Nearby:
Svaliava, Mukachevo
Description:
On one spring day, I realised that winter was over, the weather was good, and that I should travel somewhere. I had neither time nor money for a long trip so a day trip by car was just perfect. After browsing a few pages on the internet, I found a very mysterious place – the Earl Shonborn’s Estate, in Svaliava district of Zakarpattia (Transcarpathian) region.
We left early in the morning, it was still cold. After leaving behind the pass to Zakarpattia, we made a stop in the woods. A beautiful view opened in front of us – the snow was almost gone, and the snowdrops were piercing out the fallen autumnal leaves. They were so beautiful, fragile and delicate! After a snack, we moved on. It was sunny, 15 degrees so nothing was threatening our trip. When we arrived at the destination, we joined a group of tourists to listen to the guide. We discovered that the castle was built as a calendar – it has 365 windows, 48 chimneys and 12 doors. There is a legend that the owner of the castle cut off the head of his wife’s lover. So sometimes you can hear the horse clattering along, and see the Headless Horseman. There is another legend about the miraculous spring somewhere at the back of the garden.
Now on the premises of the castle, there is a holiday hotel. At the back of the estate, there is an artificial lake, which resembles the shape of the boundaries of the Austro-Ugrian Empire of that time. After taking pictures near the yew tree which is four hundred years old, we've tried to get into the castle. Unfortunately, neither we nor the group of tourists were allowed. Still, we had a lovely day.