Ruins of Bálványos Castle

One of the most beautiful resorts of Treiscaune/Háromszék region took shape at the altitude of 850-900 m, where the Bodoc/Bodoki-, the Turia/Torjai- and the Ciumatu-Puturosu/Csomád-Büdös mountains meet. The building of the spa itself started on the venue of the former Csiszár-spa and the Transylvania spa. Today, we can see a restaurant, a motel and a camping, as well as lots of private villas, which are peeping from among the leaves of the oak and hornbeam foliage. Furthermore, several mineral water springs with healing properties break surface throughout the settlement and in its neighborhood.

The ruins of the legendary Bálványosvár are there, on top of the 1056 m high Várhegy. As it is also claimed by the archaeologists, the chateaux are one of the oldest medieval buildings in South-Eastern Transylvania, dating back to the 11th or 12th century. The name Bálványosvár is a hint to the subsistence of the Sekler ancient idolatrous religion even after their affiliation with Christianity (translator’s note: the English equivalent of „Bálványosvár” is „Castle with Idols”). For centuries on, the chateaux was in the property of the historically famous Apor (Opur) family. The 240 m long wall of the lower fortress can hardly be noticed there, in the middle of the forest, however, the 1, 8-2 m thick wall of the inner fortress is still 5-6 m high at places. The ruined tetragonal mass tower in the inner northern corner has never ceased to beam force and power.

The saying goes that the castle was being built by giants and fairies, and that it was inhabited by the heathen István Apor, who caught sight of the sole daughter of the Mike family at a local fair in Turia/Torja. She was breathtakingly beautiful and rich, and it was love at first sight. She also fell in love with István Apor but the lovers could not get married as István refused to convert to the Catholic faith. As a last resort solution, the grieving young man stole his bride after a Sunday mass and took her up into the castle. Imola’s mother summoned the people of Turia/Torja and they besieged the castle. They almost succeeded to conquer it when the girl found the solution: she asked István to take up Christianity, in order for the danger to cease, and their togetherness is blessed. The young man was implacable but he promised to have their children baptized. On hearing that, the raging crowd and the priests would calm down, and the besiegers would turn into wedding guests.

But the fairies, lodging within the chateaux and building it ceaselessly from dusk till dawn, went blind with rage on hearing István Apor’s promise. They cast a curse, and the chateaux would immediately fall to the ground. In the chaos of all that booming and roaring, Imola started to pray to God in a tinkling voice, and István joined her in her prayer. And God would listen to their petition. When the storm blew over and everything hushed down, the young couple stood safe and sound there, in the middle of the ruins. Then they would rejoice in good faith and would hold a glorious wedding. According to another version of the story, István took up Christianity the very same day, and the heathen fairies vanished from the chateaux for good.