# Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Cluj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/cluj) › [Mănăstirea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/manastirea-cluj) > Renaissance residence of the Keresztúri and Kornis families, now a ruin near Dej: the 1720 gate tower, a neoclassical wing with a colonnade and the plinths of the two unicorns. **At a glance:** Castles and palaces in Mănăstirea, Cluj County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 27 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** A ruin on private land with no visiting hours: it is seen from the outside, best in daylight. - **Visit duration:** 30 min — gate tower and ruins - **With kids:** No — unstable walls - **Parking:** Yes, free — on the roadside - **Best season:** All year round — in summer vegetation covers the ruins - **Address:** on the DJ172F, in the village of Mănăstirea, Mănăstirea, Cluj County - **Coordinates:** 47.1196, 23.9218 - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kornis_Castle - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q763326 - **Categories:** [Castles and palaces](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castele-si-palate), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice) ## About Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea Kornis Castle stands on the edge of the village of Mănăstirea (Szentbenedek in Hungarian), in Mica commune, a few kilometres from Dej. Its story begins in 1573, when Prince Stephen Báthory granted the estate to the prefect Kristóf Keresztúri, who built the "old castle" here, completed around 1593. In the early 17th century the estate passed by marriage to the Kornis family, who added over the centuries a curtain wall with corner towers, a bastion and a fortified gate. The gate tower, rebuilt in 1720 after the Kuruc uprising, is still standing, with the Kornis coat of arms on its stone frame. Beside it, on two plinths, stood two stone unicorns, the family emblem, which gave the place its name of the "Castle of the Unicorns"; after an attempted theft in 2016 the statues were moved to safety. In the 19th century a neoclassical wing was added, modernised between 1906 and 1916. After nationalisation the castle was looted, its library of more than 9,000 volumes was burned, and a restoration begun in 1975 stopped in 1977. The Kornis family recovered it in 2006, and since 2018 an association has been trying to save the ruins. ### What you can see The gate tower is the best-preserved part: it has a window with a pediment and a pointed roof, and on the façade facing the courtyard a relief reproduces the icon of the Virgin from Nicula, brought here by Governor Zsigmond Kornis in 1699. On either side stretch the walls of the enclosure, with narrow windows, and in front of the gate you can see the plinths where the unicorns stood. In the courtyard rise the tall ruins of the old castle, and further on the neoclassical wing, with its colonnade and triangular pediment, is the most intact of the buildings. ### Good to know The castle is private property and an advanced ruin, not set up for visitors: it is seen from the outside, and going into the buildings is dangerous and not advised. ## Don't miss - The gate tower rebuilt in 1720, with the Kornis coat of arms and a window with a pediment. - The stone plinths of the two unicorns, the Kornis family emblem, at the gate. - The tall ruins of the old castle, begun in 1573. - The neoclassical wing with a colonnade and a triangular pediment. - The relief of the Nicula icon on the gate's courtyard façade. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** from Dej it is ~6 km (~10 minutes), on the DJ161D and then the DJ172F, which leads into the village of Mănăstirea. From Gherla it is ~16 km (~20 minutes), and from Cluj-Napoca ~58 km (~1 hour 5 minutes), on the DN1C towards Dej and then the DJ161D and DJ172F. **Public transport:** the simplest way is the train to Dej, then a taxi, ~6 km. ### Where to park There is no car park; cars are left on the roadside, near the entrance to the complex. ### Rules The land is private and the walls and roofs are unstable: do not go into the buildings, do not climb on the walls and do not leave children unattended. Do not leave litter in the grounds. ### Facilities no toilets, shop or café · uneven ground, with tall grass and rubble · restaurants and shops in Dej, ~6 km ## Details - **Construction period:** 1573–1720 - **Architectural style:** Renaissance - **Founder:** Kristóf Keresztúri - **Historical period:** 16th–19th centuries ## Frequently asked questions about Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea **How long does a visit to Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea take?** A visit to Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea takes about 30 min (gate tower and ruins). **Can you visit Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea with kids?** No, Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea is not recommended for visits with children (unstable walls). **Where can I park at Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea?** There is free parking at Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea (on the roadside). There is no car park; cars are left on the roadside, near the entrance to the complex. **How do I get to Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea?** Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea is located at on the DJ172F, in the village of Mănăstirea, Mănăstirea, Cluj County. By car: from Dej it is ~6 km (~10 minutes), on the DJ161D and then the DJ172F, which leads into the village of Mănăstirea. From Gherla it is ~16 km (~20 minutes), and from Cluj-Napoca ~58 km (~1 hour 5 minutes), on the DN1C towards Dej and then the DJ161D and DJ172F. Public transport: the simplest way is the train to Dej, then a taxi, ~6 km. **When is the best time to visit Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea?** The best season for Kornis Castle in Mănăstirea: All year round (in summer vegetation covers the ruins). ## Nearby attractions - [Ocna Dej Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-ocna-dej) — Salt mines · Dej, CJ · 6 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. - [Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Gherla](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-armeano-catolica-gherla) — Churches · Gherla, CJ · 30 min · 13 km The Baroque Holy Trinity church, built by the Armenians of Armenopolis between 1748 and 1804, dominates the centre of Gherla and keeps a Descent from the Cross attributed to Rubens or his school. - [Nicula Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-nicula) — Monasteries · Nicula, CJ · ½ – 1 hours · 17 km The hilltop monastery near Gherla that keeps the icon of the Virgin painted in 1681, which wept in 1699; home to the largest pilgrimage in Transylvania, on the Feast of the Dormition. - [Roman Fort of Ilișua (Arcobadara)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-ilisua) — Monuments and historic sites · Ilișua, BN · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 21 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 Pál Castle in Beclean](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-pal-beclean) — Castles and palaces · Beclean, BN · 15 min · 26 km 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. - [Bethlen András Castle in Beclean](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-andras-beclean) — Castles and palaces · Beclean, BN · 15 min · 27 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. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-kornis-manastirea Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/castelul-kornis-manastirea.md Last updated: 27 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania