Criș Bethlen Castle

Kreisch, Romania, Romania

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Criș Bethlen Castle in Criș (Kreisch), Mureș County, Romania, is a Renaissance-style fortified noble residence built by the Bethlen family, with its first construction phase around 1519 and major expansions in 1559 by György Bethlen I, adding a cylindrical tower in 1598 under Mihály Bethlen II, and completing fortifications like corner bastions in the late 17th century under Elek Bethlen II. Featuring defensive walls, Gothic vaults, rich Renaissance sculptures, an arched loggia on stone columns, and an emblematic archers' tower, it served as a family stronghold tied to Transylvanian history and literature, including works by Farkas Bethlen. Owned continuously by the Bethlens until 1949 nationalization, it endured as one of Transylvania's finest Renaissance examples but now stands preserved yet secluded amid rural hills.