Andrássy Palace, in Betlér, Slovakia

Andrássy Palace ranks as one of Slovakia's most beautiful and valuable historical monuments. It is also the most visited national monument in Gömör County. Located just north of Rozsnyó, the castle is surrounded by a 70 hectare (173 acres) English landscape garden. The garden is filled with fountains, statues, romantic garden pavilions, exotic vegetation and other rare delights. In fact, it was included on the list of the World's Historic Gardens in 1977. The rich collection includes furniture, paintings, weapons, porcelain and glass from both the Andrássy family themselves as well as their peers. The high value and rarity of some of these pieces, as well as the hunting trophies, reveal the diverse interest and lives of the former occupants. Following its complete renovation in 1994, the caste received the Europa Nostra Award, celebrating the best of European cultural heritage.

 

Perhaps the most significant part of the palace is the library with its 20,000 books. The original library was located in the rotunda, but at the end of the 19th century the collection was moved to the current library room.