Gyula Castle

This towered, Gothic castle built between 1403 and 1445 has the best-preserved Gothic keep and chapel in Hungary. The building complex includes the Castle Baths. Theatrical productions are staged here in summer.

The surviving round bastion (rondella) is part of the defensive mid section built around the inner castle. Next to this central section the more spacious hussar castle was built to accommodate the cavalry. It stretched all the way to the outside wall of the current Harruckern-Wenckheim-Almásy Mansion. Today, the hussar tower is attached to the mansion's north wing.

A stream of healing water surfaced near the mansion and the first swimming pools were opened on the former equestrian grounds. As a result the castle baths were built within the complex.

Built of fired bricks the inner castle is a gloomy structure measuring 60 by 27 metres with walls 14 metres high. Two gates afford access to the castle; on the southwest side the arched Kerecsény Gate opens onto the castle courtyard and a path leads steeply up to the other entrance at the 20 metre high gatetower on the long, southeastern side.

The reconstructed drawbridge in front of the tower leads across a deep moat to a smaller, arched entrance, that of the ground floor of the tower. A spiral staircase winds up to the roof from where a splendid view over the surroundings is afforded. In clear weather even the mountains near Arad and Oradea/Nagyvárad can be seen from here.

The courtyard is surrounded by two-storey buildings. On the ground floor there were workshops and storage units with residential space above. Next to the tower and behind deeply set Gothic windows is the chapel dedicated in 1445 across from which is the knights' hall. The rooms of the palace are enhanced by cross vaulted stone door frames, stone windows and corner fireplaces. The imposing facade on the northwest remains to be restored.

Museum exhibitions invite visitors on an authentic time journey to the history of the castle in the Middle Ages and to the everyday life of those living in the Renaissance period.

The castle courtyard is the venue for one of the best known theatrical summer series in the country.