Sights of Alsóörs

The settlement and its surroundings were a queen's estate in the Middle Ages. Its development speeded up with the arrival of the railway network. In 1909, the Győr-Alsóörs line was completed, and from then on it emerged as a holiday resort. The poet Sándor Endrődi, founder of the Petőfi Memorial Museum in Budapest, had the first villa built here.

The manor known as the 'Turkish house' (Török-ház) is a curiosity in the area and today serves a cultural function. Built in 1935, the lookout tower made of Permian red sandstone evokes Gothic and Renaissance styles and attracts many tourists. The Bakony Hills, the Balaton Uplands, the lakeshore and the rolling hills of Somogy can all be seen from here.

SIGHTS

Turkish House

This Gothic manor, the oldest in Hungary, was built at the turn of the 15th-16th century, and partly rebuilt in 1880.

Under the gable of the former lesser noble's house there stretches a sizeable cellar which has late Gothic-style door stones. The main door of the house itself is also Gothic and opens into the entrance hall which was separated from the barrel-vaulted kitchen and the pantry by a wide semicircular wall.

Locals call it 'the house of the Turkish tax collector''. The shape of the chimney is reminiscent of a head with a turban, thus the name.

Currently a cultural venue, the house is set in a small plot of land. A spectacular view opens from here over the surrounding to the eastern basin of Balaton and the Tihany Peninsula.

Between 1st June and 31st August the most varied summer programmes are held here including fine art exhibitions and performances. The latest fashion is for weddings in this atmospheric building.

Csere Hill Lookout

The structure built in 1935 of Permian red sandstone is situated 298 metres above sea level. The stone tower offering a panorama of the Hills of the Bakony and the Balaton Uplands (Balaton-felvidék), the northern shore of the Balaton, and as far as the Somogy Hills, is reminiscent in style of Gothic and Renaisance times.

Originally the lookout tower rose 7 metres above the trees. It has recently been remodelled and as a result is now 5 metres taller, thanks to a wooden frame structure. The panorama is truly magnificent as the visitors can enjoy the view extending to four counties.

There is a caretaker's house next to the tower.

Accommodation in Alsóörs:

 http://www.hungaryrooms.com/hotels/Alsóörs/

Map of Alsóörs:

 http://www.hungaryrooms.com/map/Alsóörs/