The Abbey of Tihany is a Benedictine monastery founded in Tihany in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1055. Its patrons are the Virgin Mary and Saint Aignan of Orleans.
The monastery was founded in 1055 by King Andrew I of Hungary The Memorandum is the oldest surviving document in Hungary. The fortress converted monastery resisted conquest by the Turks.
In 1786 it was closed by Emperor Joseph II and reopened in 1802. 1921, the last Hungarian King Charles IV was interned for a short time here after a failed restoration attempt. In 1950 the abbey was closed. In 1990, the building complex was returned to the Benedictines and is inhabited since then by monks Since 2012, it is an independent priory of the archabbey Pannonhalma with nine monks.
The Benedictine abbey church, built on one of the highlands of the Tihany Peninsula, is the most famous monument of the Balaton Highlands. The two-tower church that became the symbol of Tihany is the pearl of the Hungarian Baroque.
The Abbey is the venue for concerts in the summer and exhibitions and events from spring to autumn.
Access : Coordinates:46.913889, 17.889444 / we can reach the Abbey by public transport from Budapest, Lenti and Zalaegerszeg, Nagykanizsa, Veszprem and Balatonfured. From the bus, wherever we arrive, get off at the Tihany, Posta station.
The bus will drop you off at the little underground abbey, all we have to do is walk up the stairs to the building.
By car :
The closest parking lot to the abbey is the small parking lot on Kossuth Street at the Mayor’s Office, but if there is no space here, you may want to look a little further up in the larger parking lot next to the cemetery. Both have paid parking.
Highlights :
- The building complex : In the Baroque monastery, simple cells were formed in harmony with the monastic life. The refectory (monk’s dining room) was on the ground floor of the southern wing and the library was upstairs. The refectory’s vault was decorated with stucco-framed wall paintings depicting Saints of the Benedictine Order and the House of Arpad and Hungarian rulers. The library’s 18th-century furnishings were sold at the time of the 1786 dissolution, and its books disappeared after the 1950s.
- In the northwest tower is the church’s 1670 kg bell, which is also the largest in the Balatonfured district. The southeast tower has a 431 kg middle bell and a 227 kg smallest bell, the latter electrifying.
- The organ : The organ was rebuilt in 1993 by Aquincum Orgelbau with a baroque disposition, partly based on the Silbermann organ in Gro?hartmannsdorf. The prospectus is from 1765.
- In the Romanesque crypt the burial places of King Andreas I and his family are to be visited, as the only surviving grave monuments of medieval kings in Hungary.
- Benedictine Abbey Museum in Tihany : Opening hours: November, December, January, February, March: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. .Sundays and public holidays 11.15 to 16.00 April:Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday and holidays 11:15 to 17:00 (check out time is 4:45 pm).In May:Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm (closing at 5:30 pm).Sundays and public holidays 11:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. / Tickets: Full admission fee 800 HUF
- the patisserie : The offer includes the own products of the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany: typical local sweets, herbal teas by Father Gellert, King Andras and Queen Anastasia herbal lavender liqueurs and TICHON Abbey beers.Opening hours of the Abbey Rege Confectionery: Monday – Sunday 10am – 6pm
- The interior of the church : Uniform Baroque furniture harmonizes well with the interior. The altars of the 1700s and the ornate pulpit commend the work of Austrian carpenter Stulhoff Sebestyen. The magnificent high altar picture depicts the glorification of the eponymous saint, the Holy Mother of God, with statues of St. Stephen and King Saint Ladislaus on both sides of the altar.
- One of the most interesting of the side altars is the golden heart of Jesus Heart. At the center of the altar is the figure of Jesus, pointing to a heart wreathed with thorns in both hands, forming a larger heart of twelve tongues and hearts, which of course symbolize the 12 apostles. At the very bottom, the shape of the pelican, which feeds its chicks with its own blood, appears.
- Another notable altar is the Mariazell altar, which is a replica of the altar of the pilgrimage site of Austria, with the statue of the Virgin Mary dressed.
Entrance fees: Adult: 600 Ft , Student – rest: 300 Ft / Opening hours: XI. 1- III. 31: 10am – 4pm ,ARC. 1-30: 10am – 4:30 pm.,V. 1- IX. 30: 9am – 6pm.,X. 1-31: 10am – 5pm.Sunday opening: 11.15.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / Abbey Adventure Tour / detailed tour of the Baroque church / viewing the closed Baroque sacristy
Go next : Whirlwind, Watermill , Cozy watermill on the shore of Lake Balaton / Tihany, the legendary Echo Hill, on the cozy shore of Lake Balaton / Balaton Riviera , The Balaton Riviera stretches from Balatonalmadi to Balatonfured. We also find good quality and affordable restaurants in our biggest resorts, Balatonalmadi, Alsoors and Csopak
