Szentgotthárd brings together Baroque church art, monastic history, museums and a thermal bath. During your stay, you can choose between historical discoveries, trails with different themes and bathing facilities. Several churches and chapels also offer insight into architecture and religious art, each with its own historical details.
Church, Art and History
The Nagyboldogasszony Church was built between 1748 and 1779 to designs by Franz Anton Pilgram in a restrained Baroque style. A fresco by Stefan Dorfmeister depicts the Christian army’s victory over the Turks at Szentgotthárd. The tower is also worth a look: it houses the largest bell in western Hungary, weighing just under 40 quintals.
At the Pável Ágoston Museum, the 1664 Battle of Szentgotthárd is depicted on a digital terrain model. Another exhibition is devoted to pottery: five display cases showcase works from the Züric Valley and its surroundings, by Slovenian masters from the Rába region and potters from Ják, as well as by stove builders, Habaners and smaller workshops in Vas County.
Monastic History and Interactive Museums
At the Kolostorépület, you can visit the communal rooms during the office’s opening hours; guided tours of the building are available on request. The interactive game “Kaland a kolostorban” takes you through the building with a tablet as you solve puzzles. As visiting arrangements and tours may change, it is best to check in advance.
The TimeTourist – Időutazó Múzeum is an interactive experience museum in a former Cistercian manor house. Using modern technology, visitors experience five different historical periods in an atmosphere of images, sounds and scents. The Pável Ágoston Museum focuses on something different: alongside the digital terrain model, the work of the region’s potters and workshops takes centre stage.
Várkert, Nature Trails and Hársas-tó
Várkert is a locally protected public park that combines an English landscape garden with a Baroque garden. The Ciszter tanösvény runs past seven installations in the form of open, unusually tilted codices. The multilingual information in them covers the lives and customs of the Cistercians who once lived here.
The 1 km Hársas-tó nature trail covers a different subject: it introduces the wildlife and plant life 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. The two trails therefore differ not only in length, but also in whether you want to explore Cistercian history or learn about the lake and the region.
Chapels, Theatre and Thermal Baths
The Mindenszentek Church in Rábakethely retains Romanesque details; it was extended in the Gothic style during its reconstruction. A stained-glass window depicts Blessed János Brenner. The Szent Péter és Pál Chapel in Máriaújfalu was built between 1899 and 1908 and contains wooden statues of Saints Peter and Paul.
The Brenner Chapel is officially called Jó Pásztor kápolna. A Mass is celebrated there on the 13th of each month from May to October. You can register in advance for an expert-led tour; check the current arrangements before your arrival. The Temetőkápolna is a Roman Catholic chapel of Baroque origin that now has a Gothic appearance. Members of the order who died have been buried there since 1756. Matthias Gusner and lay brother Kaspar Schrezenmayer, the two artists of the Baroque abbey, lie in the crypt chambers.
The Reformed Church also displays influences of Transylvanian folk art—in its design, in embroidered textiles from Kalotaszeg and in its wood-carving motifs. Since 1988, the theatre in Szentgotthárd has provided a venue for celebrations, award ceremonies, concerts, school performances and graduation ceremonies; check the dates for individual events.
Szentgotthárd Spa & Wellness is supplied with thermal water at around 35°C from a nearby thermal well. Facilities include indoor and outdoor pools as well as slides. As operating conditions and facilities may change, it is advisable to check the latest information before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Felsőszölnök, Vasszentmihály, Rátót, Apátistvánfalva, Kétvölgy, Alsószölnök
Return to the main travel overview: Szentgotthárdi.
