Andrássy Castle


Andrássy Castle is located in the north-eastern part of Hungary, in Tiszadob, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. It was designed by Artúr Meinig for Count Gyula Andrássy, who was the second Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary and first Hungarian prime minister. The legend says that the count built the castle in honour of Empress Elisabeth of Austria but it is not proven that she ever stayed in Tiszadob.

History

The castle and the surrounding park was built between 1880 and 1885. The architect, Artúr Meining built the castle, showing the characteristics of neo-Gothic and Romantic style. The building has 4 entrances in accordance with the 4 seasons, 12 towers for the 12 months, 52 rooms for the 52 weeks of the year and 365 windows for the 365 days of the year. Meinig got his inspiration from European castles, one of the most obvious example for that is the ceiling of L shaped large salon on the ground floor, which is the exact copy of the ceiling stucco of the Cartoon Gallery room of Knole Castle in Kent, England.
The castle was raided by savages from the nearby town, Polgár in 1918 during the Aster Revolution. They destroyed not only the furniture but all the paintings, Venetian mirrors, ceramics, books. Locals say that the count never returned to Tiszadob after the incident.
The Andrássy era ended in 1945. First it was an army hospital for the Romanian army. Many soldiers still rest in the park of the castle. Later, in 1948 the state confiscated the castle and from 1950 it became an orphanage and worked as one until 2007.

Renovation

A large renovation was carried out to the order of Szabolcs- Szatmár- Bereg county's local government between 2011-2014. The renovation was funded by both the Hungarian government and the European Union, and cost approx. EUR 7,1 million. The aim of the refurbishment was to enable Tiszadob and the Andrássy Castle to host a range of cultural attractions. It reopened its gate to visitors in 2015 and since it offers a variety of programs for the locals and tourists.

Piano Feast in the East

founded a piano festival called Piano Feast in the East in 1998. Since then the most prestigious Hungarian and international musicians gather and perform every August. The concerts are broadcast on the radio.