St. Michael's Hill and Chapel

This 136-meter-high dolomite formation was once an island. In the 13th century, a small castle was built on the hilltop, which—with the exception of the small chapel—was almost completely destroyed in the storms of history. Next to the building is an old cemetery. From the vicinity of this historic building, there is a beautiful view of the Keszthely Hills and Lake Balaton, from Keszthely Bay to the shores of Balatonberény, and the view of the monadnocks from Szigliget to Badacsony is also magnificent. On the hilltop island of Vonyarcvashegy, on St. Michael’s Hill, stands Hungary’s—and indeed, the only one among European countries without a coastline—fishermen’s chapel, St. Michael's Votive Fishing Chapel. The name “Votive” of this church, which is protected as a historic monument, originates from an 18th-century fishing legend. In the winter, ice fishing ensured the livelihood of the small villages around Lake Balaton. According to legend, in 1739, 46 fishermen went out onto the ice to fish. A storm suddenly broke out, and six fishermen were swept away by the icy floodwaters. The fishermen who survived clung together on a sheet of ice, praying and imploring for help. With God’s help, the flood carried the stranded men to the foot of the hill; at the spot where they reached shore, a chapel was built in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel. The breathtaking beauty of this landscape, along with the chapel and its legend, has inspired many writers and poets.