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Bánffy-castle Bontida
- Cultural Tourism
How to get there
The Castle is located in the village of Bontida, 30 km north of Cluj, just off the national road connecting Cluj with Bistrita/Baia Mare.
Guided tours
Guided tours and presentation of the work at the Castle is available for groups. Please contact us for further details at .
Short history and presentation of Bánffy castle, Bontida
After leaving the Cluj-N.- Dej highway at Răscruci, one can soon observe the rising towers of the Bánffy Castle at Bontida, on the banks of the Somes River. Formerly known as the Transylvanian Versailles, Bánffy castle, Bontida is one of the most beautiful historic buildings in the Carpathian basin.
Until 1944, Transylvania’s most famous parkland enveloped Bánffy Castle.
The earliest documentation relating to the gardens and parkland of the castle date from the eighteenth century when Dénes Bánffy attempted to bring the grandeur of the French garden to Bontida, using Versailles and Schönbrunn as models. Johann Christian Erras reflected the French Baroque concept of estate parkland in his landscape designs for Bánffy Castle.
The statue gallery of the Bonţida castle
The statue gallery of the Bonţida castle was the most important 18th century Transylvanian ensemble of statues. It was created in the 1740-50’s, when Dénes Bánffy extended his castle to resemble the Vienna aristocratic buildings, and wanted to decorate it according to his rank. The creation of the gallery, a compulsory element of nobiliar representation in the period, was entrusted to the Cluj sculptor Johannes Nachtigall.