# Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Bistrița-Năsăud County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bistrita-nasaud) › [Beclean](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/beclean) > The residence of Count Pál Bethlen, rebuilt around 1900 on the site of the family's old fortress, with two hexagonal towers; a former town hall, now unused and not set up for visitors. **At a glance:** Castles and palaces in Beclean, Bistrița-Năsăud County. The visit takes 15 min. Information verified on 13 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** The castle has no visiting hours: the building is unused and not set up for tourists. It can be seen only from outside; check its current state with Beclean town hall. - **Visit duration:** 15 min — exterior only, from the street - **Address:** Ghiocelului Street no. 6, Beclean, Bistrița-Năsăud County - **Coordinates:** 47.181, 24.1747 - **Website:** http://primariabeclean.ro/web/castelul-pal-bethlen/ - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castelul_Bethlen_Pal_din_Beclean - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25460815 - **Categories:** [Castles and palaces](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castele-si-palate), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice) ## About Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean On the western side of the town of Beclean, close to the bank of the Someș, stands the castle of Count Pál Bethlen, one of four family residences that survive here. Beclean was the centre of the Bethlen estate from the Middle Ages: a fortress with four bastions, raised around 1543, was demolished by the Austrian administration after 1712, and today's castle grew up beside it, by rebuilding an older manor house, probably of the 17th century. Its present look is tied to Count Pál Bethlen (1851–1935), later lord lieutenant of Bistrița-Năsăud and Solnoc-Dăbâca counties. Around 1900 the manor was given an extra storey, its two hexagonal corner towers were kept, and the Baroque gable was remodelled; some historians credit the design to the architect Mór Kallina. The complex was then enclosed by a massive stone wall. Nationalised in 1945, the castle housed the cultural centre and the town library in the 1990s, then the seat of Beclean town hall from 2001 to 2015. ### What you can see The two-storey building has an asymmetric plan, with a long wing running north–south, a central projecting bay with a terrace at the entrance, and a hexagonal tower at each end; the southern one, taller, ends in a pointed spire. The main façade faces west. Alongside the building, part of the enclosure wall survives, together with a single outbuilding of the eight inventoried in 1977. The castle can be seen from the street, in a residential neighbourhood. ### Good to know The castle is not set up for visits and has no opening hours. After the town hall moved out, the building was left without a purpose and ownership is disputed in court; in 2019 a piece of a tower wall collapsed because of water infiltration, and the mayor explained at the time that, while the litigation lasts, the authorities cannot intervene. The "România Atractivă" programme lists it as "temporarily closed". No information has been found about restoration under way; check the current state with the town hall before you travel. ## Don't miss - The two hexagonal corner towers, the southern one ending in a pointed spire. - The central projecting bay with the entrance terrace, on the west façade. - The massive stone wall around the complex, raised in the early 20th century. - The site of Beclean's old fortress, pulled down after 1712, right next door. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Beclean lies on the DN17, between Dej and Bistrița, ~30 km from Bistrița and ~85 km from Cluj-Napoca. The castle is on Ghiocelului Street, in the west of the town, a few minutes from the centre. **Public transport:** the town has a railway station on the Dej – Bistrița line, and the castle is within walking distance of the centre; there are also buses and minibuses to Bistrița and Dej. ### Rules The building cannot be visited inside. Given the condition of the walls, it is best not to stand close to the walls and towers, especially with children. Respect the property and do not enter fenced-off areas. ### Facilities no visitor facilities · level ground, visible from the street · restaurants, shops and accommodation in the town centre ## Details - **Construction period:** 17th century, rebuilt c. 1900 - **Founder:** Count Pál Bethlen ## Frequently asked questions about Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean **How long does a visit to Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean take?** A visit to Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean takes about 15 min (exterior only, from the street). **How do I get to Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean?** Bethlen Pál Castle in Beclean is located at Ghiocelului Street no. 6, Beclean, Bistrița-Năsăud County. By car: Beclean lies on the DN17, between Dej and Bistrița, ~30 km from Bistrița and ~85 km from Cluj-Napoca. The castle is on Ghiocelului Street, in the west of the town, a few minutes from the centre. Public transport: the town has a railway station on the Dej – Bistrița line, and the castle is within walking distance of the centre; there are also buses and minibuses to Bistrița and Dej. ## Nearby attractions - [Bethlen András Castle in Beclean](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-andras-beclean) — Castles and palaces · Beclean, BN · 15 min · 0 km A Baroque manor house of the second half of the 18th century in the centre of Beclean, with a vaulted gate and a coat of arms dated 1768; today it houses the Agricultural Technological High School. - [Roman Fort of Ilișua (Arcobadara)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-ilisua) — Monuments and historic sites · Ilișua, BN · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 9 km A Roman fort on the Măgura plateau, south-east of Ilișua village, built on the northern frontier of Dacia Porolissensis; at ground level the ruins of the baths from the civil settlement are what you mainly see. - [Bethlen Castle in Arcalia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-arcalia) — Castles and palaces · Arcalia, BN · ½ – 1 hours · 22 km The only Moorish-Byzantine castle in Transylvania, with four towers topped by red onion domes, set in a dendrological park of over 150 species; the castle can only be admired from outside. - [Ocna Dej Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-ocna-dej) — Salt mines · Dej, CJ · 32 km A working salt mine near Dej, where salt has been dug since Roman times, with an Orthodox church carved into the salt about 80 m down. Not currently open to visitors. - [Rogoz Wooden Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-rogoz) — Monasteries and churches · Rogoz, MM · UNESCO World Heritage · 48 km The Church of the Holy Archangels in Rogoz, built in 1663 and part of the Maramureș UNESCO site, has an asymmetric roof over the 'table of the ancestors', horse-head eaves brackets and paintings from 1785. - [Bánffy Castle in Bonțida](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-banffy-bontida) — Castles and palaces · Bonțida, CJ · 15 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 · 53 km Transylvania's largest Baroque aristocratic residence, gutted in 1944 and being brought back to life by an award-winning training site; neo-Gothic façade, lapidarium and an exhibition on Miklós Bánffy. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-pal-beclean Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/castelul-bethlen-pal-beclean.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/castelul-bethlen-pal-beclean.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/castelul-bethlen-pal-beclean.md Last updated: 13 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania