Schloss Héderváry

Héderváry Kastély (Castle) is located just 25 kilometers from Györ-a city that vied for recognition as the European Cultural Capital in 2010, but lost to her sister city, Pécs. Nestled on the banks of three rivers, Györ is referred to as the “City of Rivers” as well as the “Salzburg of Hungary” because of its beautiful setting, lovely pedestrian quarter, Baroque Architecture and numerous festivals. Héderváry Kastély is distanced from the town by farmland and patches of forest-hunting grounds for pheasant and wild boar.   It is also located on the popular bike route that travels from Munich to Budapest.

Surrounded by a low brick wall and 22 hectares of parkland and lawn shaded by 200 year old trees, the soft orange cream-colored castle with its tile roof and two front corner turrets is very attractive. Guarded by Egyptian statues to ward off ghosts, heavy wooden doors open to expose the entry and a cobbled open-air central courtyard dominated by a 250 year old plane tree. It is interesting to note that the tree was relocated here at the request of the owner who wanted to introduce more “green” into the courtyard and since it was too large to fit through the entry doors it was air-lifted and dropped down from above!

After passing through the entry doors, immediately to the left is the welcoming reception and to the right is a lovely bar, handsome in light woods complimented by soft yellow fabrics. Just round the corner from the bar is the hotel’s gorgeous restaurant, “A Grófnál” (At the Counts).  Complementing the handsome blue and yellow fabric of the chairs, soft yellow linens dress the tables and candelabras on each table serve as the principal lighting and create and intimate and romantic ambiance. At the end of the room, just a few steps up, one long table is set against a backdrop of handsome bookcases-in what was once termed the library.  The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner to both resident and outside guests. The menu is extensive and features Hungarian as well as regional cuisine. We savored some of the house specialties: Guinea Fowl Soup with Thyme & Semolina Dumplings; White baked Mangalitza Pork Loin with smoked cheese enriched with mustard sauce and home-made Duchesse Potatoes and Baked Ice Cream with hot fresh fruit ragout. But some other examples of the menu to tempt you: Goose liver farmer-style with red wine flavored cranberry sauce placed on grilled bananas and Veal filet medallions in honey flavored ginger sauce with cloves seasoned pear croquettes. The young chef has also applied his genius and creative talents with trout, duck, steak of deer and pheasant!  I would encourage you to dine here; it is excellent, convenient and their offer of pension is an incredible value.

Continuing round as the building frames the central courtyard are handsome doors that lead out to the back porch and expanse of gardens where weddings are hosted almost every weekend from May to September.  Here you will also discover the only ground floor guestroom, (number one that enjoys corner windows and views of the back garden) and across the hallway are two lovely sitting rooms. The Salon Terrace with its deep-set, small windows is perhaps one of the coolest rooms in the house.  It was once a tea salon and a beautiful painting of a gazebo that affects the mood of a garden, adorns its walls.  The wonderful old wood floors lead one next through to a second salon embraced by handsome wood walls.  This room is referred to as the Cigar Room and is the only place where guests are permitted to smoke.

A back hallway is hung with a wonderful display of family photos.  It is interesting to note that the most recent generations of the family who inhabited the castle for 800 years were very prominent in Hungarian politics; were generous with their contributions and support of the town and as a result, were very well-liked within the community.  Count Karl Héderváry had two sons, both of whom died too young to carry on the family name.  In reign at the time, Cesar Leopold and Maria Theresa, granted the surviving daughter permission to use the family name.  You will see tribute in the beautiful chapel (one of only three chapels in the country to be housed within the castle walls) to the King and Queen: the royal crest above the door and the face of the Virgin Mary is that of Maria Theresa.  It is also interesting to note that after World War II the castle was used as a school and since religion was frowned upon, farm animals were cleverly housed in the chapel to disguise its origin so it would not be destroyed. Definitely don’t miss the intimate view of the chapel from the upstair’s passageway.

From the chapel a back stair winds up to the castle’s other guestrooms found on the second and third floors. At the top of the first flight of stairs the rooms open onto an glass-enclosed corridor that overlooks the central courtyard. The Herend Lakosztaly, a dramatic two room suite with an intimate alcove, is handsome in its decor and boasts a display of the famous porcelain.  The Leopold Suite whose four foot thick entry walls are testament to the fact that it once served as the silver vault, is now referred to as the wedding room. It enjoys a spacious sitting room with a claw foot tub and the bed is set in a cozy alcove facing directly on to the park.  Termed a superior room, #13 enjoys two large windows that frame the back garden and a narrow door opens to expose a narrow bath. Room #14 is the manager’s favorite, another back corner room, it’s bath is tucked under the angles of the old stair.  A door closes off a private stair that winds up to what was once the count’s suite of rooms, room #23 that can also open to an adjoining guestroom, #24.  All the rooms are unique in layout, ambiance, enjoy 20th century furnishings and are priced accordingly.  There are four suites, three superior rooms and twelve standard rooms.  I especially liked the ground floor room (#1, standard) and found the suites dramatic and the standard rooms to be a great value.

Upper floors also boast an array of public rooms available to guests. Climb what is referred to as the "stair of lovers" as it is reputed to have allowed secret access to the count’s many lovers. The stair now delivers you to a landing with a sauna, fitness room and workout machines.  From here circle round to the billiard and card room and the hunt room which now serves as a conference room.

Descend back to the central courtyard and discover the arched wooden doors that open to the basement wine cellar.  Welcome on hot summer days, thick walls maintain a cool temperature and regional dinners are sometimes offered to groups, served at the rustic wooden tables set under the old stone arches.

This is a handsome property, rich in history that offers travelers comfortable accommodation, excellence of cuisine and a royal welcome.

Castle Hotel Hedervar is located between Györ and Mosonmagyarovar, only 50 Minutes from Vienna Airport, 45 Minutes from Bratisava and 1,5 hours from Budapest. The castle hotel offers a renaissance atmosphere where you can spend unforgettable days. The four-star castle hotel can be easily reached from Vienna, Bratislava and from Budapest on the M1 motorway. From the motorway you have to take Exit 142 (Lébény). Then it is only about 15 km drive on the country road to Hédervár.

The elegant rooms (14) and the nobly furnished suites (4), the old wooded parkland, the Hunter Room dated from the 18th century, the salon "Sala Terrena" decorated with baroque frescos and the Héderváry family’s original baroque chapel make the castle hotel the perfect base to explore its enchanting surrounding.

Hedervar Castle Hotel welcomes its guests. You can really feel that time has stopped here. The renaissance and baroque architectural monuments or the beautiful Zsolnay tile stoves amaze our guests every time. The English garden is decorated with centuries-old trees.

The gourmet cuisine of the castle is worth mentioning, too. The polite and attentive waiters make our guests feel really like a count. The elegant restaurant of the hotel offers a wide range of delicacies.

Probably the most beautifully preserved renaissance castle in Hungary, a “specially protected historic monument” located close to Austria (about 30 km from the Austrian border with Hungary, which has been open since the signing of the Schengen accords).

Hédervár stands in the midst of the Schüttinsel, a habitat for numerous species of rare birds and traversed by beautiful, pristine arms of the Moson Danube. An ideal place of recreation.