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Abandoned castles in Romania (pic heavy!)

Andy

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Between 1995 and 2016 I've visited Romania twelve times. I was almost in every area of this country - in Transylvania and Wallachia; traveled from the southern Danube in the Banat to the northern Maramures and Bukovina, and from the Hungarian border in the west to the Black Sea coast in the east...​

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During these trips, of course I also have explored various abandoned castles and manor houses. Even if I show a lot here, it's not all that I've visited there… ;)  But I just show a mix of well-preserved buildings up to ruins.​

Some of these buildings are no longer abandoned today (If I know, I'll write the current state in brackets.).​

Because of the large amount, I write only brief information about the places.​

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The photos are partly already older and / or taken without tripod, therefore the quality isn't always the best.​

Sometimes I only show exterior shots - because most of the Romanian castles are plundered and empty; some of them weren't accessible either.​

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In advance a short lesson in Romanian: :)

Castelul = castle​

Conacul / Vila = villa / mansion / manor house​

Palatul = palace​

Cetatea = castle (fortress)​

Herghelie = stud farm​

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1. Castelul Kornis (emptied and partly collapsed now)​

Built in 1573-1593, expanded in the 18th century, later used as a school, destroyed in World War II.​

The only Romanian castle with statues of unicorns that I know (there are two of them in front of it).​

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2. Castelul Brukenthal (in renovation)​

Built in 1750-1760, abandoned in 1940 due to a fire.​

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3. Castelul Banffy (in renovation)​

Built in the end of the 14th century, expanded in the 17th-18th century, destroyed in World War II.​

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4. Castelul Bornemissza

Built in 1848, later used as a hospital.​

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5. Castelul Bethlen

Built in 1667-1683, later used as school, kindergarten (nursery), prison and champagne cellar.​

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6. Vila Dobrescu (for sale or already sold)​

Built in the 18th-19th century, in the 1930s inhabited by a Romanian lawyer and mayor.​

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7. Castelul Haller (large parts are collapsed now)​

Built in 1610, expanded in 1704.​

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8. Cetatea Fagaras (renovated and converted into a museum)​

Built in 1310, conversion to a fortress in 1538, expanded in the 17th century, later used as military headquarters.​

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9. Palatul Cantacuzino (has been fenced due to danger of collapse)​

Built in 1911-1913, destroyed during earthquakes in 1940 and 1977.​

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10. Conacul Wass

Built in the 19th century, later used as a school.​

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11. Castelul Haller

Built and expanded in 1721-1771, abandoned after the extinction of the family.​

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12. Palatul Spa (demolished now)​

I don't know anything about its history.​

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13. Castelul Zsombory (sold)​

Built in 1892.​

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14. Casa Orthodoxa

The “Orthodox house” was part of a fortified church.​

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15. Castelul Tholdi (partly burnt down)​

Built in 1640, later used as orphanage.​

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16. Castelul Rakoczi-Banffy (re-inhabited)​

Built in 1664-1669.​

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17. Castelul Lonyai

Built in 1484, expanded in 1630 and about 1850, destroyed in World War II.​

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18. Castelul Teleky (in use as a barn and storage area)​

Built in the 18th century.​

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19. Castelul Teleky-Wesseleny

Built in the 18th century.​

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20. Castelul Pekry (in private use)​

Built in 1681, expanded in 1732, later used as kindergarten (nursery) and school.​

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21. Castelul Wass-Banffy (guarded)​

Built in 1439, expanded in the 16th century, later used as a school.​

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22. Castelul Konopi

Built in 1748, expanded about 1800, expropriated and nationalized in 1948, returned to the owner in 2007.​

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23. Castelul Karoly

Built in 1418, rebuilt in 1730, expanded in 1896, destroyed in World War II.​

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24. Castelul Karatsonyi

Built in 1793, later used as nursing home and orphanage, abandoned in 1989.​

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25. Castelul Wass (renovated and re-inhabited)​

Built in the 18th-19th century.​

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26. Ansamblul Castelului Mikes - Nemes - Beldy Pal (Three small castles and mansions side by side. Partly re-inhabited now, partly in use as a barn and storage area)​

Built in the 18th-19th century.​

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27. Castellul Wass-Banffy (partly in use again)​

Built as a royal summer residence in 1752-55, expanded 1809, later used as a school.​

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28. Castelul Bethlen (in renovation for a museum)​

The exact time of its construction is uncertain, but probably in the 16th century. After expropriation used as a storage for artificial fertilizer.​

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29. Castelul Bethlen-Teleky (in renovation, but it works very slowly)​

Built in 1625, partly destroyed by fire in 1849.​

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30. Castelul Apafi / Apaffy (renovated and converted into a museum)​

Built in 1552-1556, expanded in the 17th century, later used as a school, abandoned about 1990.​

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31. Vila a primului-ministru (in renovation)​

Built about 1940 as an apartment for the Prime Minister, later used for military and school, as well as a film set in 1985.​

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32. Herghelie Homorod

Built in 1820-1830, later expropriation, abandoned in 1989.​

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33. Vila Rosia Montana

I don't know anything about its history.​

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34. Cetatea Losonczy-Haller

Built in 1295, expanded in 1645-1652.​

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35. Conacul Buteni

I don't know anything about its history.​

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36. Conacul Kemeny

Built in the end of the 18th century, expanded in the 19th century, later expropriation and used as a company site and storage facility for fertilizers, abandoned about 1990.​

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37. Conacul Beldy (Should be sold - for over a million euros...! Of course there was no buyer. Most parts are collapsed now)​

Built in 1880.​

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38. Castelul Martinuzzi-Bethlen

Former monastery, conversion to a castle in 1545-1551, expanded in the 17th-18th century.​

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39. Cetatea Oradea

The oldest parts were built in the 11th century, expanded different times, later used for military purposes.​

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40. Castelul Kemeny (renovated and today in use as a cultural house)​

Built in 1805, later used as a school, abandoned in 2005.​

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41. Castelul Bay

Built in the end of the 19th century.​

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42. Castelul Teleky

Built about 1290, expanded in 1850-1859.​

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43. Castelul Bolyai (most parts are collapsed now)​

Built in in 15th-16th century, later used as a school, abandoned in the 1970s.​

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44. Vila Lugoj

I don't know anything about its history.​

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45. Vila Nopcsa

I don't know anything about its history.​

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46. Conacul General Berthelot (renovated in 2010 and now the seat of the Romanian Academy)​

Built in the end of the 19th century, later used as an agricultural warehouse.​

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47. Castelul Kornis- Bethlen

Built in 1545, expanded in 1650-1660. Later used as a school.​

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:comp

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Vief

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I really love this!! Thanks for showing.

 

Lenston

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Great set of images there Andy, hope all is well with you :)  

 

hamtagger

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Holy shit! That's an awesome collection you've got there, thanks for taking the time to put this together (y)  

:comp  

 

The_Raw

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Wow that's a bit special Andy, I want a castle with unicorns! No.44 is my favourite of all I think. You should make a book about Romanian castles  :p  

 

Sheavy

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Seriously sick collection! Beautiful pictures, yet always sad to see such historic structures in this state.

Also, what are those red tiled, up-right, rectangular boxes I see in Conacul Wass, Castelul Zsombory, Herghelie Homorod, and Castelul Kornis-Bethlen? I assume they have something to do with heat. Are they braziers?

 

Lavino

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Some very nice locations there Andy 

 

Andy

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Also, what are those red tiled, up-right, rectangular boxes I see in Conacul Wass, Castelul Zsombory, Herghelie Homorod, and Castelul Kornis-Bethlen? I assume they have something to do with heat. Are they braziers?


These are tiled stoves for heating.

Thanks everyone for your comments.  :)

 
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