Szigliget in Hungary: Castle, Things to Do & Restaurants

Visit Szigliget in Hungary for castle ruins, Lake Balaton views, village walks, vineyards, restaurants and a strand by the water. The village is a good choice for a relaxed day trip, especially if you enjoy castles, countryside walks, vineyards and lake views.

Hiking opportunities in the area are fantastic and can be steep in places, and there are many things to see while walking. There are also wineries and Hungarian restaurants to dine at when visiting. The area next to the lake is also splendid, especially if you like water sports or beach fun. Szigliget is very close to a large wetland that is home to various species of wildfowl. This is a popular place for fishing and wildlife spotting.

I took a day trip from Keszthely and thoroughly enjoyed visiting the area. The beautiful countryside, old buildings and the castle were highlights for me. The meal out I enjoyed was delicious too, in a very quirky Hungarian restaurant.

For my visit, I started at the castle and walked a loop around the village towards the lake, then back. This covered picturesque scenery and the chief attractions.

Things to Do in Szigliget

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Szigliget Castle Ruins

The main reason for my visit was to see Szigliget Var, a castle ruin on a hill. Szigliget Castle was pretty close to the bus stop, with a quick climb to reach the main entrance. The castle is dog-friendly; however, Henry didn’t visit with me this time.

The castle is in the Balaton Highlands, on the cone of a volcanic mountain that formed a former island of Lake Balaton. The castle’s earliest parts were the palace wing built between the double towers and the stone walls surrounding them. Benedictines built these between 1260 and 1262.

Over the years, the castle changed hands and grew in size and functionality. The castle was abandoned at the end of the 17th century and fell into ruins over the centuries. Subsequently, it was restored to become the tourist attraction it is today.

On the climb up to the entrance, there were models of the castle through different periods of history. There are also information boards about local wildlife and fauna on the walk up too.

Entry was good value on my visit, although it’s worth checking the current price before you go. You then enter the lower courtyard, where you can explore the fortifications, including on top of the main gate of Szigliget Var. The castle stables were also on this level and well worth a mooch around. This also includes a blacksmith shop display.

You then need to climb steps to go past an arena to the next level of the castle and another courtyard. In this courtyard, you can see the towers, and there is a well in the centre. There are a variety of rooms off the castle courtyard, including a simple chapel.

There were also displays of the castle’s living areas. Throughout, you can learn about the castle and the Balaton region of Hungary.

Information boards throughout the site explain parts of the castle’s history. One included details on winemaking and beer brewing in the area. Apparently, German mercenaries introduced beer to the area.

Next up were more steps to the top level, where you can visit one tower and enjoy viewpoints. The views from the castle were spectacular, including views of Lake Balaton below. There were also cannons pointing over the fortifications at the top level.

Hiking in The Village

Although I did a simple circular hike from the castle and around the village, there were plenty of options to digress.

There is a selection of routes on Komoot for the area with some other points of interest to see. There are also wineries, so it could make a good vineyard-walking trip.

Szigliget Strand

If you like lake swimming, then Szigliget Strand has steps into the lake, changing rooms and a grass beach.

The area has tourist shops and refreshment stalls during the summer holidays; however, in autumn, it was quiet. I found swimming in Lake Balaton fantastic in June; however, it is cooler during the autumn months.

Szigligeti Várgaléria – Museum of Weapons

Near the cafes and church on the way up to the castle, there is Szigligeti Várgaléria. This is a fascinating small museum dedicated to weapons and the local area. It cost only 300 HUF to enter and was well worth the entrance fee. Their entrance is another place with those colourful umbrellas overhead.

The archery display was fascinating and had hundreds of bows and arrows from throughout the eras. This included some from far-flung lands like Japan.

The other interesting exhibit was the suits of armour room, which had a variety of suits, including some worn by the Knights Templar. The Renaissance items piqued my interest.

Avasi church Ruins

Another nice find while walking on the circular route around the village: I happened upon the Avasi Church ruins. The ruins are rather pleasant and a nice place to sit and relax. There are also some information boards about the village and the church.

The church ruins of Avas are the former parish church of Új falu, a village that separated from Szigliget. It was originally built by the Atyusz clan or the Benedictine order in the 13th century. The Turks subsequently destroyed the church between 1544 and 1550. They had partly built it out of the walls of a Roman stone building, with one nave and a straight shrine ending. They extended it with a pyramidal tower on the western side.

Wine Tourism & Vineyards

While walking around the village, there are many vineyards and wineries to see. Many are small family wine producers selling wines from their homes. Others are bigger places that you can visit. Google Maps highlights a choice of wineries; thus, it is also a great place for wine tourism.

This included seeing Szent Antal Pince wines for sale at a home and decorative artefacts at the entrance to Hoffmann Pince. As well as vineyards, the area produces lots of fruit, and you can see this on many of the villages’ farms.

Szigliget móló

Szigliget móló is a fishing pier and harbour that is a nice place to look around. It’s near the strand and great for views of the lake, especially at sunset. There is also a sailing club at the site.

Esterházy Castle

Another pleasant building to see when walking through is Esterházy Castle, AKA Esterházy-kastély. The Lengyel family built this castle in 1785. It’s a nice building to see, and it now functions as a creative house for writers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out if they were open to visitors when I was in the area.

Bars & Restaurants in Szigliget

There are some great options for bars and restaurants in Szigliget, including many that serve traditional Hungarian food. As I visited outside the peak Lake Balaton holiday season, fewer options were open in the village. These are the places I enjoyed refreshments.

Szigligeti fagylaltozó – Near The Castle Entrance

At the bottom of the hill to the castle is a lovely cafe-bar, Szigligeti fagylaltozó. They have outside seating and some interesting decor, including oversized deckchairs.

It’s a handy spot for a drink before or after climbing the hill to the castle. I enjoyed a large local raspberry squash, which was very refreshing and a change from the usual beer.

Meal out at Bakos Attila kisvendéglője

Bakos Attila kisvendéglője is a quirky restaurant with some traditional decor. They have an outside seating area, which was ideal on a sunny day. They had a choice of cold beers or other drinks to enjoy. I opted for the Hungarian lager beer.

For food, they had lots of tempting choices, including many meat options and fish from Lake Balaton. The deer stew with juniper appealed to them, and they served it with boiled potatoes and blueberry jam. This was a delicious meal, and all the flavours were perfectly matched.

Aranypatkó Kisvendéglő

On the loop back to the castle, I passed Fo Ter and spotted a pleasant restaurant with a terrace, Aranypatkó Kisvendéglő. They served food and beer on their outside tables, and the place had picturesque views.

The beer I enjoyed was reasonably priced, as is usual for local beers when in Hungary. In the front square, they had a cool display ready for Halloween.

Szigliget Castle Cafe

In the main courtyard of the castle is a nice cafe with a covered seating area overlooking the ruins. They serve food and a variety of drinks, including beer and coffee.

Getting to Szigliget Castle By Bus

There is a bus service on the northern shore of Lake Balaton in Hungary. Thus, it is pretty straightforward to get around if you time things right, as some services are not that frequent. To reach Szigliget from Keszthely, I took the 1714 bus, which drops you off very near the castle. The bus cost was under £1, so it was great value. There are other bus services that cover the area, and they seem pretty reliable.

Is Szigliget in Hungary Worth Visiting?

Szigliget is well worth visiting, and I really enjoyed my day trip. If you like castles, countryside or lake activities, then this is a fantastic place to visit. The main attraction, the castle, is interesting, and the views from the fortifications are wonderful.

There were many places to dine out, and the restaurants I popped into were good. They also offer holiday accommodation options, including places by the lake. You can find these on Booking.com.