Szigetvar

The most familiar sights in this historically noted town are the castle and the Turkish heritage.

The town has several structures of Turkish heritage

This part of the Almás Stream floodplain has been inhabited for millennia. By the 15th century, the settlement had developed into a town by medieval standards and was fortified with defence constructions for security.

The past of the settlement is closely connected to that of the castle. Built in the first third of the 15th century, a three-storey brick tower constituted the foundations of the current castle. Encircled with fortifications it was extended eastward in an L-shape. This central castle section was divided from the former knight's castle (inner castle) only by a palisade.

Following the Battle at Mohács in 1526, both the castle and the town were fortified and islands formed when the Almás Stream was dammed to form a lake. Szigetvár withstood its first attack at that time. Following its occupation in 1566, the castle took its current form under the Turkish, who cleared away the ruins of the three-section medieval fortress.

Due to changes in the art of warfare, Szigetvár had lost its military significance by the mid 18th century.

In the late 19th century, construction of the Pécs-Barcs railway line linked the town to the country's transport and economic networks. As a result of a century of development, on the 400th anniversary of the heroic resistance against the Turkish, Szigetvár was granted city status in 1966.

How to get there:
By public transport Szigetvár is served by trains and Volán buses from Pécs and Kaposvár. By car, take Route 6 and look for the town west of the city of Pécs.