The fairytale castle of Nádasdladány evokes luxurious English noble homes

What exactly will we be discussing?

The location and historical background of Nádasdy Castle

The castle’s reconstruction and unique architectural style

The castle’s interior design and the history of the Nádasdy family

The castle’s fate after the war and its current status as a tourist attraction

Hungary is full of beautiful castles that are open to visitors. Built as homes and retreats for wealthy families over the centuries, they now function as museums. Since their construction, they have undergone numerous renovations, but most of them still bear Baroque or historicist features. However, there are exceptions that make us feel as if we have crossed the border and arrived in the rolling hills of the British countryside.

One such place is the Nádasdy Castle in Nádasdladány, located just 80 kilometres from Budapest and only 20 kilometers from Székesfehérvár, the former home of a noble family that owned land in the area as early as in the 14th century.

To learn about the history of the house, we have to go back three centuries, as it was built in the mid-18th century as an extension and conversion of a Baroque mansion. However, it owes its current appearance to the Nádasdy family, who purchased the partly marshy estate in 1851. The head of the family, Lipót (1802-1873), who was also the chief magistrate of Komárom County, did not yet have any plans for major renovations, but his son, Ferenc (1842-1907), who became famous as a hunter, had a completely different idea of what it meant to live in a real castle. He referred to the legend written by György Pray in his Annales regum Hungariae (1763-1770), according to which the Nádasdy family descended from British nobles who arrived in the Carpathian Basin during the reign of St. Stephen, therefore he had the house rebuilt in the Tudor style, which combines Gothic and Renaissance elements.

He commissioned well-known architects for the work, Nándor Hübner from Székesfehérvár and István Linzbauer from Budapest, who were important builders and designers in Hungary after the Compromise. By the end of the work, which lasted from 1873 to 1876, the façade had been completely transformed, and a new wing and tower had been added, which proclaimed the supposed British roots from afar.

The luxury continued even behind the walls, as heating was provided not only by stoves and fireplaces, but also by a boiler that used peat from the nearby marshlands. In fact, one of the first domestic telephone lines was also installed here in 1889.

Unlike the noble homes of the time, the designers moved the kitchen, which was accessible via underground rail tracks, to a separate garden building, allowing it to function completely independently of the castle, which also housed a hall of exceptional beauty, the Hall of Ancestors. This was the work of Alajos Hauszmann, who played a major role in the reconstruction of the Buda Castle. The salon, with its coffered ceiling and library, was furnished with noble wood paneling and ornate chandeliers, and its furnishings were provided by Endre Thék, the most sought-after carpenter of the turn of the century.

Despite all this, Ferenc Nádasdy’s joy at this architectural and artistic masterpiece was not unclouded, as his young wife, Ilona Zichy (1849-1873) – whose portraits can be seen in several rooms – died of cholera in the year the work began, at the age of just twenty-four.

The fate of the castle was almost sealed by World War II, as, like many other noble residences, it was looted by the Germans at the end of 1944, but some of its treasures survived the destruction wrought by soldiers and thieves. The situation was not resolved during the decades of socialism either, as it stood empty and unused on the edge of the village for more than a decade from 1982. The essential part of the castle was only recently completely restored, as part of the National Castle Program, the Hall of Ancestors, which had been partially destroyed by mold, was restored in three years of work by 2021, and some of the valuable books and paintings were even returned to where the members of the count’s family could once see them.

The 24 hectares of the former 60-acre estate remain to this day, and the castle is still open to visitors. Although only a few pieces of furniture from the original interior remain – two chairs and two cabinets – the wonderful library room, the paintings, the interior design details, and the exterior of the castle are all worth seeing. The complex is open every day except Monday, and the castle and park can be freely explored with a 3,900 forint ticket. (Visitors under the age of 26 and over the age of 62 receive a 50% discount.)

After the visit, we recommend stopping by the café, where you can relax for a while and imagine yourself in the shoes of the former residents. Those looking for a special experience can even buy a ticket to one of the Castle Crime Stories, taking part in an interactive detective game – just like the contestants of Traitors – Murder in the Castle, which was filmed within these walls over the past three years.

A walk in the park, which is home to Andalusian fir trees, oriental trees of life, and several exotic species, and exploring the castle will certainly whet your appetite, so it’s worth visiting the best places in the area: these include the cozy bEAT (Székesfehérvár, Vörösmarty tér 1.), the Taverna Restaurant and Guesthouse, which also offers the best wines of the Balaton Uplands, or the Sparhelt, which evokes rural romance.

Do you love exciting stories, time-traveling adventures, and secret places? Then you should explore the country on guided city walks! For example, through Imagine’s programs—they’ve been organizing city walks, exclusive building tours, food tours, and team-building events across the country for more than 15 years.