Castle of Sümeg is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

by the town of

Sümeg Sümeg () 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, Romania * Tapolca Tapolca (; ) is a t ...

Veszprém county Veszprém (, ; ) is an administrative county (''vármegye'') in Hungary. Veszprém is also the name of the capital city of Veszprém county. Veszprém county Veszprém county lies in western Hungary. It covers the Bakony hills and the norther ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...

. Built in the mid or late 13th century by

Béla IV of Hungary Béla IV (1206 – 3 May 1270) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia between 1235 and 1270, and Duke of Styria from 1254 to 1258. As the oldest son of Andrew II of Hungary, King Andrew II, he was crowned upon the initiative of a group ...

, 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 The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

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

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Veszprém The Archdiocese of Veszprém (, ) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Hungary. Believed to have been established in 1009 AD by King Stephen I of Hungary, as the Diocese of Veszprém, the diocese was originally a suffragan to t ...

Stephen V of Hungary Stephen V (, , ; before 18 October 1239 – 6 August 1272) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia between 1270 and 1272, and Duke of Styria from 1258 to 1260. He was the oldest son of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina. King Béla ...

. In 1552, in response to the capture of

Veszprém Veszprém (; , , , ) 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 of the same name. Etymology The city's name derives ...

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 *List of castles in Europe External linksHomepage of castles in 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