Zirci Ciszterci Apátság – Ciszterci Látogatóközpont
The baroque basilica of the Cistercian abbey in Zirc, the Vöröstorony (Red Tower), the Királyterem (Royal Hall), an exhibition on the history of the order and the historic monastery library can be visited.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
King III. Béla invited Cistercian monks from Clairvaux in France to the Bakony to build an abbey in the then forested area. The medieval church was blown up; its stones were used for the baroque basilica begun in the 1730s, whose inscribed stone from 1204 still comes from the old church. Rebuilding of the abbey began in 1726; in the 19th century Abbot Villax Ferdinánd expanded it with several new wings. The Királyterem (Royal Hall) was built together with the monastery’s west wing between 1844 and 1846, and the 146-step Vöröstorony (Red Tower) in 1847.
The twin-towered basilica is the symbol of the town of Zirc and one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in the country; its 25-metre-high vault is decorated with frescoes, and its high altar is 17 metres tall. Apart from the basilica, the visitor centre offers the order’s history exhibition in the former orangery, the Royal Hall, the Red Tower, the arboretum and the neoclassical Ciszterci Műemlékkönyvtár (Cistercian Monument Library); the library is on the second floor of the abbey building and can only be visited with a guide.
Several combined tickets (Historia, Natura, Cultura) can be used to plan the visit. The Bakonyi Természettudományi Múzeum (Bakony Natural History Museum), housed in the abbey building, has its own separate ticket, which cannot be combined with the abbey tickets.
Highlights
- Baroque basilica with the largest baroque high altar in Hungary
- 146-step Vöröstorony (Red Tower) with views over the Bakony
- Royal Hall with 19th-century furniture and paintings
- History of the order exhibition in the former orangery
- Neoclassical Ciszterci Műemlékkönyvtár (monument library), visits with a guide only
Permanent exhibition
- Egyház- és rendtörténeti kiállítás – The exhibition in the former orangery of the abbey presents the roughly eight-century history of the Cistercian order and the Church.
- Operated by
- Zirci Ciszterci Apátság
Admission & discounts
| Adults | HUF 3,500 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | HUF 2,500Students (up to age 25 with a full-time student card) and pensioners |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 5 · Admission is free for children under 6. |
| Seniors | HUF 2,500 |
| Students & apprentices | HUF 2,500 |
| Groups (15+ people) | –If the group pays a single sum, every 15th person enters free of charge. |
| Families | HUF 9,5002 adults and 2 children (under 18); Historia combined ticket. |
| Combined ticket – Natura (basilica, Red Tower, Royal Hall, order-history exhibition, arboretum) | HUF 4,500students and pensioners HUF 3,500, family HUF 12,500 |
| Combined ticket – Cultura (Natura + monument library) | HUF 5,500students and pensioners HUF 4,500, family HUF 15,500 |
| Basilica | HUF 1,500students and pensioners HUF 1,200, family HUF 4,500 |
| Royal Hall and Red Tower | HUF 1,500students and pensioners HUF 1,200, family HUF 4,500 |
| Order-history exhibition | HUF 1,000students and pensioners HUF 800, family HUF 3,000 |
| Monument library | HUF 2,000students and pensioners HUF 1,000, family HUF 4,000; teachers and visitors over 70 free |
| Organ recital (with prior registration) | HUF 25,000 |
Prices for the combined tickets (Historia, Natura, Cultura) valid from 1 May 2026; the Historia ticket covers the basilica, the Red Tower, the Royal Hall and the order-history exhibition. The arboretum has its own admission: HUF 2,500 for adults, HUF 2,000 for students and pensioners, HUF 7,000 for families. Tickets can be bought at the abbey gift shop, in cash, by bank card or with SZÉP card. The ticket for the Bakony Natural History Museum is sold separately.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | HUF 9,500 · 2 adults and 2 children (under 18); Historia combined ticket. |
Family tickets are available.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Abbey gift shop at the visitor centre’s ticket office; abbey manufactory and brewery nearby.
Events & venue rental
- Weddings / ceremonies
Wedding ceremonies can be held in the basilica.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The basilica and the monument library can only be visited with a guide; the other venues without one. Appropriate attire is required in the basilica (knee-covering clothing, no sleeveless top, no cap), and silence is requested. Dogs may not be brought onto the abbey and arboretum grounds, except assistance dogs. |