Bánffy Castle, Bontida
The Built Heritage Conservation Training Centre has been based at Bánffy Castle, Bontida since 2001 and received the main prize for education and raising awareness by the European Union/Europa Nostra in 2008.
The castle was desecrated during World War II by German troops and neglected by the communist regime in Romania; it is currently being restored by expert teams of volunteers, with funds from many sources including the European Union and the Romanian Ministry of Culture. The Castle is being restored as a cultural centre. The purpose of the centre is to promote excellence in the conservation of the historic environment and specifically to teach traditional building craft skills which can be utilised in the repair and maintenance of other historic buildings.
The project is run by The Transylvania Trust (one of the leading NGO's in Romania dealing with protection of the historic environment), and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC, the leading institute in this field in the UK).