Discover Szentgotthárd

If you would like to include cultural history, nature and thermal waters in your trip, Szentgotthárd offers plenty of ways to do so. Its attractions range from Baroque church art and museums to nature trails and a thermal spa. Some visits have specific opening times or require advance registration.

Baroque church art and history

The Nagyboldogasszony Church was built between 1748 and 1779 to plans by Franz Anton Pilgram in a restrained Baroque style. A fresco inside the church depicts the Christian army’s victory over the Turks at Szentgotthárd; it was painted by Stefan Dorfmeister. The tower houses the largest bell in western Hungary. It weighs just under 40 quintals.

The Pável Ágoston Museum presents the 1664 Battle of Szentgotthárd on a digital terrain model. Five display cases showcase work by master potters from the Züric Valley and its surroundings, Slovenian masters from the Rábavidék region and potters from Jáker, as well as stove builders, Anabaptists and smaller workshops in Vas County. Check the latest exhibition details before your visit.

The churches in the town’s districts also offer insights into different architectural and artistic traditions. The Mindenszentek Church in Rábakethely was enlarged in the Gothic style during reconstruction; Romanesque details are still visible. A stained-glass window depicts Blessed János Brenner. The Reformed Church reflects Transylvanian folk-art influences in its design, in embroidered textiles from Kalotaszeg and in its wood-carving motifs.

The Szent Péter és Pál Chapel in Máriaújfalu was built between 1899 and 1908 and contains wooden statues of Saints Peter and Paul. The Roman Catholic Temetőkápolna has Baroque origins and is now in the Gothic style. From 1756, deceased members of the order were buried there. Matthias Gusner and lay brother Kaspar Schrezenmayer, the two artists of the Baroque abbey, rest in the crypt chambers.

Museums and experiences in historic buildings

The interactive TimeTourist – Időutazó Múzeum is housed in a former Cistercian manor house. Using modern technology, visitors can experience five historical periods in an immersive atmosphere of images, sounds and scents. The Kolostorépület offers a different kind of exploration: in the game “Kaland a kolostorban,” visitors discover the building using a tablet and solve puzzles.

The communal rooms of the Kolostorépület can be visited during the office’s opening hours; guided tours of the building are available on request. Check the visiting arrangements in advance. At the Brenner Chapel, whose official name is Jó Pásztor kápolna, Mass is celebrated on the 13th of each month from May to October. A specialist guided tour of the chapel is available by prior arrangement. Check dates and registration details locally before your trip.

Nature trails, park and lake

The Ciszter tanösvény consists of seven installations in the form of open, unusually tilted codices. Their multilingual information tells visitors about the lives and customs of the Cistercians who once lived here. The 1 km-long Hársas-tó nature trail introduces the flora and fauna of the lake and its surroundings, as well as the region’s architectural heritage.

The artificial Hársas-tó lies on the edge of the Máriaújfalu district and is popular with anglers, swimmers and walkers. At Várkert, a locally protected public park, an English landscape garden meets a Baroque garden. The town therefore offers a variety of places to walk and explore the landscape and its history.

Thermal spa and theatre

Szentgotthárd Spa & Wellness is supplied with thermal water at around 35°C from a nearby thermal well. The complex includes indoor and outdoor pools, as well as water slides. As the facilities may change, check the latest details before your visit.

Since 1988, the Szentgotthárd Theatre has provided a venue for celebrations, handover ceremonies, concerts, school performances and graduation ceremonies. The programme may change, so check the dates of individual events in advance.

Discover more destinations: Rátót, Apátistvánfalva, Felsőszölnök, Vasszentmihály, Alsószölnök, Kétvölgy.

Return to the main travel overview: Szentgotthárdi.