Zirc: Cistercian history and parkland

Getting your bearings in Zirc

The railway station addresses provide specific reference points for your arrival: the railway station is at Vasút utca 6, and the bus station is at Állomás utca 6. These are two different locations. Taking this into account when planning can help you determine which arrival point is relevant to your trip; timetables should be considered separately.

Cistercian history and architecture

One distinctive building is the Vöröstorony, completed in 1847. Its name refers to the 146 red marble steps leading to the roof terrace and to the copper roofing used when it was built. The numbers and materials make its name an unusual combination of architectural detail and building history.

Inside the Zirci Ciszterci Apátság, the Baroque high altar makes another striking impression: it is 17 metres tall and is described as Hungary’s largest high altar. The Cistercian Memorial Library offers a different way to explore history. Its oldest volume is an incunabulum printed in 1470. An exhibition in the former winter garden, once known as the orangery, explores the development of the Cistercian Order. It began in the 12th century and lasted 200 years. The altar, library and exhibition each offer a distinct focus, from sacred design to the history of the order.

The English garden and its plant collection

For a green attraction alongside the buildings, Zirc has an English garden. It covers 38 holds and is home to more than 100 species of coniferous trees, as well as 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs. The area and the variety of plants describe different aspects of the garden: its size as well as the range of its collection. This green space adds a very different theme to the historic sites, so you need not focus your trip exclusively on architecture.

More to explore in the wider destination of North Balaton

The wider destination of North Balaton offers other distinct themes to choose from. Boat trips are available in the Tapolcai-tavasbarlang, along with the guided “Csodálatos karszt” (“Wonderful Karst”) exhibition. The cave is part of a cave system beneath the town that has so far been explored for a length of 14.6 kilometres. Here, an underground landscape meets a guided exhibition.

Hegyestű also offers a geological focus: the 337-metre-high mountain lies between Zánka and Monoszló. Its inner face reveals the structure of a basalt volcano that was active around 8 million years ago. A panorama board on the western edge of the quarry site helps visitors identify the surrounding hills; the site also includes a rock garden featuring characteristic rock types of Transdanubia. Visitors who prefer to explore landscapes through rocks and geological formations rather than a plant collection will find a different perspective here.

Cultural discoveries in the wider destination also extend beyond Zirc. In Bakonybél, the Pannon Csillagda features an interactive exhibition on space travel and astronomy. The Herend Porcelain Museum combines a permanent exhibition with changing exhibitions on the history of the manufactory; in workshops, visitors can handle porcelain clay and a brush for painting. The Levendula Ház offers an interactive look at the formation of the Tihany Peninsula and lavender cultivation, complemented by a craft workshop and a garden with interactive activities.

The Veszprém Zoo offers more to explore for families with varied interests: it welcomes visitors of all ages and provides year-round experiences spanning six continents. The Dinosaur Park features lifelike models of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago; children can also take part in a real archaeological excavation there. You can weigh up these regional options against Zirc’s architecture, library history and parkland according to your own interests.

Discover more destinations: Bakonynána, Bakonybél, Pénzesgyőr, Borzavár, Eplény, Porva, Csesznek, Dudar.

View the wider travel overview: Zirci.