The castle
It is still in existence, unlike so many castles in Hungary. However, it
was built by a Hungarian aristocrat whose loyalty to the Hapsburgs outweighed
his affection to his own nation.
The castle, when it was finished in about 1777, looked more modest than
was originally planned. Still, it is among the features of the town. The
building is still in existence, but the relics of His Majesty's stay have
disappeared from the tower room. The Kaiser's stay in Tata was not a joyful
one: Napoleon's troops advanced as far as Győr and forced the emperor to
escape. It was here that he had to sign the peace treaty dictated from
Schönbrunn by Bonaparte.
The castle is still in existence and King Charles IV, the last anointed
Hungarian king, who in 1921 tried to regain his throne by force, was entertained
here by pro-Hapsburg Ferenc Esterházy after the unsuccessful attempt. Even
Esterházy was not able to prevent the king's arrest.
The building remained what it was-from outside. Inside? Perhaps, sometime
it will get a new role, worthy to its beauty.
