Beautifully renovated Transylvanian castle opens doors to visitors: guess who it belonged to?

Starting in September, visitors will be able to tour the Nopcsa Castle in Szacsal, southern Transylvania, following a complete restoration in recent years. Owned by the Hunedoara County Council, the historic building is managed by the museum in Deva, which aims to promote its cultural and historical value to a wider audience by integrating it into the region’s tourism and cultural landscape.

A gorgeous castle

According to Turizmus.com, the castle’s entrance hall will host a temporary exhibition detailing the history of the Nopcsa family and its residents. The exhibit will open to the public at noon on 1 September and marks the first official event in the restored building, which is expected to host more cultural and educational programs in the future.

As Magyar Építők reports, the renovation of Nopcsa Castle in Szacsal was completed in June 2024 as part of an RON 11.5 million (EUR 2.3 million) investment. The historicist-style residence was originally built in the 19th century by Elek Nopcsa, a Transylvanian court chancellor, and was later inherited by his grandson, Ferenc Nopcsa, perhaps the most famous member of the family.

Nopcsa Ferenc: Palaeontologist and self-proclaimed heir to the Albanian throne

Ferenc Nopcsa was not merely a resident of the castle but also a remarkable figure in both science and politics. As a palaeontologist, he documented the first dinosaur fossil discovered in Hungary, the Magyarosaurus, and developed the concept of insular dwarfism. He was also a geologist, academic, writer, adventurer, and spy. Before World War I, he even attempted to claim the throne of Albania.