Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
11 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
14 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
18 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Romania Ozd Castle of Magyarózd

Castle of Magyarózd

Home of the first female Hungarian poet, where her secret writing lay hidden for over a century.

Ozd, Romania

Added By
Emese
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Emese Fromm / Atlas Obscura User
  Emese Fromm / Atlas Obscura User
  Emese Fromm / Atlas Obscura User
  Emese Fromm / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This small castle in Magyarózd, Transylvania, dating from the Renaissance era and still standing, kept a secret for over a century. The countess who lived there between 1681 and 1704 wrote poems that no one knew about during her lifetime. When found, they proved to be of true literary value.

Known as the first Hungarian female poet, Kata Szidónia Petrőczy moved to the castle in Magyarózd (or "Ozd" in Romanian; Magyarózd is the Hungarian name) after marrying a handsome but fickle general. She still loved him when he grew chilled towards her, and instead of confronting him, heartbroken, she spent her days writing poetry, seeking an explanation for her husband’s infidelities.

Though she was writing and translating pious prose of the Hungarian Baroque era for public use, Petrőczy kept her poems for herself, hidden in the castle where she lived raising her five daughters.

A general in the Kurutz army, fighting for independence from the Habsburg empire, her husband, Lőrincz Pekry, was often off at battle, when not chasing other women. During one of these battles, in 1709, the Austrian troops followed him to his castle. He suspected them coming and moved his family out of harm’s way, but finding it empty, the enemy set the castle on fire. Most of the castle burned down, but not all.

In later years, the husband of one of his daughters, Ádám Radák, rebuilt the castle, finishing it in 1732. (Today it is also known as the Radák Pekry Castle.) It still stands on a hill in a tiny village in the Transylvanian countryside, accessible only through a dirt road, where people still drive horse-drawn carriages beside cars. 

During the Communist era, the state used the castle as a kindergarten, school, a cultural center, and temporary housing for teachers, but let it fall into disrepair. Today the Bonus Pastor Foundation owns the historic castle, and after a partial renovation, it is being used as a drug addiction rehabilitation center.

Related Tags

Women Poetry Writing Writers Castles History Love

Know Before You Go

Getting to the castle is a bit tricky, and there is no guarantee that your GPS will work. The closest town is Ludus, in Mures county, 11 miles (18 km) away. Head to the town’s main train station and cross the railroad, taking Strada Garii. Follow it until it meets Strada Pictor Nicolae Grigorescu. Make a left unto this street. Stay on it for 10 miles (16 km), then at the fork go left towards Atintis, Bichis, and Ozd (you’ll see a sign for at least one of these villages).

Continue for about 4 miles (7 km), and at the next fork, turn left again. Yes, now you will be on a narrow road, and you will feel you are in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy the scenery. For the last few miles, the road will turn to dirt. Keep going, and you will see the castle on your right. 

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights

Discover Romania's Medieval Castles & Culture.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Emese Fromm

Published

May 27, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Castle of Magyarózd
Ozd, 547123
Romania
46.356131, 24.113538

Nearby Places

Salina Turda

Turda, Romania

miles away

Sighișoara Saxon Cemetery

Sighișoara, Romania

miles away

Towers of Sighișoara

Sighișoara, Romania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Romania

Romania

Europe

Places 73
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Salina Turda

Turda, Romania

miles away

Sighișoara Saxon Cemetery

Sighișoara, Romania

miles away

Towers of Sighișoara

Sighișoara, Romania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Romania

Romania

Europe

Places 73
Stories 5

Related Places

  • The Tower of Joan of Arc rising over Rouen.

    Rouen, France

    Tower of Joan of Arc

    This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

  • Blake’s cottage in Felpham.

    Bognor Regis, England

    Blake's Cottage

    Poet William Blake penned some of his most famous work during his brief stay at this beloved country cottage.

  • Kenilworth Castle

    Kenilworth, England

    Kenilworth Castle

    This ruined medieval castle was the scene of Lord Robert Dudley’s seductive reception for Queen Elizabeth I.

  • Cotonou, Benin

    Amazon Statue

    The 100-foot-tall (30-meter) bronze statue was built to recognize the world's only documented all-female army.

  • The main gate of Chōshō-ji Temple, built in 1629.

    Hirosaki, Japan

    Zenringai (Zen Temple Street)

    These 33 Zen Buddhist temples were built to protect the nearby castle.

  • Orihuela, Spain

    Murales de San Isidro

    A working-class suburb has become an open-air art museum dedicated to a local poet and hero of the Spanish Civil War.

  • The mural at night.

    Hanamaki, Japan

    ‘Future City Galactic Earth Railway’

    A fantastical glow-in-the-dark mural inspired by the city’s most famous writer, Kenji Miyazawa.

  • Statue of Stephanie Beauharnais

    Mannheim, Germany

    Statue Stephanie de Beauharnais

    This easily overlooked statue depicts an important woman in Mannheim's history.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.