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Szigetvár

Szigetvár lies at the southern slopes of Zselic, 30 kilometers from Pécs, at the meeting of Highways  6 and 67.

Recommended tours

A few kilometers from the city, in the vicinity of the Castle of Domolos, there is a nice area for horse riding, fishing, touring and hunting.

Attractions

The Cultural Center, designed by Imre Makovecz, was finished in 2013.

The spa of the city, open all year round, has a medicinal water rich in minerals. It is helpful for rheumatic problems, slowing down osteoporosis and even preventing tooth decay in children.

A popular sight of Szigetvár is the castle located in a large park. In the courtyard of the castle stands the mosque built for the victorious Suleiman. The exhibition on the history of the city is open from spring til the end of autumn.

The Roman Catholic parish church, which was transformed from a mosque, can be found in the city center. It was built in the 16th century with a mural, painted by István Dorffmeister, depicting the conquering of the castle, the death of Zrínyi, and the reconquering of the castle. There are three additional Dorffmeister paintings in the church.

 The Franciscan church is in Zárda Street, its unique main altar and vestry furniture are significant pieces of Hungarian art. The building of the friary houses a music school today and it also shows fine art exhibitions from spring to autumn.

Next to the main square is an old stagecoach station and salt depot house where the visitor can see an exhibition on the modern history of Szigetvár.

In Bástya Street, next to the market is the Ottoman House, built in the 16th century, the only intact Ottoman house in Hungary.

At the border of the city is the tomb of Suleiman built by the Ottomans.

There are many hotels and hostels in Szigetvár available for the visitors.

The traditional cultural, scientific and sports events are vivid additions to the city’s busy life. The most important is the Zrínyi Celebration, which has been held in every September for 160 years.

History

The region has been inhabited since the antiquity but it only became widely known after Miklós Zrínyi and his soldiers heroically tried to defend the city’s fortress from the armies of Sultan Suleiman at the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. The turn-of-the-century city center and the buildings from the Ottoman times are the main sights of Szigetvár. The casemate system of the northern wall was built after its reconquering from the Ottomans in 1689. In honor of the heroes of Szigetvár it was named The Most Heroic City (Civitas Invicta) in 2011.