There aren’t a lot of places around Balaton where the romance of the countryside intermingle with memories of the past. Tips of dormant volcanoes, hills rich with savoury wines, forests, rustling reeds and the gentle wave of Lake Balaton caress the town of Szigliget. Towering on the cliffs above is the 750 year old castle, built in 1262 by the Pannonhalma Archabbey. The castle has traded hands throughout history several times and got into the hands of the Polish royal family for the second time in 1563. Against the invading Turks the castle was defended by Bálint Magyar and it never served under the flag of the crested moon. The castle sits at a height of 242 m and offers an excellent view of the surrounding Tanú mountains.
A 1260 diploma mentions Szigliget as an island. Today there are about 1000 inhabitants in the settlement. There is plenty to see besides the castle. Take for example the former Eszterházy palace, which has been transformed into a creative house for writers. It’s large, 12 arpent park is a protected arboretum with the calmly flowing Tapolca creek bordering the end of it. The old castle can be found in an area referred to as the „Queen’s Skirt” whose origins are still shrouded in mystery. The remains of a temple built in the XII. century can be found in Réhely, along with the „Avasi” or Dwarf tower. On the list we also need to include a stroll through the streets of Old Town. Houses with their thatched roofs bring with them the mood of a previous era. Here you can find the Artisan’s yard, the Castle Gallery, the country house and the Esterházy cellar.