Benevár, Medieval castle ruins in Mátrafüred, Hungary.

Benevár is a medieval castle ruin situated at 470 meters elevation in the Mátra Mountains north of Mátrafüred, nestled between the Somor and Csatorna streams. The stone remains show the foundation walls and fragments of the fortress that once commanded the surrounding valleys.

A pagan castle destroyed during the Mongol invasion was rebuilt between 1243 and 1250 by Csobánka comes of the Aba clan, who made it his family seat. His son János lived there with his sons, who divided its buildings among themselves in 1301. In 1424 the castle belonged to King Sigismund, who granted it to Queen Barbara in 1430 and to the Rozgonyi family in 1438. By 1497 it was recorded as an abandoned castle site.

The name comes from Bene vitéz, a grandson of Árpád's commander Edömér, who is said to have owned the large pagan castle here. In 1301 Csobánka's sons divided the buildings among themselves, and a faded charter lists a massive old tower, a palace wing, small outbuildings and a second gate tower.

To reach the ruins, follow the blue-marked hiking trail starting from Mátrafüred and ascending through the mountain paths. The route requires reasonable fitness as the climb is steep, but the trail is well-marked throughout.

The castle is first documented in a faded charter that lists a massive old tower, a palace wing, small outbuildings and a second tower guarding the entrance. The elongated pentagonal stone fort was also protected by double dry moats. In 1497 it appears as an abandoned castle site ("locus castri") belonging to the Kanizsai family.