Siklós Castle

Siklós Castle (Siklósi vár) lies in the town of Siklós in southern Hungary, near Pécs. First mentioned in 1294, it belonged to the Soklyosi family. King Sigismund seized it in 1387, and from 1394 it belonged to the Garai family, who built it into a fortified castle in the early 15th century. In 1515 it passed to Imre Perényi. From 1543, after a three-day battle, until 1686 it was Ottoman. In 1728 the Batthyány family bought it and completed the Baroque building, and in 1873 it passed to the Benyovszky family.

The complex is marked by Gothic and Renaissance forms; depending on the source, the chapel is dated to the 14th/15th or the 15th/16th century. The state bought the castle in 1936. In the Second World War it served as a prisoner-of-war camp and was damaged. Renovation began in 1955, and in 2009 to 2011 work followed with Norwegian and EU funds, including on the chapel.

Today the castle is a museum and a destination for day trips. According to the Michelin Guide you cross an old drawbridge, and the ramparts overlook the Villány hills; there are also a Knights' Hall, an old prison and a torture chamber. Allow about half a day, and check opening hours and admission beforehand.