Visiting Keszthely, Hungary: Top Sights on Foot

Keszthely is a historic town at the western end of Lake Balaton, combining a lakeside setting with important churches, museums and aristocratic architecture. For travellers looking for things to do in Keszthely, its compact centre offers a rewarding route through the city’s medieval, Jewish, religious and cultural heritage. Neywo has a free audio guide for Keszthely with 6 narrated places.

What to See in Keszthely

The main sights can be explored on foot, from the city’s museums and central square to its churches and Festetics Palace.

Balaton Museum

The Balaton Museum tells the story of the Lake Balaton region through archaeological, ethnographic, historical and natural-science collections. Its origins go back to 1898, when the Balaton Museum Association was founded in Keszthely on the initiative of people including Árpád Csák and Sándor Lovassy.

The present Neo-Baroque building was designed by Dénes Györgyi and constructed between 1925 and 1928. It was the first museum in Zala County. In 1936, it merged with the Darnay Museum of Sümeg, significantly expanding its collections. The museum’s development was interrupted by the Second World War, including the destruction of valuable collection pieces in a bombing at Zalaegerszeg railway station in 1945. After nationalization in 1949, collecting work gradually resumed.

Our Lady of Hungary Church

On Keszthely’s main square stands the Our Lady of Hungary Church, or Magyarok Nagyasszonya-templom. This Gothic medieval church is the oldest surviving building in the city and was probably completed around 1390.

Its interior contains the largest Gothic frescoes in present-day Hungary. They were discovered in 1974, revealing important medieval decoration. The church was commissioned by István Lackfi, a palatine who was executed in 1397 and buried inside the building; his worn red marble tombstone remains visible in the sanctuary wall.

The church’s appearance changed in the nineteenth century. A Neo-Gothic tower was added in front of the entrance in 1878, and the original fourteenth-century rose window from the western gable was moved into it. The sanctuary and triumphal arch also contain memorials to members of the Festetics family.

Balaton Színház

Balaton Színház is a theatre and convention centre in Keszthely. It brings performances and gatherings together under one roof, adding a contemporary cultural venue to the city’s historic centre.

Keszthely Synagogue

The Keszthely Synagogue is a protected Neolog Jewish synagogue completed in 1852 in the Neo-Classical style. A major remodeling in 1894 gave the building a more eclectic appearance. Its connection with Sándor Országh is remembered through the organ he created in 1898.

The synagogue was repurposed by the Germans during the Second World War and underwent renovations in 1930, 1945 and 1967. After part of the ceiling collapsed in 1987, a complete restoration began in 1993. The synagogue was reconsecrated on July 7, 1995, in the presence of President Árpád Göncz and Chief Rabbi Tamás Raj. Painted decorations and façade work were completed in 1997.

Festetics Palace

Festetics Palace, also known as Festetics Castle, is one of Keszthely’s most important historic monuments. Today, it houses the Helikon Palace Museum and is also used for events.

Construction began in 1745, when Kristóf Festetics started building on the foundations of a ruined castle. The palace was enlarged during two major campaigns and ultimately tripled in size. Its final transformation took place in the 1880s, based on designs by Viktor Rumpelmayer, an architect living in Vienna. The result is the large Baroque palace seen today.

Saint Thérèse Church in Keszthely

Saint Thérèse Church is a Carmelite church also known as the Little Basilica of Saint Thérèse. Built between 1927 and 1930 to designs by Bruno Buchwieser senior of Vienna, its exterior draws on Italian Romanesque architecture.

The separate bell tower rises 38 metres beside the church and is one of its most recognizable features. Although construction was completed in 1930, the church was not consecrated until 1938, as its furnishings were still being finished. The Carmelites were expelled in 1945, and the monastery church became a parish church. The Carmelite order was banned in Hungary in 1950 and returned in 1989.

The bell tower was damaged during the Second World War and reconstructed in 1999. Inside, the style contrasts with the exterior: the interior is simply Neoclassical.

A Keszthely Self-Guided Walking Tour

Neywo’s Keszthely self-guided walking tour, “Gothic Church to Festetics Palace”, covers 2.77 km in about 73 minutes and includes 6 narrated stops:

1. Balaton Museum
2. Our Lady of Hungary Church
3. Balaton Színház
4. Keszthely Synagogue
5. Festetics Palace
6. Saint Thérèse Church in Keszthely

The route offers a concentrated introduction to Keszthely’s most important cultural and historic places. To discover more of the country, continue with the Hungary destination guide.

Explore Keszthely with Neywo

Download Neywo and explore Keszthely with one walking tour covering 2.77 km, lasting 73 minutes and including 6 narrated stops. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, so you can turn a visit to Keszthely into an independent audio-guided walk.