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The landscape garden of Tata

Tata’s landscape garden was built after 1783 when, at the request of Count Ferenc Esterházy, they began to plant the first trees around the artificial Öreg-tó (Old Lake) and Cseke-tó.

Originally being larger in size than it is today, it practically covered the whole area of Tata and blended harmoniously into the surrounding landscape, which lent a special feature to it. The two stone griffins guarding the park entrance were made by Antal Schweiger. The Orangery, appearing again in its old glory thanks to the EU support, also served touristic purposes in the past, as in the early 20th century the citizens of Tata and visitors from the capital city liked to enjoy themselves in the pavilion inside it.

Along the walkways various garden structures emerge occasionally. Such is the artificial cave called Hell, on one side of which the water of a source floats downward. The earliest building of the landscape garden is the Louis XVI-style Kiskastély (Small manor), originally built as a summer retreat. An interesting sight of it is the stairs, which resemble concentric rings created by a pebble thrown into the water. The slopy area in front of the building was once used by Count Ferenc Esterházy for theatrical performances.

A special feature of the small octagonal building with pointed arches in the form of a Turkish mosque is that, according to legends, once there stood the hut of a holy Turkish hermit on its site. Near the Turkish mosque there is a ruin imitating the remnants of a three-naved church.

Its romantic-style walls were raised by the French architect Charles Moreau.