Bethlen-Haller Castle #115
A unique castle in Transylvania
Bethlen-Haller Castle was built in the Renaissance style by the father of the Chancellor of Transylvania, Miklos Bethlen, between 1560 and 1624. Modeled after the buildings of the Loire, it was built with four towers at the corners. Over time, the castle has undergone a number of reconstructions. From 1769 to 1773 the building was rebuilt in the Baroque style. In 1856 the castle became the property of the Brukenthal family, who renovated it and founded an agricultural school. During the communist period, Bethlen-Haller Castle furniture, decorations and collectibles disappeared or were destroyed. After 1989, the castle was returned to the Haller family and then purchased by the Necşulescu family, who carried out reconstruction and opened it to tourists in 2020. Today, Bethlen-Haller Castle welcomes guests and treats them to selected wines that preserve the deep history of their ancestors and delicious dishes prepared according to ancient Transylvanian recipes. Tastings feature local ingredients. “We believe that food affects our well-being,” say the estate’s owners. “That’s why we use as many fresh ingredients as possible from the farm located on the castle grounds.” There are 15 rooms to accommodate guests.
Delightful wines of Transylvania
Historical information indicates that on the territory of today’s Romania, grape cultivation has been carried out since the 5th-1st centuries BC. Herodotus mentions that the Dacians, the Gilk of the Thracian people, were engaged in viticulture in the valleys of Tarnave and were known as famous winegrowers. Tarnave wines have been known since the feudal era, when Transylvania was still called ″Țara Vinului″ (Weinland). The colonization of Transylvania by the Saxons contributed to the development of viticulture and winemaking.
Visit to the castle and wineries
Bethlen-Haller Castle is open to the public by appointment:
- Monday from 12.00 to 16.00
- Tuesday-Sunday from 10.00 to 16.00
The farm owns four wineries: Jidvei, Tăuni, Blaj and Bălcaciu.
The vineyards of the Jidvei and Tăuni wineries are open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 12.00 and 15.00. Departure to the wineries is from the castle.
The Jidvei winery owns 2,500 hectares of vineyards; more than 25 million kg of grapes are processed here every year. The storage capacity is more than 35 million liters. The winery was built in 1974. Jidvei’s flagship wines are the Romanian white varieties Feteasca Albă and Feteasca Regală.
Founded in 2014, the Tăuni winery is equipped with the most innovative equipment. The winery uses gravitational energy to minimize interference in the winemaking process.
Blaj, founded in 1989, hosts the oldest wines.
Bălcaciu, founded in 1958, has the sparkling wines and wine distillates.