Zirc

Zirc is a town of 6,800 people (2018) in Veszprém County. The picturesque settlement is the highest city in Hungary, at an altitude of 400 m.

The town is 25 km north of Veszprém, 45 km east of Pápa, 35 km from Lake Balaton and 57 km from Győr.

The main road 82 passes through the city center in a north-south direction.

The Győr – Veszprém railway line No. 11 passes through the town.

• 🌍 Zirc Abbey (Ciszterci apátság, Zircensis or Boccon). A Cistercian abbey established in 1182. The abbey church (Apátsági templom) was built between 1737 and 1752. 
  • Bakony Natural History Museum (Bakonyi Természettudományi Múzeum), on the first floor of the abbry building. The only rural natural history museum in the country. The task of the museum is to study the fauna, flora and geology of the Bakony Mountains. 
  • Reguly Antal Memorial Library and Reguly Antal Ethnographic Museum and Folk Art Workshop (Reguly Antal Műemlékkönyvtár), on the second floor of the abbey building. 
• 🌍 Zirc Arboretum (A Zirci Arborétum Természetvédelmi Terület). Built by the Cistercians. The 20-hectare area has Hungary's highest living tree collection today, from 5 continents, with more than 600 tree and shrub species living here. 
• Parish Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (Fájdalmas Szűzanya Plébániatemplom). The Late Baroque Parish Church has a very significant set of works of fine art and decorative painting. From 1780, you can see the cycle of ceiling and wall paintings of the “Seven Sorrows of Mary” organized around the woodcut Pietà of unparalleled composition. 

Good place for a base to exploring the area, some nice walking, biking tour depart from here. Hiking is possible anywhere in the area, the gorges of the Cuha Valley, the valley of the Gerence stream and the Kőris mountain offer many attractions.

• Pintér Hill Park Forest study trail
• Prešov Mountain Geological Demonstration Trail on the border of Olaszfalu

Visit the Balaton Upland National Park.

• Gramofon Kaffee, Deák Ferenc utca 7. 7 AM- 10 PM. Delicious coffee and other beverages to drink. Nice company. Offers the option to play Hungarian lottery games. (updated Dec 2022)