Want To Stay In A Castle? Look No Further Than This Amazing Castle Hotel

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When Charlie and I realized that we would be spending several weeks in Hungary this summer for his work, I immediately set out to research interesting adventures along our route. Typically a 9 and half hour drive from Munich to the eastern Hungarian city of Debrecen, the route is long, but much more fun if broken up for sightseeing along the way. It was in this research that I stumbled upon the beauty of Schossberger Castle, located about an hour outside of Budapest, which now operates as the Botaniq Castle Of Tura, a high end hotel and event venue. To capitalize on this once in a lifetime experience and celebrate our five year anniversary a bit early, we booked a room and upon arrival were instantly transported into a world we have never experienced. Butlers and bellhops. Spas and gardens. Service I would have only imagined in the movies, but here at Botaniq really exists. So, if you are hoping to add a stay in a castle to your bucket list, look no further than this amazing castle hotel nestled into the countryside of Hungary! 

The History Of Schossberger Hotel 

Zsigmond Schossberger built this beautiful castle in 1883 with many features that were quite modern for the day including central heating, electricity and bathrooms for each floor. Great attention to detail was given not only to the house, but also to the roughly 25 acres surrounding the house with a mix of structured European gardens and relaxed natural landscape. Unfortunately after Schossberger passed and history unfolded, the castle was taken over by the German and then Russian military before being used as a primary school until 1973. Following these unsettled years, the castle fell into disrepair with risk of collapse under a series of owners before being completely restored in 2016 to become the Botaniq Castle of Tura. The stone, plaster, wall paintings, roof, floors, and virtually every interior and exterior surface was restored with amazing care to create the historical yet modernized beauty that remains today. 

Since the restoration and establishment of Botaniq, the Castle of Tura has won many awards including the Best European Castle Hotel 2021 award, Landscape Architecture Level Award 2021, Hungary’s Best 5 Star Hotel 2022 award, Michelin Guide Hungary 2023 for their Clarisse Restaurant and many more. You can be sure that if you enjoy time at the Schossberger Hotel, you will be experiencing a fairytale best of the best. 

The Botaniq Experience 

Not only is Botaniq itself a work of art, but the amenities and experience of the castle are quite incredible. Upon arriving, guests are greeted by staff quick to help with luggage, offer a drink and explain the hotel. Within the hotel itself, guests can enjoy game rooms, lounges, a bar, breakfast in the palm house, dinner at their Michelin Guide restaurant, Clarisse, an outdoor pool and access to their spa. The Botaniq spa is complete with many amenities and services including an indoor pool, saunas, salt rooms, lounge space and more. While their outdoor pool was a bit chilly while we were there, we thoroughly enjoyed the indoor spa area. 

Gastronomy 

In addition to their spa, one of our favorite parts of our stay in a castle was the amazing food presented at the Clarisse restaurant for dinner and the Palm House for breakfast and lunch. From the service to the food, each meal was a delight and a stunning mastery of cuisine. While I have not experienced any other Michelin Guide restaurants, from the service and experience we had at Clarisse, I can only say it surpassed all of my expectations! 

Grounds 

If hoping to explore the grounds, guests have the opportunity to use a separate fitness area, their rose gardens and walking trails with ponds and benches to enjoy the scenery throughout. Likewise, if you have any interest in enjoying other local excursions, Botaniq has a variety of tours and activities they are happy to coordinate including cultural sights, gastronomic experiences, hunting and outdoor adventures. As we were staying for just a short time, we primarily enjoyed the hotel, grounds, spa and delicious meals onsite, however each one of their experiences appears delightful as well. 

Investment 

Due to its location in the countryside of Hungary, Botaniq and many of the amenities are an investment however for us, they were much more attainable than perhaps if they were located in another region (for instance, most of their culinary courses ranged from about 4,000 to 17,000 Hungarian Forint, equivalent to roughly 10 to 40 dollars, which is high for the average course within Hungary but standard for Munich). That being said, as Botaniq has increasingly gained attention as a luxurious castle stay, their prices (particularly room rates) have increased as well, even since we visited a few weeks back. If you are looking for a delightful, once in a lifetime (for us at least!) stay in a castle though, the Castle of Tura is a must add to your list. 

Final Thoughts 

While I never in my wildest dreams imagined we would get to stay in a castle such as this one, experiencing Botaniq was such an amazing time and certainly was an anniversary trip to remember! If I could go back to our 21 year old selves and tell them how beautiful this life would be; how much we would learn; how much we would grow. How good and hard and beautiful and fragile and dying to oneself and one another and filled with grace upon grace. Even with enjoying more travel right now while living abroad, our everyday really isn’t staying in castles or wild adventures but slow Tuesdays and nightly devotions and evenings with family and friends and ever leaning into our Lord who holds it all in His hand. Our past 5 years may not be anything like the “5 year plan” we dreamed years ago but oh how I am in awe of the story the Lord has given us instead. If you are planning a celebratory adventure in awe of all the Lord has done, I hope you might be able to enjoy a getaway stay in a castle like this one or add it to your bucket list for future adventures. 

Happy exploring!

Chloe 

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