Sight of Keszthely

Thanks to its museums, monuments, historical sights and the elegantly renovated Festetics Palace, Keszthely is among the most frequently visited towns along the shore of Lake Balaton. The city has been a popular holiday resort since the first decades of the 20th century and offers attractive cultural events.

The circumstances of the actual birth of the city are uncertain. However, its name can be traced back to the Roman word 'castellum' meaning fort. The remains of the fort are visible even today.

The trade roads that crossed Keszthely around the 14th century brought rapid development to the town. In 1368 Franciscan friars settled here and built their monumental church on the main square (Fő tér). Today this church is the oldest monument in the city.

In the first half of the 18th century the Festetics family became the sole landowner of the area. Keszthely was the centre of the estate where the core of the family palace was erected from 1745 onwards. Today a protected monument, it is the fourth largest palace in the country and houses the Helikon Palace Museum. Its park is a designated nature reserve.

It was the Festetics family who developed the city hospital, the grammar school and the first European agricultural college, the Georgikon. The farm buildings that once belonged to the school have been converted into a museum that depicts farm management of the time, the life of the servants and the history of the school.

By the end of the 19th century Keszthely had become a bathing resort. Due to its popularity and the sparkling social life the first stone theatre in the city was built (on the site of the open-air theatre). The town centre was redeveloped in a Romantic and Eclectic style that it has preserved to present day.

Following the development of the Balaton shore belonging to the city, the two elegant hotels were built that still exist today: Wave (Hullám) and Balaton.

Keszthely welcomes visitors with a number of restaurants and a range of accommodation, as well as cultural and sport activities - anything from bathing to health farms and from bicycling to horse riding and even flying. The city has several buildings suitable as venues for large conferences.

SIGHTS

Festetics Palace

This is the fourth largest - with a stunning 101 rooms - and also the most beautifully refurbished and furnished palace in Hungary. Today the entire structure is listed as heritage and operates as a museum. Its park is designated as a protected area.

 Construction of the Baroque style palace began in 1745; it was commissioned by Kristóf Festetics. The U-shaped, two-storey building was extended by Kristóf Festetics' son Pál whose name is connected with the entrance of today's museum. Pál's son, György Festetics, had the chapel altered and the two-storey library wing constructed between 1792 and 1804. The original library furnishings built by a local carpenter are still intact.

Helikon Palace Museum

Among the exhibitions arranged in the Baroque palace the most outstanding are those depicting the life of the upper class and the Festetics family history, the library, the Windischgrätz trophies, the ornamental weapons and the carriage museum.

With its richly carved steps, the oak staircase is an impressive piece of master craft. A family portrait gallery hangs on the wall coverings. The chapel is an interesting structure; the Festetics family attended mass on the first floor while the servants took their place on the ground floor.

The various residential rooms of the palace (small rooms, blue salon, corner room, grand salon) have been furnished with period items befitting of a wealthy family.

Balaton Museum

Founded in 1898 this is the oldest museum in the county. It presents the most complete picture of the history of the Balaton region, the lives of the people living around the lake and the fishing, boating and bathing heritage.

In the 11 rooms of the upper level there are themed exhibitions familiarising visitors with the development of Lake Balaton. The lake of today covering close to 600-square kilometres was formed about 20,000 years ago when the earth's crust shifted lengthwise following volcanic activity. The result was that the Balaton Basin became deeper.

The rich flora and fauna of the lake and its surrounding area may be studied in the spectacular diorama. The history of Balaton fishing and its tools are displayed along with equipment used for the gathering of animal feed, meadow farming and herb growing. Visitors can trace the history of local dress and jewellery, as well as the development of pottery from the Neolithic Age up to the 20th century.

Separate exhibitions are devoted to the bathing history, Balaton sailing and environmental protection in the area. The lapidary shows samples of ancient and Medieval architecture while the János Halápy Memorial Room provides a taste of this famous Balaton painter's life work with 23 pictures.

Pedestrian Street

When Lajos Kossuth Street was designated a pedestrian street it was paved with noble materials, granite and basalt. Several heritage-type and listed buildings line the walk.

The majority of the buildings were erected in the second half of the 19th century in the then fashionable Romantic and Eclectic styles.

Accommodation in Keszthely: http://www.hungaryrooms.com/hotels/Keszthely/

Map of Keszthely: http://www.hungaryrooms.com/map/Keszthely/