Rezi Castle

There are a number of lookouts on the southern side of Keszthely Mountains to enjoy the view over Balaton, however, the northern side shows a quite different face. Peaks here also rise high above the surrounding hills and the northern foreground is low making them ideal for castle guards to scan the roads of the area. Besides Castles of Tátika and Sümeg Rezi Castle was a considerable stronghold in the region, too.

The simple but defensible castle was built on a steep dolomite peak. By today only a part of the keep and some walls have remained. The origins are uncertain with an estimated date of building around the turn of 13th and 14th century. In the mid-14th century it was donated to the Laczkfis by King Louis I but later onwards it changed hands more times. Finally, the castle passed into the hands of the Petős who managed it from 1420 to the 16th century. Not only the castle’s origins but its decline is uncertain also. It was fortified and served as a safe haven after the battle of Mohács when Turkish raids started to pose a direct danger to population in and along the borderline of Ottoman Hungary. The circumstances of its final decline are unknown, however, a document dated in 1592 refers to it as a ruin.

Some parts were restored in the 2000s including the gateway and its roof. The bailey offers a great view over the Zalaszántó Basin, the neighboring Tátika Castle and the white Buddhist stupa nearby. Balaton is also visible in the south and buttes of Tapolca Basin punctuate the horizon in the east.

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