The small village Arcus is located in the county of Covasna and hides the beautiful Szentkereszty palace, which was none other than one of the summer houses of Ceausescu. The peaceful park will calm you, in a bourgeois atmosphere that few people can afford, if not for a short time to dream.
The castle was built in 1773 but its current, baroque mixture of neo-Renaissance style, has an amendment made in 1897. It passed from family to family, beginning with the family Benko. In 1823 it goes to the Varghis family. In 1840, Count György Kálnoky bought the castle, but died four years later. His wife remarried Baron Zsigmond Szentkereszty. Legacy of Szentkereszty’ son”, Béla (1851-1925) who married Mary Florescu (1857-1919), daughter of former Minister of Defence of Romania. In 1945, after the devastation of war, the Romanian government nationalized the castle of Arcus, who suffered internal radical changes in the 80’s, when the building was adapted to the needs of Nicolae Ceausescu.
Less than an hour of Brasov, the castle is at the entrance of village Arcus, on the left. To find your way, its gate is guarded by two stone lions and opens onto a large driveway which include poplars along the way.
Basically, you’ll find it hidden among the trees. The tour is inexpensive, but nevertheless requires specific times, especially if you want to visit the interior, I didn’t have the opportunity to … (visit the castle 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, 4lei) (visit the park from 9:00 to 18:00 Monday to Sunday, 2lei) (Boat= 10lei / h) (photo = 20lei).
I therefore strolled around the English-style park. This is huge and is at least an hour’s walk if you take your time.
The vegetation is dense and rich in species. Despite this, the park is maintained and it is due all the charm to its beautiful lake, which bathes in this verdant forest and dangled dark shades of nature and the splendor of the palace. A small island, connected by a bridge, is home to two boats that can turn a casual exploration into a romantic moment.
On your way you’ll come across many statues of stone or wood, sometimes representing human forms, sometimes fairly subjective figures, they create a strange atmosphere, I could say, unreal…
Inside the park, in addition to Szentkereszty palace, there is a very cute little chapel with a wooden cross older than 300 years.
The palace is a magnificent work of art that certifies that Romania may also have distinguished romantic monuments. A beautiful balcony, supported by Tuscan columns, is located behind the building and opens in a tidy garden with a fountain …
Oh how I wish to visit the palace, apparently furnished in a neo-rococo style!! I hope you will take this chance and you will tell me …
