Pécsváradi Vár
Former Benedictine monastery and fortified castle founded by St Stephen, with museum attractions, guided tours and a hotel.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Pécsváradi Vár was in fact a fortified Benedictine monastery. St Stephen (Szent István) founded it and gave the stone building of the princely manor house to the Benedictines, making it the second Benedictine abbey in the country after Pannonhalma. In the Middle Ages the monastery also served as an authentic place: legal transactions and the sale and purchase of estates were recorded in writing here.
After the fire of 1157 a floor was added to the original building; a gate with a barbican bastion was built on the north side; in the 13th century a large Gothic church was added, and in the 14th century the monastery courtyard with a cloister. The monks fled from the Turks in 1539, and the complex was damaged.
The castle today operates as a museum, a restaurant and accommodation. The oldest church still standing in Hungary, the consecrated castle chapel, dates back to the end of the 10th century and was reconsecrated in 1996. Visitors can walk through the castle with a guide and can see the forge, the show kitchen and the herb garden.
Highlights
- Castle chapel with a Byzantine-style fresco
- Forge in the castle courtyard
- Show kitchen with a traditional oven
- Herb garden
- The throne of Vak Béla
- Guided castle walk, with a fairy-tale, playful version for children
Permanent exhibitions
- Várkápolna – The chapel, built at the end of the 10th century and still consecrated, with a Byzantine-style wall painting.
- Kovácsműhely és látványkonyha – Places in the castle courtyard presenting the tools of blacksmithing and of cooking in earlier times.
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Fairy-tale and playful castle guided tours for kindergarten and primary school children, a Benedictine adventure game and baking in the oven for groups.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Restaurant
The castle houses a restaurant and the István Király Szálló (István Király Hotel); the restaurant is open Monday to Thursday 10:00–18:00, Friday 10:00–20:00 and at weekends 8:00–20:00.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Castle guided tour (approx. 45 minutes), fairy-tale and playful castle guided tour (60 minutes), a lesson set in the 1930s, a Benedictine adventure game and baking in the oven; for groups also at individual times by prior registration. The nearby Samu Géza Múzeum can be visited separately. |
