The Festetics Castle and Park from Dég
A sneak peak into the Hungarian noble life from past centuries.
Last weekend we went on an Eastern Chronicles road trip through Hungary, searching for interesting places with stories worth telling. We managed to visit at least 20 towns around Lake Balaton, in which we found beautiful medieval fortresses, charming castles and manor houses, old churches, various museums, and some stunning remote corners.
Out of all these, the Festetics mansion in Dég is still on my mind. To me it was like a glimpse into the Hungarian nobility’s life from the last three centuries. And I still can’t decide what I enjoyed most: the castle or the surrounding park. The small number of tourists also played its part, helping me to disconnect from everything and just imagine how things happened there a long time ago.
This castle, located in the small village of Dég, is less well-known than the imposing Baroque palace in Keszthely, which also belonged to the Festetics, an old and noble Hungarian family. It was built by Antal Festetics (1764–1853) between 1810 and 1815, designed in the Classicist style by Mihály Pollock, an outstanding architect of the time. Four consecutive generations of Festetics lived here from the early 19th to the mid-20th century.
In the last months of WWII, and in the period after, the castle met the common fate of Hungarian country houses. In 1944–45, the German troops used the building as a military hospital and some of the original furniture was taken away. After the war ended, the Festetics counts were stripped of all their possessions. The castle was then taken over by the Soviets, who caused serious damage by burning and by stealing the remaining furniture and equipment.
Soon after that, the castle was hastily restored and turned into a holiday home for the ministry. From 1954 to 1995 it was used as a Hungarian children’s home. Finally, in 2001 the castle and the park were transferred to The National Trust of Monuments of Hungary. Since then the castle has regained its function as the cultural centre of the village as well as of the wider locality; it regularly hosts concerts and exhibitions by prominent Hungarian artists.
At the moment, the complex is undergoing restoration work. When we got there some friendly workers greeted us, telling us that we could go inside. Seven original rooms in the castle are open to visitors. Even though most of the furniture had been stolen or destroyed, inside were some (retrieved, I think) pieces being exhibited, which managed to somewhat restore the ambiance of the castle during the Festetics family’s time there.
There was also a collection of old photos with the family members and the castle in its golden age. Furthermore, an original chess table and two tennis rackets remained as a reminder of the Festetics’ hobbies.
After exploring all the corners of the castle, we went outside to walk through the stunning park. Popularly named the “English garden,” the style of the park emerged from England in the first half of the 18th century. Before 1945, along with its buildings and lake, this park was one of the largest and most important landscape gardens in Hungary.
After nationalisation, it was reduced to a tenth of its original size. A swimming pool and sports fields were built, some old trees were cut down, and many plants were introduced which did not fit in the environment. Nowadays, even after substantial losses, the park in Dég remains one of the most beautiful historic gardens in the country.
The most spectacular feature found in the park was another building, called the Dutch House (or the Dutch Cottage). Built in 1891, it stands on the largest island of the lake, under the ownership of Pál Festetics. The Dutch House served as a stable for Swiss cows, but also housed an apartment furnished for Pál’s consumptive sister-in-law, Countess Lenke Pejacsevich. It might sound ridiculous, but the air of the stables was at the time considered a remedy for consumption.
Unfortunately, today this piece of architecture is abandoned. However, the island in the lake is used by the locals for picnics and fishing. Behind the Dutch House we saw a well which a mother and three children were using to cool off, completely ignoring our presence.
As I was saying, the castle and the park are under heavy restoration work. I believe that a few years from now this historic monument will become one of the most charming tourist attractions in the area and a rigorous demonstration of how the Hungarian nobility used to live. As far as I’m concerned, I intend to experience this amazing place again in the future.
P.S. Before entering the castle I noticed some beautiful sun-disks with human faces on the lateral faces. As I was to find out later, it seems that Antal Festetics participated in the Masonic movement along with his father. When Freemasonry was banned in 1795, they bought all the surviving Masonic documents. Also, the castle might have been used for secret Freemason meetings, which might explain the sun-disks outside. The sun is a well-known Masonic symbol, and these ornaments in Dég are identical to one of the motifs found on the seal of Nagyszívűséghez (To Generosity ) — a lodge in Pest of which Antal Festetics was once a member.
Written by Alexandra Palconi.
Photo credit: Cristian Sitov | Doiniţa Spuză
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We have also written about Kuressaare, Ruhnu, Zadar, Mostar, Tartu, Wigry National Park, Krk Island, Budva, Mileştii Mici Winery, Ljubljana and Rupea Fortress.
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