Thököly Fortress

Cehu Silvaniei, Romania, Romania

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Thököly Fortress in Cehu Silvaniei, Sălaj County, Romania, began as an earth-and-wood royal stronghold first documented in 1319 under King Charles Robert of Anjou, later rebuilt in stone by the Drágffy family around 1526. It changed hands among noble families like Báthory, Gyulafi, and Thököly after 1671—earning its name—and endured sieges by Bethlen in 1616, Ottomans, and imperial troops, becoming a key border fort post-1660. Ravaged over centuries, its outer walls vanished in the 19th century, and post-1989 looting stripped the Bornemissza mansion of treasures like an angel-adorned fireplace, leaving ruins with a unique Renaissance "Thököly Fountain" tied to local tunnel legends.