Széchenyi Castle, Nagycenk, Hungary
February 25, 2008 Cities, Europe, Family Vacation, Historical Places, Leisure No Comments
Nagycenk is located near the Austrian border, 12 kilometers from Sopron and not far from the Fertő Lake. The city was the one-time home of the Széchenyi Family - a family with great importance in the history of Hungary. The Mausoleum in the village cemetery is a memorial place of national identity and an invaluable piece of art. The Mausoleum is the final resting place of Count Ferenc Széchenyi, the founder of the Hungarian National Museum and his son, Count István Széchenyi, the “Greatest Hungarian”, the outstanding politician of the Reform Age, founder of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. István played an important role in building and improving the economy of the country by building railroads, brigdes, supporting sciences, research and horse breeding.
The Castle in Nagycenk is surrounded by a park that is closed by a beautiful wrought-iron gate. The humble French-garden in the courtyard is in contrast with the beautiful interior of the castle. The main part of the castle is now serves as a museum about the life and success of the family. A stud farm, an open-air locomotive museum, a nostalgia train with steam locomotives, a beautiful alleyway with limetrees, and a neo-romanesque church designed by Miklós Ybl provide all visitors enough attraction for a day-long excursion. Children are allowed to drive the nostalgia train and they can get a certificate of being a junior steam locomotive driver. An international festival is organized each summer in the nearby court in the memory of István Széchenyi and his efforts for the riding sports with show jumping and couch driving.
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Pécs is the regional and cultural capital of Baranya County in Hungary and has been selected to be the European Capital of Culture in 2010 together with Essen and Istanbul. The city center is beautiful with a number of Turkish and medieval monuments. The city has a long history since the Roman Ages. The Cathedral is a beautiful piece of art, as well a number of buildings in the city, like the County Hall, the University, the Zsolnay Mausoleum and the porcelain factory, the National Theater and the Mosque of Gázi Kászim Pasha.
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