On a beautiful summer day in July, specifically July 8, we decided to visit Bethlen Haller Castle in Cetatea de Baltă, where SoNoRo hosted one of the nine concerts of the 9th edition of the SONORO CONAC festival in 2021.
Before the concert began, we had time to tour the castle, learn more about its history and the nearby wineries, admire the surroundings, and enjoy a wine tasting from Jidvei vineyards.
Strolling through the castle’s courtyard and enjoying its beauty, combined with the wine tasting experience, makes Bethlen Haller Castle in Cetatea de Baltă a place worth visiting and a perfect location to spend a sunny summer day.
Castle History
ethlen Haller Castle is located in Cetatea de Baltă, Alba County, Transylvania, Romania.
A typical Renaissance castle with a rectangular shape and four circular towers at the corners, it was built in the first half of the 16th century by István Bethlen, the brother of the Prince of Transylvania, Gabriel Bethlen. István Bethlen, like his brother, later became Prince of Transylvania but only for 60 days in 1630.
The castle was built on the site of Cetatea de Baltă, a fortress that also belonged to Stephen the Great and Petru Rareș. Over time, the castle underwent numerous transformations, with the construction of the current building being completed in 1624 by István Bethlen.
Although it is mentioned that there are only four circular towers, there is also a fifth tower located on one of the secondary facades.
Between 1769 and 1773, the castle was renovated in the Baroque style and restored by Miklós Bethlen, during which time the castle’s frontispiece was also constructed. Behind this, there is an inscription mentioning the year 1773, the year of the castle’s restoration.
The castle’s appearance shows the blending of key Renaissance architectural elements with Baroque elements.
The last member of the Bethlen family to own the castle was Márkus Bethlen, who is said to have lost the castle in a card game to Count Jenő Haller in 1884.
Castle Interior
The interior of the castle can be visited with a guide for 25 lei. Visits are available from Tuesday to Sunday, with four guided tours starting at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00.
Inside the castle, there is a spiral staircase made of oak wood with no metal joints, held together only by wooden nails. The staircase has been preserved from 1560 to the present day.
At the entrance of the castle is the coat of arms of the Bethlen and Csáky families, which was originally placed above the main entrance of the castle.
Jidvei Wineries
After 1989, the castle was returned to the Haller family, and was subsequently purchased by the Necșulescu family, who transformed it into a valuable symbol of Jidvei Wineries.
In 1949, the State Agricultural Enterprise Jidvei was founded, which later became Jidvei Company.
Jidvei Company owns the largest vineyard in Romania and the largest single-owner vineyard in Europe.
We had the opportunity to taste a rosé wine from Jidvei Wineries, which was served to all of us during the Sonoro event held at the castle. Enjoying the wine while admiring the splendid view from the castle’s courtyard was an experience worth repeating. White and red wines from Jidvei were also available for tasting.
