Kaštel Ečka

The Lázár-Harnoncourt Castle is located 10 km south of Zrenjanin. The 17-hectare land was bought by Lukács Lázár, an Armenian cattle merchant, in 1781. The construction of the mansion was started by János Lázár, and it was completed by Ágoston Lázár, and in 1820, at the opening, nine-year-old Franz Liszt gave concert here. The L-shaped estate includes, beside the castle building, a riding-arena, a water tower and a garden, while in its immediate vicinity there are fish ponds. A Roman Catholic church was erected next to it. The estate in Ečka had been owned by the Lázár family for 160 years and had undergone a number of transformations with their increasing power. It reached its final size and form at the beginning of the 20th century. The impressive building of the castle has become a significant cultural centre in Banat. The large garden did not survive in its original grandeur; the whole estate was hard hit by the wars. Today privately owned castle hotel is a popular tourist destination and home of an art colony. Since 2001, it has been a protected monument.