Prince and princess for one night at Haller castle, Transylvania

All the girls who have never dreamt (at least once) of being a princess, marrying a prince on a white horse and living in a castle, raise your hands!

Idyllic view of Haller Castle

The castle takes you back in time to those moments when good manners were compulsory in society, ladies used to wear long elegant dresses and gentlemen used to be … well, … gentlemen.

So, I decided I wanted to feel like a princess at least once!

Contents:
How to get there
A bit of history
Services and facilities
Top things to do in the area

How to get there

Haller is the first castle that had been converted into a hotel in Romania; it is situated in Ogra, a village in Transylvania, in the very heart of the country. In terms of accessibility, Haller Castle is close to Targu Mures (24 km),
a city accessible by car, train or plane (only 9 km away from the castle). From here, you can either rent a car, or use a car sharing app, such as BlaBlaCar.

A bit of history

The roots of the castle go back to the 17th century, still, the actual building dates from the 18th-19th centuries and represents the late baroque.

Historical documents say the first Hallers originated from Nuremberg in 1198, but the family tree is rather complicated and has many branches. All the family members got nobility titles, and the senior Gabriel Haller was related to the Prince of Transylvania. It is important to mention that the first estates the Hallers had in Transylvania were bought at the end of the 15th century.

Earl Laszlo Haller was the first to inhabit the castle in the 18th century. As a fan of culture, he collected books and wrote poems. Hungarian, with a thorough knowledge of French, he even translated some works of the Enlightenment. His sons and grandsons dedicated their lives to the economic development of Ogra. In the 1830s, they had a greenhouse where they even grew pineapples.

In the mid 20th century, the castle was nationalized, while since the 90es it hosted different activities, such as school, kindergarten, boarding school, bakery or mill. Since 2011, it has served as a hotel, restaurant and wine cellar.

The castle and its surroundings
Fancy carriage ride
Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/castelhaller/
Gabriel Haller’s portrait in the hallway
Original tile in the floor
Relaxation spot in the hallway
Right at the entrance
Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/castelhaller/

Services and facilities

The moment you walk in the castle, style and good taste are reflected in the décor: from the gate, all along the corridors to your room. The vaulted ceilings, armchairs and mirrors perfectly integrate into elegance and luxury. The floor still preserves original tiles from place to place.

In terms of accommodation, the castle has all the traditional types of rooms. They are equipped with all necessary facilities. The price was 300 lei/night/double room  (breakfast included)(around 62 euro) in August 2020, which is a good price for a four-star hotel. The rooms are spacious, just as the bathroom. We didn’t miss anything.

The hotel is equipped with a restaurant where they serve up to 60 people, a conference room, wine cellar and a spa and relaxation area. And I almost forgot: there’s a beautiful terrace for spending summer nights in the open air!

Double room
Me roaming around
Spa and relaxation

Top things to do in the area

If you dream of an active holiday, here’s what you can do:

  • Visit Targu Mures, the most important city in the proximity, just 24 km away.
  • Sighisoara, a delightful medieval town (69 km)
  • Turda Salt mine, unique in the world (58 km away)
  • Natural reservation of wild peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia) and other beautiful flowers at Zau de Campie (April-May) (39 km)
  • Visit Jidvei wine cellar for wine tasting (45 km)
  • Praid Salt mine (81 km)

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