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You are here because you want to read articles about the places you can visit while you're traveling to and through Romania. Enjoy your stay and have a look through our articles about the Romanian culture, history and tourist attractions.
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- Dragomirna Monastery – Fortified SpiritualityThe Wooden Churches from Maramures – Orthodox GothicThe Trovants – Living StonesMarasesti Mausoleum – Honoring The SacrificeAgapia Monastery – Nature, Spirituality, ArtMysteries And Symbols In Romanian SculpturesSarmizegetusa Regia – The Heart of the Dacian KingdomTwo Sisters from Cluj-NapocaCraiova’s Art Museum – a Jewel Containing Other JewelsDecebalus Head at Mraconia – The Romanian Mount RushmoreCartisoara – The Memorial House of Badea CartanStavropoleos Monastery – Treasure Trove of Byzantine CultureBucharest Aviation Museum – Wings of HistoryRomanian Pyramids of Sona: Decebalus’ Tomb?Polovragi Cave Takes You Back in TimeThe Clock Museum from Ploiesti, RomaniaThe Cave From Romanesti – The Cave That RocksSighisoara Medieval FestivalCetatea Neamt – The Strongest Moldavian FortressThe Carpathians – A Cathartic ExperienceBanffy Bontida Medieval Castle – the Versailles of TransylvaniaUnseen Monasteries from Oltenia“George Enescu” Memorial HouseSapanta – The Merry CemeteryAdamclisi – Talking HistoryThe “B.P.Hasdeu“ Memorial MuseumThe Momarlani – A Special PeopleThe Berca Mud VolcanoesRasnov FortressLake Sfanta AnaFagaras FortressThe Palace of the Parliament in BucharestRomanian MotorcyclingTaking the Tour of BucharestThe Danube Delta – a wild land
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Banffy Bontida Medieval Castle – the Versailles of Transylvania
Unfortunately, during World War II – to be more exact, in 1944 – it was damaged by the retreating German troops that ravaged it: the furniture, library and all the portraits were lost. A visitor can see the former interiors – before the soldiers went through the castle – only in the archive photographs. When the communists came to power, it was nationalized, but the communist regime didn't invest too much money and time in restoring the Bontida Banffy castle. Some restoration was made in 1960 but then the communist regime left the castle in dereliction.
The Banffy familly built another castle near the Gilau village (Wass-Banffy Castle) and one more in the Rascruci area. The Romanian film director Liviu Ciulei used the Bontida Banffy Castle as a set for the movie “Forest of the Hanged” (Padurea Spanzuratilor) based on the eponymous novel by Liviu Rebreanu. Ciulei won the “Best Director” award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965 with this movie.
The Banffy Castle is being restored since 2000, by Transylvania Trust, The Institute of Historic Building Conservation – IHBC and the National Office for Cultural Heritage in Hungary and many other institutions that co-operated in bringing back this castle to its former name of “Versailles of Transylvania”. Since 2000, it appeared on the World Monuments Watch list as one of the most one hundred endangered sites of that year.
The castle was opened to the public and hosts presentations, conferences and some other cultural activities. The BHCT (Built Heritage Conservation Training) centre was built here to help in preserving the castle and other historical buildings and sites. If you want to attend a cultural event at this castle, you should head to Romania in the 8th – 14th September interval, as an educational programme will take place there, called “SoNoRo – Interferente".
"SoNoRo – Interferente" is an initiative to improve the professional level of Romanian musicians by studying chamber music along with popular artists and teachers from different music academies from all over Europe. This will be the second session of the workshop, so don't miss it if you're interested in such cultural events set in fascinating places!
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