The sad story behind Spitzer Castle

Time is continuous. It tramples everything that people neglect. If we neglect ourselves, time will trample us too, like the walls of some old buildings where no one lives anymore. The years pass unstoppably and do not forgive carelessness. If we don't take care of something, it will fail.

Two days ago I visited a place that has been trampled by time. It's the abandoned Spitzer Castle. Yesterday I wrote about it on Hive, and I would like to share it with you as well.

Although I don't like sad experiences, I find them worthwhile. My curiosity always prevails, and so it was when I slipped through the hole in the metal fence to approach the castle that caught my attention while driving on the road to the picnic area in the Beocin town, in the north of Serbia.

Easy steps sometimes lead us to difficult stories. As I was going down the stairs covered with leaves that no one picks up, I came across a sign that said that access to the castle is strictly prohibited due to the danger of falling. I don't like breaking the rules and putting myself in danger, but my curiosity is stronger than my fear. I have never been to this place before. As soon as I stepped into the immediate vicinity of the castle, I was overcome by strong emotions.

I started to explore. I met two men who were photographing the castle from the outside. They said it was not safe to go in, but there was nothing to see inside anyway. Then they left and I was alone, at least I hope I was alone. 😊

Spitzer Castle was built at the end of the 19th century by one of the owners of the cement factory located in Beocin, which still exists and works today. It is not known with certainty whether he was a German or a Hungarian Jew, but what is certain is that he was very rich and that he chose a nice and peaceful place to live, on the banks of the Danube River.

When you look at the castle, something hurts and you don't feel comfortable. Human carelessness hurts. The once luxurious castle with a beautiful garden is now an abandoned, half-ruined building, overgrown with weeds and covered with the leaves of the surrounding plane trees and trash that people leave behind.

This imposing castle and a masterpiece of architecture of its time, today is called a house of ghosts or lost souls that causes fear among the locals. People are more capable of inventing scary stories and believing them than contributing to restore this place to its glory.

Locals are also afraid that this castle could collapse and cause damage or that a fire could break out in it. This fear is completely justified. The place is dangerous and a warning sign can only be a temporary solution, but unfortunately, nothing has been happening here for years regarding renovation. And it's very sad because a lot of effort was put into making this beautiful castle that amazed people with its beauty and left them breathless, every time they passed by it.

The facade of the castle is decorated with various ornaments, sculptures of lions, dragons and birds in flight. In addition to the fact that the construction of the castle was a demonstration of the power of its owner, it also aimed to show the quality of the cement produced in the factory. Everything that was valuable was taken from the castle, only the walls and their cracks remained, which still stand the test of time.

Under the outer stairs are cracks through which the underground rooms can be seen. They say that there are often homeless people there. I peeked and saw only trash and a blanket. Maybe there was someone inside, I wasn't sure because the sounds of rustling leaves were present all the time.

I climbed the stairs slowly listening and observing if there was anyone inside. There was a lot of trash, very disappointing. The once shining walls are now covered with various inscriptions and graffiti.

It is noticeable that the castle is full of details that made it very luxurious in the past. The rooms are spacious, with large windows. This castle was the inspiration for filming many movies, such as the movie Kelly's Heroes from the 70s of the 20th century, in which Clint Eastwood played the main role.

But there is also a sad story, hidden between these walls. The daughter of the owner of the castle committed suicide because of forbidden love. This is another reason why this castle is considered "haunted".

Whether they are true or not, stories and memories are the only thing left of the castle. Unlike walls, they cannot be collapsed.

Thank you very much for reading.

The article and the images are original and mine.

The article was also published on Hive, by me.