The castle designed by Miklós Ybl has served as an aristocratic residence, a children’s camp, and even a dilapidated, abandoned ruin. But it was reborn, and since 1996 it has been operating as a hotel.
After the Hungarian settlement in the Carpathian Basin, vast lands were granted to deserving families. The land between Kápolna and Parádsasvár originally belonged to the Debrő family of the Aba clan, but over the centuries several noble families owned the estate, including the Grassalkovich, Orczy, and Rákóczi families. The castle itself—central to our story—was only built in the late 19th century, although the several-hectare Debrő estate had already played an important role before that. A special spring was discovered here by shepherds grazing their cattle: its carbonated, alkaline hydrogen carbonate-rich water, known today as Parádi water, was valued for aiding digestion and stimulating appetite. To make use of this natural treasure, bathhouses and tubs were first built here. Count György Károlyi purchased the estate along with these in 1846. As president of the Pest Sugar Refinery and founder of several enterprises, he commissioned Miklós Ybl to redesign the classical building complex. The new castle, completed in 1882 in Neo-Renaissance style, was intended as a gift for his wife, Karolina Zichy. As she was in exile at the time with Lajos Kossuth, she could only move into the three-part palace in 1893, and it was she who named it Sasvár.
After the grandparents, the estate was inherited by their grandson Mihály Károlyi (Prime Minister and later President of Hungary from 1918). Being a city man, he did not favor aristocratic life, but his wife, Katinka Andrássy, enjoyed staying here. Károlyi rented out part of the castle, where tenants operated a hotel. After the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, the estate became state property and was only returned to the Károlyi family at the end of World War II—though they could enjoy it for just two years before it was nationalized again and turned into a children’s holiday resort. By the early 1990s, the building had deteriorated so severely that the resort was closed, and the more than hundred-year-old castle stood abandoned for years.
Change came in 1996, when the crumbling, stripped-down building was renovated. After two years of dedicated work, it reopened in December 1998 as a five-star hotel. During the restoration, the most modern technologies were used while preserving the original Neo-Baroque style elements. Based on photographs and historical descriptions, the renovation faithfully recreated the atmosphere of the 19th century. Behind the grand wooden entrance door, two staircases lead to the reception, guarded by original stone columns. The main building offers the most attractions: from the entrance hall, a staircase leads upstairs, where at its base stands a wooden altar consecrated by the Archbishop of Eger. Turning left, you enter the Monarchia Hall—a 117-square-meter room ideal for dances and musical events, distinguished by a marble inlay depicting the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy set into the granite floor. Continuing along winding corridors, you reach the Millennium Hall, home to the Hungarian Sports Stars Exhibition, and the Sala Terrana salon. The latter, meaning “Mother Earth,” features brown and deep green tones, walnut and oak paneling matching the original, and a fireplace, creating a peaceful retreat with direct access to the garden. At the rear of the main building, a stone spiral staircase leads up the tower, where three additional salons—the Károlyi, Ybl, and Geraldine—welcome guests across three floors. Climbing the 175 steps rewards visitors with a magnificent panorama: not only the castle from above, but also the wooden structure housing the Parádi spring across the road, and the restored former hunting lodge. On the hillside, century-old pine trees rise high, and much of the forest from the former 4,872-acre Debrő estate can still be admired today. Gyula Károlyi also built a hunting lodge deep in the forest and introduced mouflon and deer from Germany.
In the main building—the Renaissance wing—five suites were created alongside traditional rooms, furnished in Biedermeier and Empire styles with pieces from Italy. These luxurious suites feature fireplaces, canopy beds, massage tubs, and saunas. The Rendez-Vous wing is designed for honeymooners, offering eight cherry-toned rooms overlooking either the forest or the heart-shaped lake in the castle park. The third section, the Romantique wing, contains 32 rooms primarily recommended for families and conference participants. All three wings are connected by underground corridors, leading to a bowling alley, squash court, and bar, at the end of which lies the wellness area. This includes a 1.5-meter-deep pool suitable for swimming with a counter-current system, Finnish, infrared, and bio saunas, a salt cabin, hot tub, steam bath, and solarium. Outside, guests can enjoy tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, while in summer the poolside offers homemade pizza, grilled dishes, and a cocktail bar.
