Nagyvazsony Castle

Nagyvazsony sits on flat ground between Veszprem and the lake, and its castle is built around a tall rectangular keep of the fifteenth century, given by Matthias Corvinus to Pal Kinizsi, a soldier of famously large physical strength who rose from obscurity to command armies against the Ottomans. Kinizsi added the chapel, and his red marble sarcophagus stands in its crypt. The keep can be climbed through several floors to the roof, with a castle museum in the rooms. Outside the village stand the ruins of a Pauline monastery he founded, the Pauline order being the only monastic order founded in Hungary, and a stud farm and riding school operate nearby.

What you'll find

• The tall fifteenth-century keep - climbable through several floors.
• Kinizsi's red marble sarcophagus - the general's tomb in the chapel crypt.
• Pauline monastery ruins - the order founded in Hungary, outside the village.
• The castle museum - the rooms inside the keep.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. Summer brings tournaments and events in the castle grounds. Closed some Mondays and in the depth of winter.

Before you go

The keep stairs are steep and narrow. The site is small and quickly seen. Displays are dated and largely in Hungarian. The village has limited food.

Nearby

Veszprem is north-east; the Balaton shore lies south.

Key facts