Fekete-kastély, or the Black Castle, is an abandoned manor hidden within an overgrown park near Balatonederics in Hungary. What draws visitors here isn't scenic grandeur but a chilling history of tragedy, murder and suicide that has earned the estate its dark reputation.

The building stands surrounded by a wild, untended park that was once a carefully kept aristocratic garden. Nature has since reclaimed the grounds - old trees, thick undergrowth and silence create a haunting, melancholic atmosphere, especially in autumn and winter when mist settles over the crumbling walls. In summer, the gentle hills and vineyards of the Balaton region soften the mood considerably.

How to get there

• Balatonederics - easy walk from the village, flat terrain, about 15-20 minutes

Practical information

• The castle is currently in a very neglected state and cannot be visited inside
• Its name comes from the once-black roof, or according to another version, its black-painted doors and windows

The estate's history is genuinely bone-chilling - from a political execution, through a jealousy-driven murder, to a string of suicides among owners and their partners, including a notorious 'black widow' linked to the deaths of several men in her life. It all makes Fekete-kastély one of the most unusual sites around Lake Balaton.