Castle-Hopping in Pannonia

Day 1 - Budapest-Tata-Gyõr-Hédervár

Budapest to Tata : Now the home of a museum on ancient and medieval Hungary, Tata's four-towered Gothic castle was built by King Sigismund in the 15th century, before being renovated by King Matthias in the Renaissance style and destroyed during the Turkish occupation. The famous Esterházy family rebuilt it in neo-Gothic fashion at the end of the 19th century.
Tata-Gyõr: Gyõr is filled with Baroque and neo-Classical architecture and monuments.
Gyõr-Hédervár: After driving through the Szigetköz region, rich with wildlife and rare plants, stay at the Héder family Renaissance castle hotel, surrounded by a park of centuries-old trees.

Day 2 - Fertõd-Nagycenk-Balf

Hédervár-Fertõd : The Eszterházy family's Fertõd palace is known as the Hungarian Versailles, built in the 18th century. Primarily a museum, the palace today hosts the International Haydn Festival and Music weeks. Haydn wrote many compositions at Fertõd, where he was music director.
Fertõd-Nagycenk : Baroque estate of the famous Count Széchenyi, 19th century reformer. The Red Chateaux is a three-star hotel, the main building a museum.
Nagycenk-Balf: There have been spas at Balf on the shores of Lake Fertõ since 1588. Stay overnight at the Classicist -style castle spa hotel, originally built in the 18th century.

Day 3 - Sopron-Kõszeg-Sitke

Balf-Sopron : Roman monuments, a charming medieval quarter and fine vineyards are only some of Sopron's many attractions.
Sopron-Kõszeg: Site of a valiant struggle against the Turks in 1532, Kõszeg is a jewel of a town with a restored medieval castle.
Kõszeg-Sitke: Stay overnight at the manor house in Sitke, where Roman ruins have been discovered.

Day 4 - Vasszécsény-Nagyvázsony-Tihany

Sitke-Vasszécsény : Vasszécsény village, with origins in the 1300s, has two manor house hotels, both built in the 18th century and surrounded by woodlands and parks.
Vasszécsény-Nagyvázsony : Medieval tournaments are held in the summer at the 18th century Zichy mansion-hotel in Nagyvázsony, a few miles from Lake Balaton.
Nagyvázsony-Tihany : Admire the view of Lake Balaton and stay overnight in the mansion built by Archduke Joseph at the foot of Tihany's monastery on this picturesque peninsula.

Day 5 - Seregélyes-Martonvásár-Ráckeve

Tihany-Seregélyes : A 54 acre park surrounds the classicist-style Zichy-Hadik manor house hotel built in the early 19th century.
Seregélyes-Martonvásár : 15 miles from Budapest is the neo-Gothic Brunswick manor house with its 170-acre English-style garden and Beethoven exhibition. The Brunswicks were friends of the composer, who dedicated several works to the family.
Martonvásár-Ráckeve : Enjoy an overnight stay at the elegant baroque castle hotel in Ráckeve, originally built by the Duke of Savoy in the early 18th century.