If you’re planning a trip to Hungary, make sure you spend a little time exploring beyond its major cities.
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Tourism board Visit Hungary is encouraging visitors to seek out the architecturally spectacular and historically intriguing castles and palaces dotted around the countryside.
For centuries, these set the stage for decisive battles and cultural crossroads, and many have undergone careful renovation to improve accessibility.
Here are Hungary’s five most beautiful countryside castles and palaces.
Festetics Palace, Keszthely
The third-largest palace in Hungary, this single-story Baroque residence has 101 rooms, including an enormous aristocratic private library with 86,000 volumes.
It is set in a sprawling 42-hectare garden with ancient trees, colourful flowerbeds, a pond, fountains and statues.
Today, the palace mainly functions as a museum and cultural event centre with both guided and self-guided tours available.
Esterházy Palace, Fertőd
Nicknamed the ‘Hungarian Versailles’, this 126-room Baroque building complex is one of the most popular attractions in north-west Hungary.
This palace has 126 rooms, the Esterházy Gallery containing 650 paintings, magnificent wrought-iron gates, a chapel, the Marionette Theatre, a courtyard and a 300-hectare French garden.
For over two decades, it was also home to famed composer Joseph Haydn.
Nádasdy Mansion, Nádasdladány
Combining Neo-Gothic, Historicist, and Tudor styles, this beautiful Hungarian mansion is an architectural feast for the eyes.
Its Hall of Ancestors, featuring the portraits of the famed Nádasdy family members, is one of the most beautiful ancestral portrait galleries in Hungary.
Television fans may be interested to learn that the iron gates of the mansion gardens and the renewed upholstery of indoor furniture were updates made for the filming of two series here: Underworld and The Borgias, respectively.
Eger Castle, István Dobó Castle Museum, Eger
Through guided tours and interactive exhibits, this legendary Gothic-style castle tells the story of how the Ottoman Empire suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Hungarian defenders in 1552.
There’s even a daily commemoration of the siege and its defenders, delivered by a cannon firing performed at 3.52 pm each day.
Szigliget Castle, Szigliget
The only castle near Lake Balaton that is open to visitors, Szigliget Castle is often referred to as the Castle of Balaton.
The ruins of this fortress, which was once strong enough to withstand the attacks of the Ottoman forces, now offer visitors glimpses of both Hungarian history and the stunning lake itself.