Like a page straight out of a fairy-tale storybook, the imposing Sümeg Castle sits on a 270m-high cone of limestone (a rare substance in this region of basalt) and towers above Sümeg. It fell into ruin after the Austrians abandoned it early in the 18th century, but was restored in the 1960s. Today it is the largest and best preserved castle in all of Transdanubia and boasts sweeping views east to the Bakony Hills and south to the Keszthely Hills. There’s a small Castle Museum (Vármúzeum) of weapons, armour and castle furnishings in the 13th-century Old Tower (Öregtorony); pony rides and archery in the castle courtyard; a snack bar; and a restaurant. Medieval tournaments and feasts within the castle walls are organised throughout the year. You can still see bits of the old town walls below the castle at the northern end of Kossuth Lajos utca (Nos 13 to 33). A 16th-century tower is now the living room of the house at No 31.
Reach the castle by climbing Vak Bottyán utca, which is lined with lovely baroque kúriak (mansions), from Szent István tér and then following Vároldal utca past the castle stables, which now house a riding school. The castle is also accessible via jeep from the parking lot at the end of Vároldal utca.
