Holiday apartment in Biel: Manor house, park and blueberry farm

The restored Sennyey family manor house in Biel houses a permanent exhibition about the poet Sándor Petőfi. The estate brings together several clearly recognisable historical layers and uses, which can be experienced side by side during a visit.

Culture and history

The Sennyey family manor house was completed in 1781 in the Baroque style and later remodelled into its present Rococo-Classicist form. Between 2007 and 2013, it was partially restored as part of the cross-border Hungary–Slovakia cooperation programme. The single-storey building has a U-shaped layout with three wings. The renovated central section houses a museum, which currently presents an exhibition about the Sennyey family.

The hall is also one of the manor house’s spaces in use: it is used for various cultural and social events. The permanent Petőfi exhibition and the current presentation about the Sennyey family focus on different themes within the same historic ensemble.

The history of the estate also includes the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. The Neo-Gothic building was constructed in 1854 and originally served as a garden pavilion near the manor house. Thus, Baroque, Rococo-Classicist and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as the later museum use, coexist at the same location.

Park and activities

The Sennyey family manor house is surrounded by a 3.5-hectare historic park. Its trees include century-old ash trees, plane trees and other rare species. There are also two fishing ponds near the manor house that can be used year-round. They are stocked with African catfish, carp and trout; day fishing permits can be purchased on site.

The two fishing ponds are distinct from the routes used by local residents in Biel for cycling. Local residents use the main roads and dirt roads in Biel for cycling. This use is just as much part of the traditional local details as the various areas around the manor house and its park.

Regional products

Another address in Biel is the “Zemplín Blueberries” blueberry farm, which was founded in 2012. Visitors can taste freshly picked blueberries directly in the orchard. The berries are grown on the farm using environmentally friendly methods. “Zemplín Blueberries” also offers blueberry jam.

The blueberries are therefore mentioned both as freshly picked fruit in the orchard and in processed form as jam. The farm combines cultivation with the direct tasting of the berries and complements this offering with environmentally friendly growing methods.

Further buildings and local information

The Chapel of the Virgin Mary is also part of the local architectural history. The Neo-Gothic building was erected in 1854 and originally served as a garden pavilion near the manor house. Biel also has a tourist information centre.

The tourist information centre complements the local details described above with a public point of contact within Biel. The local information thus ranges from the manor house and its park, through the chapel, to the blueberry farm and the cycling routes.

Discover more places

If you would like to access further destinations from Biel in this local overview, Veľký Kamenec, Trebišov, Veľká Tŕňa, Veľaty, Čierna Nad Tisou, Viničky, Dobrá and Sečovce are available.

For the overarching travel overview: Trebišov District.