Keszthely Sights and Landmarks Guide, Hungary

Keszthely Sights – An Overview

Keszthely, a nice little town situated on the shore of Lake Balaton, is one of the must-see tourist destinations in Hungary. The first historical registry of Keszthely dates back to the 15th century, though it had been inhabited since Roman times. Nowadays the town has a population of 23,000 people. The visitors arriving at Keszthely will be welcomed by a number of sights from palaces to museums, and also by beaches where one can enjoy the pleasures of bathing.

Keszthely Sights – The Festetics Castle and Other Sights

As the Parliament or the famous Chain Bridge (Lánchid) are of symbolic significance for Budapest Sights, or as the Schonbrunn is the heart of Vienna Sights, so is the Festetics Castle, a graceful town symbol when it comes to Keszthely Sights. Kristof Festetics started the construction of the castle in 1745, but it was only in the 1880’s that it received its final, neo-Baroque style. The difference between the original Baroque style and the neo-Baroque workings is clearly visible on the western facade of the gorgeous building. The castle has remained in its original grace as - luckily and miraculously enough - the destructions of the Second World War avoided the building. Currently it is home to the Helikon Castle Museum, with a spectacular library of 100,000 volumes of aristocratic collection – the only one complete in Hungary, which escaped any deterioration. No wonder that the castle, which also gives place to exhibitions, conferences, cultural events with its delightful elegance and grace, is really the pearl of Keszthely.

After having visited the castle, you cannot leave out seeing the impressive park belonging to it. With its French and English gardens and real rarities of several kinds of trees, the Mansionpark, which is a natural reserve, entices visitors to admire its beauty.

The Balaton Museum, with permanent exhibitions of archeological and geological displays originating from the Balaton area, and with various temporal exhibitions, is another major sight in Keszthely and a popular tourist attraction.

Walking around the centre of town, you will see the Town Hall, the beautiful Gothic parish church, the Holy Trinity Statue – all on the Main Square, and the pedestrian precinct is really worth a stroll, too.

Keszthely Sights – Cheer on the Beach

On the shore of Lake Balaton, Keszthely offers excellent bathing possibilities as well. Three beaches wait for visitors and bathers: the Municipal Beach – being the first, built in 1864 -, Helikon and the free of charge Libás, all transmitting that famous typical Balaton-feeling.

Having refreshed yourself on the beaches, you can enjoy other kinds of recreation as well: participating on bike tours on one of the several Balaton routes for instance, will surely be an exciting experience; wandering around town, relaxing on the beaches, and admiring the natural beauties of the Balaton area… Keszthely is not only a nice place to visit, it is the ideal location for some really memorable vacation days for you.

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