Szigliget Castle

The castle was originally built by the Benedictines from Pannonhalma in 1260, and over the centuries it changed hands several times. Szigliget Castle is one of the very few in Hungary that were never conquered by the Ottomans. Hungary and Turkey, or more precisely, the Hungarian Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire, were constantly at war with each other for more than 150 years, from 1526 until 1699. The country became a permanent venue for war operations, and occasional invasions and looting were frequent, even during peacetime. The Ottoman army managed to take control of most of the country, but the brave soldiers of Szigliget persevered for 150 years. In the end, the fate of the castle was sealed by a lightning strike, which blew up the gunpowder stored in one of the towers. The fort was considered obsolete by the 16th or 17th century, the most important warpaths avoided it, and after the fatal explosion it was never rebuilt.

Visit the little village at the foot of the hill to try some excellent ice cream or bream, or even taste some superb wine. You should time your visit to the castle so that you can listen to one of the evening musical events performed on the open-air stage. If we can just give you two tips, they are these: come back at sunset, and save your energy so that you can scale the highest castle wall as well.