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Keszthely

Keszthely is a town of gently crumbling grand town houses perched at the western edge of Lake Balaton. It's hands down one of the loveliest spots to stay in the area, and far removed from the tourist hot spots on the lake. You can take a dip in small, shallow beaches by day, absorb the lively yet relaxed ambience by night, and get a dose of culture by popping into the town's handful of museums and admiring its historical buildings. Whatever you do, don't miss the Festetics Palace, a lavish baroque home fit for royalty.

Explore Keszthely

Festetics Palace
The glimmering white, 100-room Festetics Palace was begun in 1745, and the two wings were extended out from the original building 150 years later. Some 18…
M
Model Railway Museum
On the top floor of a former military building, this grin-inducing museum exhibits one of the world's largest mountain railway layouts. Trains whiz round…
E
Erotic Panoptikum
Full disclosure: this is an X-rated wax museum. Kind of tacky – yes. Fascinating – absolutely. The tiny subterranean space brings to 'life' lust and sex…
G
Georgikon Farm Museum
Housed in several early-19th-century buildings of what was the Georgikon’s experimental farm, this is the perfect museum for lovers of early industrial…
B
Balaton Museum
The Balaton Museum was purpose-built in 1928 and its permanent exhibits focus on the life and history of Lake Balaton. The Balaton aquarium showcases the…
T
Toy Museum
Depending on what generation you're from, the exhibits at this wonderful place will either make you smile in remembrance or gawp in fascination. Ye olde…
S
Synagogue
Before WWII Keszthely’s Jewish community numbered 1000; at the end of the war it had dropped to 170. Today less than 40 Jews live in the town and attend…
D
Doll Museum
This surprisingly absorbing museum showcases two floors' worth of dolls dressed in folk costumes from all parts of Hungary. On the ground floor, there's…
S
Snail Parliament
What do you get when you take one woman's obsession, 14 years of loving labour, and 4.5 million snail shells? A 7m by 2.5m scale model of Budapest's…

Festetics Palace
The glimmering white, 100-room Festetics Palace was begun in 1745, and the two wings were extended out from the original building 150 years later. Some 18…
M
Model Railway Museum
On the top floor of a former military building, this grin-inducing museum exhibits one of the world's largest mountain railway layouts. Trains whiz round…
E
Erotic Panoptikum
Full disclosure: this is an X-rated wax museum. Kind of tacky – yes. Fascinating – absolutely. The tiny subterranean space brings to 'life' lust and sex…
G
Georgikon Farm Museum
Housed in several early-19th-century buildings of what was the Georgikon’s experimental farm, this is the perfect museum for lovers of early industrial…
B
Balaton Museum
The Balaton Museum was purpose-built in 1928 and its permanent exhibits focus on the life and history of Lake Balaton. The Balaton aquarium showcases the…
T
Toy Museum
Depending on what generation you're from, the exhibits at this wonderful place will either make you smile in remembrance or gawp in fascination. Ye olde…
S
Synagogue
Before WWII Keszthely’s Jewish community numbered 1000; at the end of the war it had dropped to 170. Today less than 40 Jews live in the town and attend…
D
Doll Museum
This surprisingly absorbing museum showcases two floors' worth of dolls dressed in folk costumes from all parts of Hungary. On the ground floor, there's…
S
Snail Parliament
What do you get when you take one woman's obsession, 14 years of loving labour, and 4.5 million snail shells? A 7m by 2.5m scale model of Budapest's…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Keszthely.

See
Festetics Palace
The glimmering white, 100-room Festetics Palace was begun in 1745, and the two wings were extended out from the original building 150 years later. Some 18…
See
Model Railway Museum
On the top floor of a former military building, this grin-inducing museum exhibits one of the world's largest mountain railway layouts. Trains whiz round…
See
Erotic Panoptikum
Full disclosure: this is an X-rated wax museum. Kind of tacky – yes. Fascinating – absolutely. The tiny subterranean space brings to 'life' lust and sex…
See
Georgikon Farm Museum
Housed in several early-19th-century buildings of what was the Georgikon’s experimental farm, this is the perfect museum for lovers of early industrial…
See
Balaton Museum
The Balaton Museum was purpose-built in 1928 and its permanent exhibits focus on the life and history of Lake Balaton. The Balaton aquarium showcases the…
See
Toy Museum
Depending on what generation you're from, the exhibits at this wonderful place will either make you smile in remembrance or gawp in fascination. Ye olde…
See
Synagogue
Before WWII Keszthely’s Jewish community numbered 1000; at the end of the war it had dropped to 170. Today less than 40 Jews live in the town and attend…
See
Doll Museum
This surprisingly absorbing museum showcases two floors' worth of dolls dressed in folk costumes from all parts of Hungary. On the ground floor, there's…
See
Snail Parliament
What do you get when you take one woman's obsession, 14 years of loving labour, and 4.5 million snail shells? A 7m by 2.5m scale model of Budapest's…

Guidebooks

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