Zabola Estate - Transylvania

Zăbala, Romania, Romania

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Zabola Estate in Zăbala, Romania, is a historic noble domain spanning 500 hectares in Transylvania's Carpathian foothills, owned by the Mikes family—a Székely-Hungarian noble line—for over 600 years since the 15th century when it began as a fortress. Evolving through Renaissance and Baroque phases, it features the Old Castle (17th century, expanded 19th century), New Castle (early 1900s by Count Armin Mikes with offices and suites), Machine House, Saddle House, and other outbuildings amid a 50-hectare park with lakes, rare trees, and forests supporting wildlife conservation. Nationalized in 1949 under communism and used as a sanatorium, it was reclaimed by heirs like Countess Katalin Mikes's sons in the 2000s after legal battles, then restored into a luxury heritage resort with guesthouses, spa, stables, and trails blending noble legacy with modern eco-tourism.