Keszthely is a small town near the western tip of Lake Balaton. In addition to the comfortable beaches, it boasts authentic old streets and a palace in the magnificent Baroque style of the Festetich family. And only four kilometers from Keszthely, surrounded by baths, is Lake Heviz, the healing water of which is rich in mineral salts, and the bottom is covered with silt with a high radium content.
How to get to
Keszthely is in the south-west of Hungary, at 160 km from Budapest. Through the city there is a railway running along the entire northern shore of Lake Balaton. The train journey from Budapest takes about 3 hours, and the journey by car will last from 2 to 3 hours, depending on which side of the lake the route goes by: it is possible to drive along the E71 / M7, taking into account that there are on the route toll roads
- How to get from Keszthely to Nice
Search for tickets to the city of Budapest (the nearest airport to Keszthely)
A little history
The status of the town of Keszthely was received back in the 15th century, by that time it was already was an important trading center of the region. Numerous historical and architectural monuments make the image of Keszthely unique, and the program of stay at this resort is rich and interesting.
Hotels of Keszthely
The majority of Keszthely hotels have a level from 3 * to 5 *. The cost of rooms in them is quite low compared to other European resorts (double room in a charming hostel will cost from 50 EUR per night), and the level of service is high.
Most of the hotels are located either in the immediate vicinity of the beaches or in a small distance from them. In addition, almost every hotel offers its own "zest": it can be a swimming pool, a restaurant with its own wine cellar, a tennis court, a garden with sun beds, a wellness center. For example, Helikon 3 * is located on the very shore of Lake Balaton, has its own beach, indoor pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Each room of this hotel has a balcony, most of the rooms offer a panorama of Lake Balaton
There are many small guest houses that offer a very high level of service, but they also take a deposit at the entrance. When booking rooms, you need to look very carefully at the conditions of booking, they are very diverse in the hotels of Keszthely. Some hotels do not accept credit cards.
Book popular Keszthely hotels at the best prices
| Hotel Bacchus from 2 344 RUB Keszthely Erzsébet királyné u. 18 | Guest House Móritz from 2 206 rubles Keszthely Móra Ferenc utca 5. | Erika Pension from 2 275 rubles Keszthely Ady Endre u. 14-16 |
| Hotel Via from 2 206 rubles Keszthely Balatonpart 15. |
Entertainment, excursions and attractions Keszthely
The most striking architectural and historical landmark is the Festetich family castle, one of the most and most beautiful in Hungary . it was built on the model of famous French palaces in 1745 luxury decoration of its interiors in the Baroque style . not inferior to its architectural design . The numerous rooms of the palace replete with paintings by famous artists and fine furnishings . Here you can see a wonderful collection Hungarian weapons of different historical epochs, and the collection of books, which totals about 100 000 volumes, is admired, since it contains many unique volumes and books with autographs of authors . The examination of the castle will allow not only to receive visual pleasure, but also to comprehend the everyday life of the Hungarian nobility of the 18-19th centuries .
Nowadays international conferences and concerts of outstanding performers are held in the castle's premises.
The Festetich family became famous not only for their wealth, but also for patronage. Representatives of the family systematically made serious investments in the development of science and art, as well as in practical matters: thanks to them a hospital, a pharmacy, a gymnasium appeared in the city and in the end of the 18th century the first agricultural school was opened in Europe.
Franciscan Church
The Franciscan church on the main street of the city for its long (it was built in 1386) history had time to visit the fortress and undergo numerous changes. Since 1880, a bell tower was added to the church. Another interesting Baroque structure that adorns the city is the house of Pethe. It is interesting that it was built on a Gothic foundation. In the courtyard of this building there is a synagogue built in the 18th century
Town Hall
The Town Hall is located on the main square and, as is typical for Europe, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. At present, the cultural center is located in its premises
Shumug Fortress
The Shumeg fortress is located not far from Keszthely. It played in its time a significant role in the defense of the city, was known for its inaccessibility. Then, after 1552, it was the residence of the bishop, and nowadays it serves as a place for conducting the most interesting historical reconstructions, to see which tourists from different countries come to see.
Museums Keszthely
The home of Karoja Goldmark, composer and violinist-virtuoso, a native of Keszthely, is open to visitors as a museum. It is impossible to leave without attention the museum of Lake Balaton. The collection includes not only artifacts telling about the flora and fauna of the lake and its shores, but also archaeological finds, objects of everyday life of local residents, documents telling about the history of the region.
Very interesting and informative museum of wine "Bacchus", in which it is possible to get acquainted with the systematized information about the wines of Hungary and the traditions of winemaking in this country. And the museum-confectionery "Marzipan" offers to see a sweet exposition, the central place in which is occupied by a fabulously beautiful marzipan castle. The rest of the museum exhibits look more modest, but the taste is wonderful. Here you can buy marzipan products, which will become a wonderful souvenir. Photos of Keszthely (9)