Fertőd - Keszthely

The Esterházy Palace, one of the most beautiful castles of the noble Esterházy family, is not only the the main sight of Fertőd, but also one of the main sights of Hungary. This magnificent building complex has been called the "Hungarian Versailles" by travellers. Esterháza. Its fame was enough for an 18th century traveller to set off, leave the Austrian imperial capital and make the 22 French miles to the fairyland of Eszterháza, the estate of the Esterházy princes. If he wanted to travel in comfort, he arrived at Esterháza after a 12-hour journey. Prince Miklós Esterházy maintained three horse-changing stations along the road to Vienna, and even stationed hussar messengers at four post stations along the way – so that the latest European news could reach him in as little as six hours. The prince overcame the distance in another way: he turned his former hunting lodge into one of the cultural and artistic citadels of the Europe of his day. "What the emperor can do, I can do!" - he said, and in the spirit of this phrase he built the country's largest and most luxurious Baroque-Rococo castle, which was called "Hungarian Versailles" by travellers of the time. The prince's annual income rivalled that of the princely courts of the time, as did the development and daily life of Eszterháza. The buildings, the furnishings, the art treasures, the library, the entertainment venues, the theatres, are all a piece of the picture the Duke created. Through this image, Nikolaus Esterházy, politician and statesman, could be seen by his contemporaries as an educated lord, a generous patron of the arts, a connoisseur and an artist. The realisation of his ambition is reflected in the adjective used by his contemporaries at the same time: 'Splendidness lover'. The Duke was constantly building to create a residence on a par with the imperial courts, where sumptuous celebrations were a daily occurrence. The castle's ornamental courtyard opens with a magnificent wrought iron gate. The castle park and the surrounding landscape are the most mature examples of Baroque garden art in Hungary. Passing through the courtyard, the ornamental staircase leads to the central part, which contains the magnificent banquet hall. All 126 rooms of the castle are richly decorated. The rooms include the Maria Theresa Room, where the Empress stayed in 1773. The west wing of the castle houses the famous Esterházy Gallery. It used to contain approximately 650 paintings. Of these, 23 are very valuable. The most important painting, Raffaello Santi's Madonna of Esterházy is now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. In addition to the luxurious entertainment, the Esterházy Court played an important role in the musical (mainly operatic) life of the time. Besides the building, the company and the excellent works, the key to good opera was above all the conductor Joseph Haydn, who was at the head of the Opera. Thanks to him, who spent his active creative period in the service of Prince Miklós, operas, comedies and symphonies were written here. Joseph Haydn and Esterháza are two inseparable names in the history of European music. At the age of 29, the young musician who was just beginning to take his first steps in art, entered the service of the Esterházy dukes and slowly all types of 'secular' music came under Haydn's control. Several times a week, performances were given at the Opera House, which, thanks to the generosity of the Prince, were free for all to enjoy. Admirers of Esterháza often quoted the famous words of Empress Maria Theresa: "If I want to see good opera, I must go to Eszterháza!" However, with the death of Prince Miklós Esterházy, his fairy world slowly faded into the mists of the past, and the family moved to their castle in Kismarton. Haydn left the castle, as did the music and theatre troupes, and the lights went out on the opera stage, wrote an 18th century traveller. In 1959, a museum was opened in the building. Interestingly, the castle still has a suite reserved by the state for living descendants of the Esterházy family.

The Muzsikaház (Music House) in Fertőd is one of the most important cultural and intellectual centres of the town. From 1769, Joseph Haydn, the master of musical classicism, leader of the orchestra of the Esterházy family, lived in this building. Joseph Haydn, one of the best known and most celebrated composers of the 18th century, lived in a three-room apartment on the first floor of the building on Madách Promenade. The musician was the leader of the orchestra of the noble Esterházy family, and he also managed the financial affairs of the musicians and the society. His varied activities included putting together the programmes and directing them. Many of his works were produced in the house, including the famous Farewell Symphony. According to the story, the orchestra went unpaid for a long time. So Haydn composed a work in which, during the performance of the piece, the musicians would leave the music room in orderly fashion after playing their parts. Only the conductor remained inside. The prince took the hint and soon settled the outstanding payments. In the last two hundred years, the place has changed: it now houses a music school with an outstanding collection of sheet music, a mayor's office and a library. In 1994, the Haydn Memorial Room was opened in memory of its most famous resident.

The town, which today has a population of almost 3000, was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age. One of its youngest buildings is the Roman Catholic church, which covers an area of almost 5,000 square metres. If you are near Arany János Street, make sure to visit it and listen to its organ. The life of the Evangelical and Roman Catholic communities in Répce is nowadays intertwined, often honouring each other's holidays and participating in town events together. In the 1980s, the Roman Catholic community bought a property where it built a "house of prayer" with an intimate atmosphere, in line with the requirements of the time. The first Holy Mass was celebrated there at Christmas 1985. Later, as the community grew, a larger building was needed. The foundation stone of St Stephen the King Church was laid in 1999. In 2002, the diocesan baptized more than a hundred young people in the unplastered, unfinished church building and blessed the bell that had been given to the church by the diocese. The prayer house served the community until 2004, who took the building, which had been converted from a farmhouse, to their hearts. In the meantime, it has been given a new function, and the municipality created the Répcelak Museum of Local History here. The new church was consecrated by the diocesan in 2004. The building, which covers several thousand square metres, has an octagonal floor plan, recalling the idea of the eight beatitudes and the shape of ancient baptisteries. Its organ, apart from religious life, also functions as a concert organ.

The Roman Catholic Church, whose foundations date back 1000 years, is located in Rákóczi Street. The first authentic mention of the settlement dates back to the 13th century, so the building of the prayer house predates the official settlement of Nick by several hundred years. Formerly baptised St Nicholas, now St Anne, the prayer house is constantly being renovated. Richly decorated and richly sculpted, the history of St Anne Church is full of interesting facts. In the 11th century, King St Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian state, decreed that "every 10 villages shall build a church". One of these buildings was a small prayer house in Nick. The church – called St Nicholas at the time – was built on an artificial hill, and was once surrounded by a cemetery. In the mid-18th century, thanks to the Niczky family, a late Baroque church was built on the foundations of the earlier church. The large Rococo high altar, which is set into the wall of the sanctuary, is decorated with statues of the four church fathers: Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Bishop Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome. The altarpiece was painted in the 19th century, at the time of the change of the church's title: it depicts St Anne. A Pieta statue, nearly 200 years old, is also preserved in the church.

The first written record of the settlement of Uraj dates back to the 13th century. The village, which today has a population of nearly 1000, is a settlement rich in mansions and small castles. In addition to the Szelestey House, there are the Figedy House, the Hetyéssy Castle, the Bezerédj Castle, the Ajkay Castle and the Koltai-Vidos Mansion, which is now the village's cultural centre. This area was already inhabited in Roman times. This is attested to by the ancient artefacts found on the outskirts of the town. The origins of the Hungarian village of Uraiújfalu date back to the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century. The modern form of the Hungarian word "uraj" is "úré", meaning "belonging to the lord", i.e. the lord's property. This meaning indicates that the ancient owner of the village was a chieftain or a distinguished head of a family. In any case, it is certain that the mention of the village of Uraj in 13th century documents is due to the fact that King András II donated the area to the Ják family in return for their loyalty. Shortly afterwards, a dispute broke out within the Ják family over the ownership of a nearby village. The dispute escalated to the point where they injured each other. Eventually, the family members came to an agreement and divided the land among themselves. Little is known about the history of the following centuries. What is certain is that the family no longer owned the land. According to legend, one of the greatest Hungarian kings, Mátyás, visited the village during one of his hunts in the 15th century. Even the military leader Ferenc Rákóczi camped here with his soldiers in the 18th century. The village is very well located: it has always been a busy place. Several traders supplied the village and the surrounding area. There were also three busy restaurants and three butcher's shops, and the village had its own doctor who treated his patients with homemade medicines. The first school was built in the 17th century, but soon afterwards both the Roman Catholic and Evangelical denominations had educational institutions here. In 1945, however, the school burnt down and all its documents were destroyed. With the help of the villagers, the school was rebuilt and reopened 4 years later. The First World War also claimed many victims in Uraiújfalu. 41 people died heroically in the fights. During the Second World War, the Bezerédj castle and its many furnishings and monuments were burnt down. All the houses in the village were painted black. Two Jews were hanged in the middle of the village. Despite all the difficulties, the village still exists and flourishes today.

The village of almost 1000 inhabitants is one of the richest in terms of historical monuments in the region. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It has the highest number of castles in proportion to the population. In the nearby mine area, parts of a prehistoric Celtic settlement and burial site have been uncovered, and even the remains of an Árpád-era village have been unearthed. The settlement is first mentioned in 14th century documents, then called Azzunfalva. In the name of the village, the prefix Osttfy refers to the former owners of the village, while there are two explanations for the origin of the suffix. One is that it was the property of the Queen, the other that it is a memorial to Virgin Mary. In addition to famous people, the Hungarian crown and coronation badges have also 'visited' Ostffyasszonyfa. József Kocsis, a former resident of Ostffyasszonyfa, took part in their transport from Budapest as a guardian of the crown. The crown had to be taken from Buda Castle to Kőszeg. On the way, Kocsis visited his brothers in Ostffyasszonyfa, so the crown also visited the village on its journey.

The Kígyókő Castle (Snake Stone Castle) was built in the middle of the 13th century, and its first owner was sentenced by the king to be beheaded and deprived of his property. Its later owners, the Ostffy family, owned and expanded it continuously for several centuries. Ostffyasszonyfa had an old castle, probably built around the middle of the 13th century. This was the Kígyókő Castle. Its first owner was condemned by the king to be beheaded and the castle was given to the Ostffy family. In the early 15th century it was destroyed by royal troops. According to the official version, this was because Ferenc Ostffy, the lord of the castle, had turned against the king. What remains of the building is known today as the Csonkavár (Maimed Castle). Shortly afterwards, the new king gave the Ostffy family permission to build another castle. However, this was looted by enemy warlords and all the documents were taken away. Its importance grew during the Hungarian defence against the Turks: it was defended by a permanent guard and the serfs of the surrounding villages repaired the walls. A century later, the then head of the Ostffy family gave shelter in the castle to a preacher who rebelled against the king. In response, the entire fortress was blown up. The ruined walls were scattered over the following decades, and today only the former castle garden and well, a few metres of castle wall and the unexplored crypt remain.

The village of 500 inhabitants and its surroundings have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Although it has had the opportunity to join other settlements twice, its inhabitants decided to face the ordeals alone both times in the 20th century. The village of 500 inhabitants and its surroundings have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Later, in the 1st century, a Roman military road passed by Kemenesmihályfa in Roman-conquered Pannonia. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the gravel road became a 'highway of nations'. Huns, Goths, Avars, Franks and Longobards all wore its stones. Throughout history, the village was mentioned several times in documents: in the 13th century as Chep and in the early 15th century as Mihályfalva. At the end of the century, it was known by its present name, Kemenesmihályfalva. The name Mihály was taken from Mihály Ostffy, who was given the estate by the king as a reward for his heroic conduct in battle.

The history of Celldömölk, a town of 10,000 inhabitants today, is the history of five, once independent settlements. Kiscell and Nemesdömölk were united in 1904. Pórdömölk, Alsóság and Izsákfa slowly became part of the town in the 20th century. The history of Celldömölk, now a town of 10,000 inhabitants, is the history of five once separate municipalities, which were united in 1904. The first mention of one of the settlements, Nemesdömölk, dates back to the 15th century, but the exact date of its foundation is obscure. There was once a Roman villa in the area. The remains of the villa and its building materials may have been used by missionary monks who built an abbey here more than 700 years later. In its surroundings, a bustling settlement was established. Its inhabitants were members of the abbey: monks, craftsmen, landless peasants and serfs. The abbey was destroyed by the Turkish wars in the 16th century. In the following century it was revived, but it never regained its former splendour. In the 19th century, Nemesdömölk was already referred to as a suburb of a larger settlement. Another settlement was the beneficiary of the revival of the medieval cult of Mary in the mid-18th century, when new churches were built in the area and new pilgrimage sites were created. Although some people called the place ’Little Máriacell’, after Mariazell in Austria, its official name was Dömölk. It was at this time that Odo Koptik was appointed Abbot of Dömölk. From the very beginning, the abbot had been looking for a new place for the statue of the Virgin Mary he had brought from Mariazell. He first made a dwelling for it on the hill. He went out daily and his example was followed by more and more people. Since the owner of the mountain estate would not allow the building of a chapel, the abbot continued his search. Not far away he found a grassy knoll, which turned out to be an abbey property. So the site of the chapel was found. In the beginning it was just a modest wooden building, a well, and a mound of earth protecting them. While digging the well, the digger had an accident and was presumed dead. Miraculously, he recovered, and that was enough to keep thousands of pilgrims coming to this wonderful place. A new church and a monastery were built to cope with the ever-increasing visitor numbers. Soon afterwards, one of the most important financial offices, the county salt office, was also moved here. Not much time later, the growing settlement was ravaged by fire and epidemic. Slowly, the processions were cancelled. The settlement emerged from the temporary low after they acquired the right to hold fairs. At the beginning of the 19th century, the abbey was restored, the procession resumed and guilds were formed. The economic boom made Dömölk the centre of the region. A school and a kindergarten were founded. The restaurants were full of dancing balls and parties all year round. In less than half a century, Dömölk had been completely revitalised. The decisive boom in the life of the village and the surrounding area came in the second half of the 19th century, when the railway station was completed. Within a short time the small market town became a railway junction. This is how we have come to the present day, from the abbey church built from the stones of a Roman villa.

Since its first mention in the 13th century, the main source of income for the village of 300 inhabitants has been grapes, from which wine was made. The Roman Catholic church in the village was built by the landlord in the 18th century at his own expense. The main source of income for the village of 300 inhabitants has been grapes (from which wine was made) since the first mention of the vineyard in the 13th century. There is a sad legend attached to wine. According to the legend, a beautiful maiden fell in love with a poor young man. When the girl's parents found out, they did everything they could to prevent the marriage. They feigned joy and encouraged their daughter to invite the man of her choice to their home. The daughter was very happy, but the vile parents offered the boy wine until he was thoroughly drunk. In his intoxicated state, the farmer invited him to show him the stables and the farm. But inside the stables, armed men were waiting for him and, at the father's request, they killed him. When the girl heard this, she almost went mad with grief and ran away from home. She was never seen again, only the villagers heard the sad daughter’s singing from the trees at night sometimes...

Hévíz, a town of 5,000 inhabitants, is one of Hungary's top tourist destinations thanks to its unique warm-water lake. The area around the lake has been inhabited since prehistoric times and its healing properties have been known for thousands of years. Hévíz, a town of 5,000 inhabitants, is one of Hungary's top tourist destinations thanks to its unique lake, which has hot water of a constant temperature of 35-36 degrees Centigrade. From spring to autumn, it hides in a ring of lush greenery, bushes and trees, and in winter it is shrouded in a cloud of steam between its snow-covered shores. Swimmers can also swim in the lake in winter under the open sky. The area around the town has been inhabited since prehistoric times. There were Roman villas in the area. The healing properties of the lake were also known to them. According to the ancient legend of the lake's origins and its healing powers, Flavius, a Roman boy, was raised here by a Christian nurse in Pannonia. The boy was weak and sickly, supposedly suffering from polio. But his father was a great warlord, so the nurse prayed to the Virgin Mary to heal him. The Holy Virgin, hearing his plea, drew a spring of healing water in which the child had to be bathed every day. The warm waters of the spring and the steaming mud from the depths of the lake strengthened the child's body and the boy became Emperor Flavius Theodosius of Eastern Rome, who made Christianity the state religion of his empire in 391. Hévíz was first mentioned in Hungarian documents in the 14th century. Interestingly, the warm waters of the lake were not used for healing, but for making leather at the time. The first medical study of the lake was published in the mid-18th century. It was at this time that the area became the property of one of the most influential and wealthiest Hungarian noble families, the Festetics family. They are also associated with the prosperity of spa life. György Festetics had the area around the lake drained, built a bathhouse and brought in surgeons and doctors. It was under his grandson, Tasziló, that the guest houses, the bathhouse, the bathing chamber, the dressing room and the mirror bath were built. Hévíz set out on the path of international fame. At the beginning of the 20th century, Nelly, the elephant with sore feet, was sent to Hévíz by the Budapest Zoo's veterinarian for a medical cure. The elephant retired from the circus was prescribed mud baths in medicinal water twice a day, which she happily took in Lake Hévíz and the outlet. The 3-year-old elephant became so popular that it became an extra tourist attraction for the town, and guests treated the animal to baskets of delicacies every day. Unfortunately, Nelly's spa holiday came to an end when the war broke out. The waters of Hévíz are therefore excellent for the treatment of musculoskeletal, rheumatic, inflammatory and arthritic disorders. Today, the Hévíz lake bath and the associated St. Andrew Rheumatological Hospital are one of Hungary's most important medical institutions.

Keszthely, with a population of 20,000, is the largest settlement on the shores of Lake Balaton. The area was already inhabited by prehistoric man. In the following centuries, Romans, Huns, Goths and Avars visited the area. In the 9th century, the conquering Hungarians founded two small villages, the merger of which gave birth to the present Keszthely. In the 18th century it became the centre of the estates of the Festetics family, one of the most famous and wealthiest Hungarian count families. They made the settlement prosperous. Since the 18th century, the castle has been continuously developed for 200 years. With more than 100 rooms, it is the third largest castle in Hungary. It has a beautiful park and a library with over 85,000 volumes. Be sure to visit it! All members of the Festetics family contributed to the expansion of the castle, which had been owned by the family for more than 200 years. It is the third largest castle in Hungary. It can only be described in superlatives: the building has 101 rooms and the library originally housed 50,000 volumes. Today, this number is more than 85,000. This place was the home of one of Hungary's most important count and later princely families, the Festetics family, for 200 years from the mid-18th century. The construction of the castle was started by Kristóf Festetics. After continuous planning, his grandson György further developed the building, including the opening of the large library. The library is extremely diverse in terms of languages, with documents in 30 different languages. The oldest book is János Thuróczi's Magyarok Krónikája (Chronicle of the Hungarians) in Latin from 1488, but the collection also includes János Sylvester's New Testament from 1541, which was the first complete text of the New Testament in Hungarian. The books include several old encyclopaedias and old prints. During the Second World War, many of the furnishings were looted by German and Russian raiders, but the most valuable original furnishings survived. This is partly due to the fact that after the Soviet occupation of Keszthely, the town commander, through the intervention of the Festetics family employees, had the library and some of the adjoining rooms walled up. The most valuable furnishings were collected in the sealed rooms and thus survived the war in their original locations. Today, the building is a museum and is known as Helikon Castle. The castle park is a nature reserve and, following a recently completed reconstruction, is back to its former glory with a restored pond, fountains including the Lion Fountain, and the Princess's Chamber Frame.