Bory Castle

Bory Castle (Bory-vár) is a unique amateur creation on the eastern outskirts of Székesfehérvár — turrets, arcades, courtyards, statues, and a chapel, all built single-handedly by the sculptor Jenő Bory over more than four decades. It is part castle, part sculpture park, part outsider-art statement, and it is unlike anything else in the country.

The interiors are filled with Bory's own sculptures and his wife's paintings, including hundreds of portraits of Ilona herself. The most striking spaces are the inner courtyards and the upper terraces, which combine Mediterranean colour with central European stonework. It's about 4 km from the centre, easily reached by bus or taxi, and well worth the half-hour out and back.

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A story
The sculptor Jenő Bory began building this fantasy castle in 1923 as a present for his wife, the painter Ilona Komócsin. He spent every summer at it for forty years, working largely with his own hands and a few helpers, mixing Romanesque, Gothic, Scottish baronial, and his own invention. The result is one of the strangest and most personal pieces of architecture in Hungary.