Hidden in a dense forest on the northern slope of the basalt Somló Hill, the ruins of Somló Castle once guarded an almost inaccessible position. Its irregular layout, inner towers, several courtyards and a well-preserved drawbridge spanning an eight-metre dry moat make it one of the more atmospheric medieval ruins in the region.

The castle's history spans royal ownership, the great archbishop Tamás Bakócz who turned it into an elegant Italian Renaissance residence, and centuries of border warfare against the Ottomans. Its most distinctive feature is a hexagonal tower, now believed to have served as a chapel. Surrounded by the vineyards and woods of Somló Hill, the ruins offer a rewarding blend of history and nature in every season.

How to get there

• From the foot of Somló Hill - paved path then trail, about 30-45 minutes, moderate difficulty
• No car access to the castle itself; only bicycles or walking are possible beyond the base of the hill, with signposts along the way

Practical information

• The ruin is a registered state-owned historic monument (No. 9845)
• Since 2017 it has been under restoration as part of the National Castle Programme
• Along the way stands the Kinizsi Rock, a basalt boulder with a saddle-shaped hollow linked to a legend about castle owner Pál Kinizsi

A curious footnote: a 1960 Hungarian postage stamp depicting the castle was misprinted with the name Somlyó instead of Somló, and these misprints are still popular among stamp collectors today.