Castle Degenfeld Schomburg , Balc, Romania

Castle Degenfeld Schomburg , set in 20 hectares with thermal waters, it was built in 1484 by Bishop Janos Pruisz.

The castle is located in North-West Romania, in Balc, Bihor County, easily accessible by the A3 highway which gives direct access to Bucharest.

The location itself is picturesque with the region renowned for hunting.

Although in need of renovation and refurbishment the Castle could be suited for many purposes: a grand residence, thermal baths, boutique hotel.

Main buildings: 

C1, C2, C6 (3,657 square meters) – contain the original castle and outbuildings connected together via a walkway. At one time these contained guest rooms.

C3, C4, C7, C8 (2,257 square meters) – comprise other buildings (apartments, offices) on either side of the old entrance to the castle.

C5 (1,954 square meters)– houses the balneotherapy section. The water here is Medically certified thermal water, from a depth of 400 meters at a temperature of 46C. Oil has also been found in the area.

Composition of mineral water – the water is high in mineral content (4951,8 mgr/litre). NaCl (salt) accounts for 3858,7 mgr/liter. At the same time the calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonate (CaMgHC03) content is notable. According to Hungarian categorization this water belongs to an earth-limestone water group.

Health benefits of mineral water – Degenerative rheumatism, post trauma rehabilitation, peripheral neurological diseases, some skin diseases (such as psoriasis) and gynecological diseases.

There are other buildings on the property, ticket offices, changing rooms by an old lido, a disco etc. These are situated at the far end of the property.

The total square meters of constructed areas including old pools and outlying buildings = 12,683 square meters (9030 square surface meters)

Existing bedroom accommodation – Some of the buildings listed here housed accommodation units. A rough estimate gives a total of 87 bedrooms in the entire estate.

Heritage building/protected status – the original buildings are classed as “B” listed by the monument authority. This means that whilst the original structure is protected, there are no restrictions when it comes to altering its functions and constructing additional buildings (subject to planning approval).

Description of the main buildings:

C1 (Original Castle) 2,375 square meters: Basement – 11 rooms / Ground floor – 8 rooms, 3 terraces, 2 halls, 4 bathrooms / 1st floor – 11 rooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 halls, 4 terraces / 2nd floor – 9 rooms, 5 bathrooms, 3 halls, 2 staircases, 2 terraces / 3rd floor – 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 cloakroom, 2 halls, 1 terrace, 3 staircases / 4th floor – water storage. Total number of guest rooms 23 approx.

C2 (Connecting to the castle) 1,029 square meters: Ground floor – 20 rooms, 9 bathrooms, 5 halls / 1st floor – 16 rooms, 4 halls, 7 bathrooms, 2 terraces. Total number of guest rooms 36 approx.

C3 (Long building leading up to the castle) 1186 square meters. 19 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, 17 hallways, 1 wine cellar, 1 watch tower.

C4 (Long building leading up to the castle) 724 square meters. 9 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms. 1 club house 182 square meters.

C5 (Balneotherapy spa). Pool and treatment rooms 1954 square meters.