Szigetvár

Yesterday we planned to go to Szigetvár, a town 30 kilometers to the east named after its castle (sziget -- island; vár -- castle). 

Because of the rain, I was able to go alone, which means meandering without angering any kids.

It turns out I didn't meander far because Szigetvár is smaller than I thought, but it still has some charming buildings and intriguing statues and facades.

Most impressive is the history, which surely must relate to the statues below, the dignified gentleman on the left, the martial almost dragon-like horse on the right.

The castle is apparently from the end of the fourteenth century, and is most remembered for heroic events occurring in 1566.

Sultan Suleiman marched with 80,000 Turks on their way to capture Vienna, but they were stopped here by the hero of the story, Zrínyi Miklós and his 2500 men. Like all Hungarian heroes (as far as I can tell), Zrínyi was largely defeated, most of his men chopped up and burned, and he himself killed of a heart attack and propped up on a chair to hearten his soldiers. However, a quarter of the Turks died and they never reached Vienna.

Ruins of the castle are below.