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virtual excursion 360°Geographical Location Beltinci Castle is situated in the heart of Pomurje, in the town of Beltinci, by the Mura River. It stands in a park in the center of the settlement, in the immediate vicinity of the Church of St. Ladislaus. Its location is characteristic of the Pannonian plain: the manor is surrounded by a baroque-style park, where, in addition to native trees, numerous exotic species were planted. In the past, the park covered about 14 hectares and contained around 1,600 trees, half of them exotic, which gave the space a special grandeur.
History The original manor is believed to have been built as early as the 13th century, but the present castle began to take shape in the early 16th century, when it was constructed by the Banffy counts. In the 17th century, it was remodeled into a one‑story manor with typical Pannonian architecture, a Renaissance castellum, and arcaded corridors.
Later, the owners often changed: Banffy was succeeded by Francis Nadasdy, who was beheaded for participating in the conspiracy of the Zrinski and Frankopan families, and whose descendants lost their hereditary rights.
The estate then passed to Győr bishop George Széchényi, and later to the families Ebergény, Csaky, Gyika, Sina, and Wimpffen.
The last noble family was Zichy; under Maria Iphigenia Zichy (1883–1977), the castle remained in their possession until 1945, when it was confiscated and plundered.
A special feature of the castle are its underground vaulted passages: one connects the castle with the church, and another leads to the granary. At the corners, three round towers with conical roofs have been preserved, giving the building a picturesque appearance.
Present Use Beltinci Castle was once the center of social and political life, and today it remains the cultural heart of Beltinci.
It houses:
permanent exhibitions on healthcare and noble families,
the salon of Maria Zichy,
a wedding hall,
a restaurant,
the headquarters of the Beltinci Institute for Tourism, Culture, and Sport.
The collection was created by Nikolaj Szepessy, a physician from Beltinci, who spent many years gathering and researching material on healthcare in Pomurje. His work is complemented by furniture and objects from the former Bölcse pharmacy in Murska Sobota, as well as the legacy of ophthalmologist Jože Pečan.
Contents of the Exhibition
Pharmacy section: Equipment from the sales area, jars, scales, mortars, documents, and furniture from the pharmacy, which operated between 1892 and 1950.
Medicine preparation room: Demonstration of the preparation of teas, ointments, and medicinal remedies.
Trachoma clinic: A special display shows the equipment of a clinic for treating trachoma, an infectious eye disease that was widespread in Pomurje until the first half of the 20th century.
Objects of folk medicine: The collection also presents traditional healing practices such as padarstvo (folk surgery) and mazaštvo (folk healing), which were typical of the rural Prekmurje region.
Significance of the Collection
Historical insight: The collection reveals the conditions in which people lived without access to modern medicine and illustrates the transition from folk healing to institutional healthcare.
Memorial value: Older visitors recall the difficult times of illness and scarcity, while younger ones marvel at the simplicity of former healing methods.
Cultural heritage: The collection is part of the permanent exhibition of the Pomurje Museum and holds the status of an important document on the development of healthcare in the region.
