and he became the first Hungarian prime minister following the 1867 compromise between Hungary and the Habsburgs. Then, he served as the first Hungarian foreign minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. According to gossip, he was more than friends with the emperor’s wife, Elisabeth, Sissy and built the castle in Tiszadob for her.

Before, it housed works of art: Baroque-style paintings on the walls from Italy and the Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium) and modern French artwork with Hungarian contemporary paintings. The fairy tale castle is in an astonishing environment. Furthermore, Count Andrássy created an English park around the building, which was finished by his son, the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s last foreign minister, Gyula Andrássy Jr.

The castle has 365 windows, 52 rooms, 12 spires and 4 entrances following the number of days, weeks, months and seasons in a year.

The castle is easy to reach from Budapest

The building’s renovation was carried out in the framework of the National Castle and Fortress Program. The financial support (HUF 1.5 billion, almost EUR 4 million) was provided by the European Union.

It will open its gates on 8 December for the public and you will not only be able to visit the interior but also the English park.

There is a permanent exhibition presenting the story of the Andrássy family, the castle’s collection and history. The first floor hosts weapons, furniture, paintings and photos of the Andrássy family. On the second floor, there are seven exhibitions. Of course, you can find a gift shop and a museum shop in the building.

Tiszadob is easy to reach from Budapest via motorway M3. The distance is a bit more than 200 km, while the travel time is around 2 hours, but the experience is priceless. Furthermore, a section of the River Tisza is close to the castle. Interestingly, that is where the river regulations in Hungary started following the initiative of Count István Széchenyi, the ‘greatest Hungarian’.

After WWII, the castle became a children’s home. Now, it aims to become the tourism centre of the region.

Read also:

• The most beautiful castles in Hungary – Read more HERE
• Buda Castle voted one of the most beautiful castles in Europe! – Details in THIS article

Autumn castle:

Here you may find a lot of photos of the castle: