# Sükösd-Bethlen Castle [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Brașov County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) › [Racoș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/racos) > A Renaissance castle from 1624 with a square courtyard, round corner bastions and a gate tower bearing the Bethlen arms, in the centre of Racoș, ~60 km from Brașov. **At a glance:** Castles and palaces in Racoș, Brașov County. Ticket: 25 lei. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 24 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** The castle is run by the Alsórákosért Association; for visiting hours, phone the administrator before you set out. - **Ticket:** 25 lei — children 15 lei - **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — courtyard, galleries and tower - **With kids:** Yes — large courtyard to explore - **Parking:** Yes, free — in the village, next to the castle - **Best season:** April – October — summer, as the courtyard is open-air - **Address:** Strada Principală no. 137, in the centre of the commune, Racoș, Brașov County - **Coordinates:** 46.02358, 25.40834 - **Phone:** +40 758 718 639 - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castelul_S%C3%BCk%C3%B6sd-Bethlen - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20430181 - **Categories:** [Castles and palaces](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castele-si-palate) ## About Sükösd-Bethlen Castle Sükösd-Bethlen Castle in Racoș (Alsórákos) was begun in 1624 by György Sükösd, a trusted man of Prince Gabriel Bethlen, who turned the noble residence here into a fortification. A barely legible inscription on the south-west bastion preserves the date. After the Sükösd family died out, the estate passed through several hands and in 1694 reached Samuel Bethlen, who added the gate tower, dated 1700. In 1903 the castle was bought by the Racoș community. In the 20th century the buildings served as an agricultural cooperative's office, stables and a grain store, and the 1977 earthquake made the decay worse. The restoration begun in the 1990s was never completed. The monument (LMI code BV-II-a-A-11754) is now run by the Alsórákosért Association under a rental contract and is set up for visitors. ### What you can see The complex has a square plan, with thick stone walls around an inner courtyard and round bastions at the corners. The easiest feature to recognise is the gate tower on the south side, with four or five levels and a pointed roof, bearing the Bethlen arms on its façade. In the courtyard you can see the surviving ranges, with wooden galleries on the upper floor, while some parts, such as the palace and the knights' hall, have disappeared. The restored portico survives on the north side. ### Good to know The castle is a partly consolidated ruin, not a fully restored monument: unrestored areas may be dilapidated, and the courtyard is treated as an open space. The village lies next to a geological complex with an extinct volcano, a lake and basalt columns, often visited on the same day. ## Don't miss - The gate tower with the Bethlen arms and the date 1700, the landmark of the complex. - The square inner courtyard, enclosed by thick stone walls. - The round corner bastions with their conical roofs. - The wooden galleries on the upper floor of the surviving ranges, seen from the courtyard. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Racoș is ~60 km from Brașov (~1 h). Leave the Brașov–Sighișoara national road (DN13) near Hoghiz, then drive ~12 km towards Racoș; the castle is in the centre of the commune, on the main street. **Public transport:** connections from Brașov to Racoș are limited; check local timetables before you travel. ### Where to park Park in the village, next to the castle; the walk from the car to the entrance is short. ### Fees & discounts Adults 25 lei, children 15 lei. ### Rules The monument is partly unrestored: follow the administrator's instructions, take care on stairs and in unrestored areas, and do not climb on the walls. Children must stay under adult supervision. ### Facilities Inner courtyard · parking in the village ## Details - **Construction period:** 1624 - **Architectural style:** Renaissance - **Founder:** György Sükösd ## Frequently asked questions about Sükösd-Bethlen Castle **How much is a ticket to Sükösd-Bethlen Castle?** A ticket to Sükösd-Bethlen Castle costs 25 lei (children 15 lei). Adults 25 lei, children 15 lei. **How long does a visit to Sükösd-Bethlen Castle take?** A visit to Sükösd-Bethlen Castle takes about ½ – 1 hours (courtyard, galleries and tower). **Can you visit Sükösd-Bethlen Castle with kids?** Yes, Sükösd-Bethlen Castle is suitable for children (large courtyard to explore). **Where can I park at Sükösd-Bethlen Castle?** There is free parking at Sükösd-Bethlen Castle (in the village, next to the castle). Park in the village, next to the castle; the walk from the car to the entrance is short. **How do I get to Sükösd-Bethlen Castle?** Sükösd-Bethlen Castle is located at Strada Principală no. 137, in the centre of the commune, Racoș, Brașov County. By car: Racoș is ~60 km from Brașov (~1 h). Leave the Brașov–Sighișoara national road (DN13) near Hoghiz, then drive ~12 km towards Racoș; the castle is in the centre of the commune, on the main street. Public transport: connections from Brașov to Racoș are limited; check local timetables before you travel. **When is the best time to visit Sükösd-Bethlen Castle?** The best season for Sükösd-Bethlen Castle: April – October (summer, as the courtyard is open-air). ## Nearby attractions - [Racoș Basalt Columns](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/coloanele-de-bazalt-racos) — National parks and reserves · Racoș, BV · 25 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · 2 km A 10–12 m wall of columnar basalt at Racoș, a natural monument within a geological complex that also has an extinct volcano and the Emerald Lake; an easy circuit of about 2 hours takes in all three. - [Jimbor Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-jimbor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Jimbor, BV · 30 min · 13 km A ruined peasant fortress with a stone curtain wall and towers on a hill at the edge of Jimbor village, on the road from Rupea towards the Székely Land; it bears a restoration inscription dated 1692. - [Homorod Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-homorod) — Churches · Homorod, BV · 45 min · 13 km A 13th-century Romanesque hall church with an eight-storey keep above the old choir, two rings of walls and fragments of medieval wall paintings, a few kilometres from Rupea. - [Hoghiz Roman Fort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-hoghiz) — Monuments and historic sites · Hoghiz, BV · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 15 km The largest auxiliary fort in eastern Dacia, on a terrace by the Olt west of the village of Hoghiz: earth banks and traces of walls in the fields, part of the UNESCO site of the Dacian limes. - [Kálnoky Castle in Micloșoara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-kalnoky-miclosoara) — Castles and palaces · Micloșoara, CV · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 18 km A Renaissance hunting manor of the Counts Kálnoky, begun in 1648, with bastions and rare stucco work, restored and opened in 2017 as the Museum of Transylvanian Life, with guided tours. - [Drăușeni Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-drauseni) — Churches · Drăușeni, BV · 30 min · 20 km A Romanesque basilica of the 13th century, strengthened in 1494 with an 8-metre enclosure wall, in the easternmost Saxon village on the Royal Land; its west portal is among the finest stone carving in Transylvania. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-sukosd-bethlen Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/castelul-sukosd-bethlen.md Last updated: 24 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania