Csillagvár, Hunting lodge and castle in Balatonszentgyörgy, Hungary

Csillagvár is a four-winged, star-shaped building on a hill about 2.5 km southeast of Balatonszentgyörgy, near Lake Balaton. Built in 1820–1821 as a hunting lodge for Count László Festetics, it was later given a moat and high ramparts. Its ground floor holds a panoptic exhibition on the 16th-century Turkish occupation, and a 30-metre-deep well is visible from an inner corner.

Csillagvár was built between 1820 and 1821 for Count László Festetics as a hunting lodge, named for its four-pointed star-shaped ground plan. Four years later a moat and high ramparts were added, giving it the look of a medieval border fortress. It was declared a monument in 1957.

The Hussar Museum section displays more than 150 figures dressed in traditional Hungarian military uniforms from various periods, each with period weapons and armor. Walking through this collection gives you a direct sense of how soldiers looked and equipped themselves across different eras.

The grounds are easy to reach and offer activities for all ages, from animal encounters to playgrounds for children. It works best to arrive in the morning so you have time to see everything without feeling rushed.

The well in the corner of the ground-floor hall drops 30 metres to its water surface. The building was declared a monument in 1957, and in 2013 the band Kárpátia filmed the video for its song "A Száműzött" here.