Our Lady of Hungary Parish Church

Oldest Building in Keszthely

The History of the Parish Church

Keszthely’s oldest building, the Gothic-style Parish Church built at the end of the 14th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Hungarians, is located on the Main Square. Its founder was István Lackfy, the Palatine, who was buried in the temple after his execution in 1397, and his marble tombstone can be found on the wall of the sanctuary. The Palatine also invited Franciscan friars to the city. During the period following the Battle of Mohács, the temple was turned into a fortress. The attacks were successfully repelled several times, but at that time the soldiers gradually drove the friars out of their temple, who only returned in 1723. In 1799, the “Main Square” church became the parish church of Keszthely.

“The doors of the church are open to us. It can be visited from morning to early evening. In summer it was nice to go in because of the coolness. Inside the church is restored, idols are arranged in order, and the ceiling is in excellent condition. The benches are clean, and here and there the light of a candle appears.”

Jefte LehmannLocal Tour Guide

Hungary’s Largest Gothic Frescoes

Within the temple are Hungary’s largest Gothic frescoes, which were discovered in 1974 during electrical work. The frescoes are interesting in that they depict not only saints, but also everyday people. The building’s neo-Gothic tower is quite different from the rest of the building, as it was added later, at the initiative of Tasziló Festetics. Previously a small wooden tower stood there. The original 14th century rose window was built into the new tower.

Approach and Parking

The church is located in the central part of the city, on the Main Square, a quarter of an hour walk from the Balaton Shore. If we arrive by car, we cannot stop directly near the church, but we can use paid parking in the nearby streets.

Service Times

The service times of the church can be viewed here.
An interesting factDo you want to know more about the past of Keszthely? Then the book KESZTHELYI TÖRTÉNETEK was written for you, get it in the Tourinform office on the walking street!

The Surroundings of the Church

After admiring the church inside and out, let’s not forget to take a short detour to the Castle- Garden behind it, which is not only beautiful but also has many interesting things associated with it. If we have been here too, we must see definitely the beautiful buildings of Keszthely’s Main Square!