Keszthely is a town in Hungary where impressive townhouses are lined up at the western end of Lake Balaton. It is easily one of the prettiest places to stay, far detached from the tourist hot spots on the lake. However, one can get rejuvenated in the thermal lake the town is famous for and then stroll around to absorb the local culture and history by means of the museums and historical buildings. Below is a list of things that you can do when you are in Keszthely.
1. Festetics Palace
The sparkling white, 100-room Festetics Palace was constructed in 1745, and the extended two wings to the Palace were added in 1895. Around 18 impressive rooms in the baroque south wing of the Festetics Palace are currently part of the Helikon Palace Museum filled with impressive furniture, curios, portraits and a massive collection of books.
Festetics Palace
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kastély u. 1, Hungary
Contact: kiallitas@helikonkastely.hu
Website: Festetics Palace
2. A museum that has you smiling and yearning for more
On the top floor of the Hunting Museum, the Model Railway Museum will instantly make you smile like a Cheshire Cat from ear to ear. This museum exhibits one of the largest diorama mountain railway networks with the trains whizzing around a 40-meter (130-foot) long railway network straight out of a catalog. The detailed trains are consisting of engines, passenger cars and freight wagons of the 19th and 20th centuries. The attention to details of the rail network and the stations is derived from the aerial photos and original plans, which are also exhibited in this museum.
Model Railway Museum
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kastély u. 1, Hungary
Website: Helikon Palace Museum
3. Can such a weird museum exist?
This is a wax museum of sorts but with a difference. For one, all the figures are made of silicone and the other is that all figures in the museum depict sexual or erotic behavior. Yes! This museum feature models in its subterranean space that brings to life erotic scenes from fiction by the likes of Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and many other prolific enlightenment writers. You might excuse yourself from thinking that you are in a middle of a pornographic video shoot of the bygone era with the actors dressed in medieval garments.
Erotikus Panoptikum
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kossuth Lajos str. 10, Hungary
Website: Baba Museum
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4. A museum for the tech junkie in you
Radio and Television Museum was founded in 2006 and located in the late Baroque style wood-beamed courtyard building on the corner of Kossuth and Georgikon streets. The curator József Nádler, a local entrepreneur and electronic technician collected old devices over a period of years to create this museum. The museum currently has around 600 devices mostly manufactured in Hungary. Check out the gramophones, turntables, radios, cassette players, television sets mostly functional on display. Ideal place for tech aficionados to visit and learn more about how their beloved devices evolved through the times.
Rádiómúzeum
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kossuth utca 1. és Georgikon utca 2. saroképület
Contact: +36(30)973-8242
Website: Rádiómúzeum (in Hungarian)
5. Learn the local culture through this museum
The Balaton Museum was specifically constructed in 1928 to display their emphasis on the life and past of Lake Balaton. The Balaton aquarium highlights the lake’s fish, while numerous interrelated rooms feature the lake life and philosophy. Highpoints include the show on how bathing culture has progressed over the years with numerous bathing suits from history. Also, don’t miss out János Halápy’s animated paintings of Lake Balaton life for which he is recognized for arresting the vivacious environment of the region.
Balaton Museum
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Múzeum u. 2, Hungary
Opening Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily
Contact: +36 83 312 351
Website: Balaton Museum
6. Bring out the inner child in you when you visit this museum
Toys have always been a crucial item during the growing up phase of humans. Depending on what generation you are coming from, the displays at this wonderful museum will either make you smile in memory or gawk in captivation. If you had a favorite toy, chances are this museum has it. The Toy Museum with its collection solely anticipates in transporting you back to those old times and help you relive those moments with your favorite toys and stimulate the memories.
Vidor Toy Museum
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kossuth Lajos u. 12, Hungary
Website: Jatek Museum
7. Get rejuvenated by the therapeutic powers of the lake at Hévíz
The Lake Heviz region has been inhabited since the 5th century BC and has been in use as a spa throughout time immemorial. The current spa town, after receiving universal recognition, started developing vacation home around the lake and developed their infrastructure to welcome in more guests from the world over. The water and the lake bed’s explicit configuration leads to exclusive microorganisms, which add on to the thermal water’s therapeutic power.
Lake Hévíz
Address: H-8380 Hévíz, Dr. Schulhof Vilmos sétány 1
Website: Lake Hévíz
8. An adventure the whole family can enjoy
Enjoy an exceptional view of the Balaton region that will be forever inscribed in your memory. Glide mildly in the hot air balloon over charming villages, vineyards, and the shorelines of Balaton while the wind gently strokes your face. Gaze at the sailing boats on the glimmering lake whilst the setting sun paints a dramatic background behind the volcanic mountains.
Balaton Ballooning
Address: Fenyves u. 2., 8372 Cserszegtomaj (Hévíz), Hungary
Contact: +36 20 403 2667 or info@balaton-ballooning.com
Website: Balaton Ballooning (in Hungarian)
9. Snail Parliament
The attention to detail is remarkable and one can see the amount the detail that went into creating this remarkable model in the course of 14 years of patience and hard work. Fun fact: The actual building of the Budapest’s Parliament took 17 years to construct.
Snail Parliament
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Kossuth Lajos u. 11, Hungary
Contact: +36 83 318 855
Website: Snail Parliament
10. Paletta Keszthely
You can taste the bistro dishes on a summer promenade by the marina created from cautiously chosen local ingredients to create their menu, which comprises of special burgers and Angus osso bucco. This alluring bistro combines intercontinental fare such as bouillabaisse and its signature Basalt Burger to make your lunch memorable. The concise menu is well-executed and the friendly staff is quick in their service.
Paletta Keszthely
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Phoenix utca 1
Opening Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily
Contact: +36 70 431 7413
Website: Paletta Keszthely (in Hungarian)
A preferred getaway admiring the quaint, relaxed and beautiful life of Keszthely
Due to its advantageous scenery and the thermal lake, Keszthely is a preferred holiday spot since the ages. Keszthely is an ideal place if you are hard-pressed on time and need a quick getaway. A short trip to Keszthely with the above-listed things can surely make your trip a memorable one. Recommend visiting the Festetics Palace and try out Ballooning and get a bird’s eye view of this beautiful town.
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