Nádasdy Castle
The Renaissance castle located on the southern side of Kossuth Square is one of Hungary’s most outstanding monuments, the town’s symbol.
The present-day castle has developed from the three-storey, 13th-century dwelling tower in its southwest corner and the single-storey northern wing. The castle’s first mention is from 1288. The next great building operations took place in the second half of the 15th century, in Gothic style. During the times of the Kanizsai family, a three-storey dwelling structure adorned with representative objects and suitable for nobility was raised where the southern wing stands today. The lower level of the present-day gate-tower was created at the end of the 15th century. By the beginning of the 16th century the large, closed courtyard came into existence, while the castle’s protection, apart from its natural assets, was assured by earth ramparts with notched planks. Between 1534 and 1671 the Nádasdy family owned the castle. As a result of the Renaissance style constructions, the castle’s current form took shape.
The ceiling frescoes of the Great Hall were done in 1653. The defensive system of Old Italian style bastions that can be seen today was built between 1588 and 1615. The ceiling frescoes of the Great Hall were created by Hans Rudolf Miller, while the wall pictures depicting images from the Old Testament were painted by István Dorffmaister in 1769. In 1803, Archduke Ferdinand Estei bought the castle, which was renovated by his successor. The Renaissance arcade along the eastern wing was walled up. The wing’s upper-level corridors were built so that the castle could be walked around. The water was drained from the castle moat, and the present-day bridge was built. During the 19th and 20th centuries only minor alterations took place, so even today the castle presents an image of the fortified late Renaissance castles of the 16th-17th centuries.
Kossuth Square – Town Hall
It was built on Kossuth Square between 1878-82, and is one of the chief works of the Sárvár architect Lajos Geschrey.
The Eclectic style building’s balcony, which faces the Main Square, was built in the 20th century. back to the previous page.
Kossuth Square - Fountain 1. March - 31. May and 1. September - 31. October: 20:30 - 20:50 1. June - 31. August: 21:30 - 21:50 Kossuth Square - Town Hall: Carillon In winter: 11:00, 16:00, 17:45 In summer: 11:00, 16:00, 18:45, 21:00
Posta square
A sight in Sárvár, where we can admire the common play of music and water.
The Posta square has in recent years become one of the most popular sights in Sárvár after the Nádasdy Castle.
Opened in 2014, the square in the city centre has an interactive fountain with 72 nozzles illuminated by LED lights, which even has an additional function. If someone steps on the rock in front of the fountain, the stream of water stops, so that you can walk into the middle of the fountain. By the way, the square was covered with three kinds of ornamental stones, several trees and shrubs were planted, which are now slowly shading those coming to the square. In addition to the relatively new Sárvár attraction, there are of course benches, so the light and music game can even be experienced sitting comfortably on summer evenings.
But the place is not only worth a visit in the summer. In autumn and winter, even during a wellness weekend, it is worth visiting, as many outdoor events take place here, for example the Sárvár advent fair and the carnival programs.
The” show" of the fountain starts daily at 11:30, 15:30, 17:30 and 19:30. A similar production can also be found at Kossuth square. Whether you are coming to Sárvár for a shorter wellness weekend or a longer family holiday, also look for the Posta square in any case!
St. László Catholic Church
The conversion of the Trinity Chapel of medieval origin, which stood on the market square of the then country town Sárvár was begun in 1645 by the country judge Ferenc Nádasdy who had reconverted to Catholicism two years before.
The builder was Pietro Orsolini. The church, whose ground plan is in the shape of a Greek cross, was consecrated to St. László. This early church covered a third of the present-day one. The church, which along with the town was destroyed during Rákóczi’s War of Independence, was rebuilt in 1732, the same year its tower was constructed. In 1830 two vaulted sections were added to the Baroque church, turning its layout into a Latin cross. It received its Classicist western facade at that time, as well. Due to the increase of the town’s population and the rapid deterioration of the church’s condition, reconstruction took place in 1926-1927. The parts east of the tower were dismantled, and so the church’s oldest part was destroyed. The new church gained two aisles, the sanctuary was moved to its western side, and the eastern side received its Classicist facade. The patron’s chancel was also created at the time. The stained glass windows that can be seen today are reminders of these constructions, too. Within the church stands Sárvár’s first public statue, the column of the sorrowful Jesus, made by the bailiff Mátyás Gayer and his wife Erzsébet Szundi in 1701.
St. Michael Roman Catholic Church
This Catholic church of medieval origin was once Sárvár’s parish church in the town of Sár, which was administratively independent until 1912. Until 1767 the parish priest of Sárvár used to live in Sár.
The church’s first written mention is from 1454, but even then it was already considered to be an old building. Its Gothic tower, eastern orientation, the windows positioned on its south side and the old statues, which in 1758 still stood on its tower, reveal its medieval origins. The church obtained its present-day form during the reconstructions of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the course of the reconstruction of 1830, and afterwards that of 1868, its painted wooden ceiling was swapped for a Czech camber-vault. In the 20th century reconstruction, it was given a Neo-Gothic exterior. The church is significant in cultural history, because Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos, the chronicler of Turkish-Hungarian battles was laid to rest in the old cemetery surrounding the church, or perhaps within the church itself at the end of January 1556.
St. Mark Church
Other than the castle, the Church of St. Mark in Rábasömjén is the only other monument from the age of the Árpád dynasty in Sárvár.
Its first written mention is from 1288. In the 13th century, it used to bear the name of St. Peter, while at the end of the 17th century it was already named after St. Mark. The twin windows of its tower, its ornate gateway, the Romanesque gate used as an entrance to its vestry, and the building’s eastern orientation are reminders of its Romanesque origin. During its reconstruction in 1933, the church was given a Neo-Romanesque exterior. During the renovations of 1973 further Romanesque remains were found. Within the church the artist József Pruzdik painted four scenes from the life of St. Mark and one from the life of Jesus, using a fresco technique.
Evangelical Church (3 Sylvester Street)
After the declaration of the Act of Tolerance 218 Evangelical churches were built in Hungary in the years 1782-1787.
In Sárvár, a total of 133 Evangelicals bought plots for the school and the church. The first church was destroyed in the fire of 3 May 1829. The new church was built in a Classicist style from public donations in 1834-36. Its builder was the Sárvár architect Sámuel Geschrey. The church’s main characteristic is the vestry wall, used widely in Transdanubia to separate the apse from the church. With its white-painted walls and harmonious proportions, it is a fine example of the Classicist church architecture of Transdanubia.