Sumeg Castle

Sumeg castle stands on a bare white limestone cone rising out of flat country, visible for a long way in every direction, and it is one of the larger surviving castles in Hungary: thirteenth-century in origin, extended repeatedly, held against the Ottomans and finally burned in 1713. Restoration has made it a busy visitor site with a museum, historical shows, jousting and a horse programme, which suits families and irritates purists. The town below holds something quieter and more remarkable: the parish church of the Ascension, whose entire interior was painted in 1757 and 1758 by Franz Anton Maulbertsch, one of the major Baroque fresco painters of central Europe, and generally counted among his best surviving work.

History

The castle was built in the mid or late 13th century by Béla IV and later given by Stephen V to the Archdiocese of Veszprém; it was fortified in the 15th century, when the second of its two towers was built. In 1552, after the Ottomans took Veszprém, it was rebuilt as a frontier fortress, in 1713, during the aftermath of Rákóczi's War of Independence, troops set it on fire, and parts of it were restored in the 20th century (Wikipedia, Castle of Sümeg).

The main sights

• A castle on a bare limestone cone - visible across the flat country.
• Maulbertsch frescoes in the parish church - a complete 1750s interior.
• Jousting and horse shows - the events run in the castle grounds.
• The view from the walls - the Bakony and the Balaton uplands.

When to go

April to October; shows run mainly in summer. Half a day for both castle and church. The church has limited hours and closes for services.

Things to know

The castle leans heavily on shows and costumed entertainment, with prices to match, and the historical fabric competes with it. The climb is steep in full sun. The church, which is the finer thing, is easy to miss and often shut.

Nearby

Keszthely is south; Tapolca lies south-east.

Key facts