Spitzer Castle

Spitzer Castle is located in the town of Beocin, on the slopes of Fruska Gora. The castle was built in the late 19th century (1898) by Ede Spitzer, one of the owners of Beocin cement factory, whose family was of German origin. Spitzer family lived in the castle until the beginning of World War II, when they moved to Germany, where their descendants still live. During the war, the castle served as the headquarters of the German command, and after the war it was a school, a library, a cultural center and a handball club. Already in an advanced stage of demolition, it even served as a restaurant one short time. 

After that, the Spitzer castle is completely abandoned and it remains to this day. Nowadays people of Beocin use to call it the "ghost house", since it is, as you can seen, in very poor condition. The interior and exterior are significantly damaged, but still contain an enormous variety of unusual, interesting and somewhat bizarre architectural details. 

Spitzer Castle is one of the rare examples of eclectic architecture in Vojvodina, which combines different architectural styles - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and modern styles known as Jugendstil and Art Nouveau. The interior is a characteristic example of the Hungarian Art Nouveau, especially interesting is the fireplace made of green Zsolnay ceramics, located in the main hall of the castle. 

The castle is situated in the middle of the park that was created at a time when the castle was built, but it is now a messy mix of shrubs and trees. In the backyard there is a small pavilion, as well as imitation wells created for the purposes of popular serbian film "Black Cat, White Cat". Since the castle is ruined and abandoned, it is possible to freely enter in, walk through the garden, climb the floor or go out on the balcony.

Stained-glass windows of the castle Spicer were made of colored glass that has retained its vibrant colors. The stained glass windows have a floral theme and are quite damaged, but remained a fascinating sight. The castle has a large terrace and numerous external architectural ornaments in the form of human figures, dragons, etc.

In 1997. the building was declared a cultural monument, but if THIS is the way you treat a cultural monument than it is a real disgrace. There have been rumours that the castle recently acquired a German company, that is planning to renovate it and relocate its headquarters there, but this information is not verified, and so far it looks like nothing is happening. In any case, it is recommended to visit the castle until that happens, and while it is still possible to enter.

Kapetanovo Castle

Kapetanovo Castle is located in the area outside of any town on the road Zrenjanin - Vrsac near the village of Stari Lec in northeastern Serbia. This neo-gothic castle was built in 1904 by the Mayor Botka Bela, who wanted to create a residence that would resemble a medieval castle. In 1991, it was included on the national list of monuments of culture of great importance, and since then it has been protected.

The building is an example of extreme neo-Gothic architectural concept of harmonious proportions. On three sides are high gables, with stepped edges, which rise above the rooftops. On the fourth side of the square is the high tower with serrated endings, which mimics the medieval castles. All windows have severely broken Gothic arches. Its location outside of the village and the exemplary architecture, make this buliding an extremely interesting example of pseudo-medieval castle.

Interesting is the story of Kapetnovo's past. After losing almost all of his wealth on gambling, Bela decided to sell the castle, as the last possible solution to solve his financial situation. After he told his wife Ema about this, she was so devastated that on the night of 2nd of August, 1938, she climbed to the highest tower of the castle, poured gasoline on herself and burned to death. 

That same year, the castle was bought at auction by a wealthy merchant Franc May as a dowry for his daughter. After the wedding, the daughter and her husband Milan Kapetanov moved in, and the castle took his name, that has stayed to this day. During this time, Kapetanovo flourished. The couple created large fountains and gardens all around the castle compound, and the only part that was constantly locked was the tallest tower, where Emma Botka burned herself. Milan Kapetanov kept the castle in their possession up until the end of the Second World War, after which it was seized by the communist Yugoslavia's government. After it was seized, the castle was mostly abandoned and empty for nearly 40 years.

In 2006, vast work on the restoration of the castle commenced, and it was renovated into a restaurant with a hotel. The reconstruction was a faithful restoration of the original design. 

Some say the castle is even haunted. There is a legend that says that every second of August, on St. Elijah, at night in one of the castle's rooms appears a shadow of a woman with long blond hair looking at the Banat plain. Sometimes, when the reapers mow the grass around the castle, on their scythes and rakes instead of grass, they find a strand of blond hair.