Castle of Sümeg is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

by the town of

Sümeg Sümeg (german: Schimeck) is a town in Veszprém county, Hungary. Sümeg is mostly known for Sümeg Castle. It is north of Lake Balaton. Twin towns – sister cities Sümeg is twinned with: * Aichtal, Germany * Sovata Sovata (; hu, Szov� ...

, Veszprém county,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. Built in the mid or late 13th century by Béla IV of Hungary, Sümeg Castle is situated atop a mountain called "Castle Hill", 20 miles north of Lake Balaton. During its existence, it has been expanded several times. In the 15th century, it was fortified, and the second of two towers was built. It has been under siege several times, and has experienced two fires. Today, it is the main tourist attraction for visitors to Sümeg.

Description

It is irregular in shape, and situated in a north–south orientation atop a mountain called "Castle Hill", 20 miles north of Lake Balaton. It has two towers, and is 125 metres long and 80 metres wide. The interior contains a walled pathway. This leads to internal gatehouse that opens into the main courtyard.

History

This castle was originally built in the mid or late 13th century by Béla IV of Hungary, where he lived during the

Mongolian invasion Mongolian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia * Mongolian people, or Mongols * Mongolia (1911–24), the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924 * Mongolian language * Mongolian alphabet * Mong ...

between 1241 and 1242. Later, it was presented as a gift to the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Veszprém The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Veszprém ( hu, Veszprémi Főegyházmegye, la, Archidioecesis Veszprimiensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. Believed to have been established in 1009 AD by King St ...

by Stephen V of Hungary. In 1552, in response to the capture of

Veszprém Veszprém (; german: Weißbrunn, sl, Belomost) is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county (comitatus or 'megye') of ...

by the Turks, the castle was rebuilt and fortified to serve as a frontier fortress. In 1713, after the Austrian occupation during Rákóczi's War for Independence, troops set the castle on fire. During the 20th century, parts of the castle were restored. Since 1989, it has been privately held. It was restored on a large scale and is now operated as a tourist attraction, providing events and tournaments. It is considered to be Hungary's most well-preserved fortress.

References

External links

List of castles in Hungary This list of castles in Hungary article consists mostly of the well-known castles on the territory of today's Hungary. List of castles See also *Palaces and mansions in Hungary External linksHomepage of castles in Hungary and in the ancient Hu ...

Castles in Hungary Buildings and structures in Veszprém County Tourist attractions in Veszprém County Historic house museums in Hungary Museums in Veszprém County {{Veszprem-geo-stub