A Visit to Carei and Károlyi Castle
This travel guide covers my visit to Carei (Nagykároly) and Károlyi Castle in Satu Mare county, north-western Romania.
A visit to Carei
After a good night of sleep on the Bucharest-Satu Mare sleeper train, I woke up early in the morning as we rolled through the flat countryside of Satu Mare county in north-western Romania.
Walking into town
Carei has been heavily influenced by Hungary throughout history and belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the country’s defeat in World War I, leading to the official transfer of the entire region to the Kingdom of Romania under the terms of the Treaty of Trianon.
Exploring the city
Passing by a statue of Romania’s national poet Mihai Eminescu, I arrived in the city centre of Carei.
Instead of heading straight to the city’s main sight, I decided to take a random walk around first, allowing myself to absorb more of the surroundings.
In and around the city centre of Carei you can find many examples of fine Belle Époque architecture, although a lot of buildings are sadly in a bit of a decayed state.
The Great Synagogue of Carei, which I also passed by, clearly had its heyday in another era when the city still had a sizable Jewish community (around 15% in the 1930s).
Like so many other cities and towns in the region, almost the entire Jewish population of Carei was deported and killed during the Holocaust, and most of the few survivors migrated to Israel in the decades after World War II.
Castle park
In the heart of Carei you can find a large park centred around Károlyi Castle, the main sight of the city.
Before heading to the castle, I first wandered a bit around this pleasant park, which boasts several species of trees, plants, and flowers.
While I had already encountered a statue honouring one of Romania’s national heroes, the statues in this park were dedicated to the other ethnic groups that call Carei home.
Among others, you can find a statue of Count Sándor Károlyi, a Hungarian aristocrat and statesman born in Carei, who was one of the generals during Rákóczi’s War of Independence against the Holy Roman Empire.
Another monument honours the 300-year presence of the Sathmar Swabians (Satu Mare Swabians), an ethnic German group from Swabia who migrated eastward in the early 18th century and settled in this Hungarian-Romanian border region.
Károlyi Castle
In the heart of the park you can find Károlyi Castle, which is the most interesting sight to visit in Carei.
Originally built as a fortress to safeguard the Hungarian borderlands against Ottoman incursions, it now resembles more of a stately manor house.
In 1794, József Károlyi demolished the old castle and its fortifications, and commissioned architect Josef Bitthauser to construct a new castle to serve as his family residence.
The new Károlyi Castle was built in Baroque style, with some parts showcasing visible neo-Gothic design elements.
Before entering, make sure to wander around the castle and its small moat to get a full grasp of its architectural design.
Inside Károlyi Castle
Károlyi Castle houses the municipal museum of Carei, which has a number of fairly interesting exhibitions.
It costs 20 lei (€4) to enter Károlyi Castle and to visit the main exhibition, while you need to pay an additional 10 lei (€2) if you want to visit the temporary exhibitions.
Children under the age of 7 can visit everything for free when accompanied by an adult.
Please note that the castle and the municipal museum are closed on Mondays.
As you enter the building, you will find yourself in the main hall of Károlyi Castle at the foot of a grand staircase.
Make sure you admire the fine Italian marble fireplaces, as its design elements such as the lions and helmets were inspired by the Károlyi family crest.
The permanent museum exhibition, located on the first floor, showcases the castle’s history along with antique furniture and objects that once belonged to the Károlyi family.
You can explore several of the old castle rooms, including the magnificent library, the ballroom, boudoir, and a few bedrooms.
Exhibits
Among the other exhibits I visited in Károlyi Castle were displays about local life in Carei, such as medicine-making, and a temporary exhibit showcasing sketches by Salvador Dalí.
A somewhat out-of-place exhibit featured hunting trophies from a smug dude named Panczel Zoltan Tibor, who looks seemingly proud to have hunted down a significant portion of Africa’s wildlife, including a rhinoceros and an elephant.
War monument
After my visit to Károlyi Castle, I continued my walk through the city centre of Carei.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though the floodgates of heaven had opened, as a heavy summer rain shower suddenly descended upon Carei.
Undaunted, I braved through the rain as I did really want to finish the last bits of my city tour.
Another prominent sight in the city center of Carei is the Monument of the Romanian Soldier, constructed in the 1960s during the communist regime.
The text on the monument reads: “Glory to the soldiers of the Romanian Army, fallen in the battles for the liberation of the homeland.”
It’s a tribute to the Romanian soldiers who fought alongside Soviet troops to liberate the country from the Nazi German occupiers, after initially being allied with Hitler before eventually switching sides in 1944.
The Battle of Carei in October 1944 was the final battle fought on Romanian soil during the Second World War, resulting in the eviction of German forces and allied Hungarian troops from the country.
Modern centre
Around the Monument of the Romanian Soldier, you can find the modern-day centre of Carei, which is home to most of the city’s shops, banks, pharmacies, and other facilities.
It’s by no means as picturesque as the old part of the city centre just a stone throw away to the north, as instead of beautiful Belle Époque architecture it’s communist apartment blocks that dominate here.
There are still a number of interesting sights in this part of Carei that you can visit, such as the Romanian Orthodox Church of Saint Dumitru.
Lunch
As I was getting hungry and wanted to shelter from the rain, I headed back the old part of the city centre in search of a place to eat.
I ended up visiting Nostalgia Restaurant, which turned out to be a good choice as it had a charming interior and served some delicious goulash soup.
Back to the railway station
After the tasty lunch, I slowly walked back to the railway station along some more beautiful Belle Époque buildings.
Carei’s railway station, built in the same typical style found at many other stations across the border in Hungary, dates back to the same era, and has sadly decayed quite a bit over time.
Nevertheless, it provided a charming spot to await the arrival of the train from Valea lui Mihai, on which I would travel for the final 36 kilometres towards its final stop at Satu Mare, the largest city in the region.
Conclusion
Carei, a small city in the county of Satu Mare in north-western Romania, makes for an interesting visit if you happen to be around in the area.
Known as Nagykároly in Hungarian, Carei used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and still boasts a Hungarian ethnic majority, along with some historic Hungarian charm.
Even though Carei is not one of Romania’s top destinations, and I wouldn’t go out of my way just to visit it, the city has enough sights to keep you occupied for half a day.
The primary attraction in Carei is of course Károlyi Castle, which is built in a curious mix of Baroque and neo-Gothic styles and is home to the municipal museum.
Additionally, the World War II monument and the decayed Belle Époque buildings in the old town of Carei are worth a quick look.
