Keszthely’s Hunting Museum is open year-round, from January 1 to December 31, at 1 Castle Street (Kastély utca 1), offering a sprawling, immersive experience that’s not just for hunters. Spread across multiple wings, the exhibition showcases big-game trophies from five continents, set in lifelike dioramas so visitors feel like they’re walking through the animals’ natural habitats. Ethnographic and fine art collections deepen the story, while rooms honor Hungary’s most famous hunters. One of the newest highlights: a full-scale African rainforest installation.
Festetics Heritage, Reimagined
In its heyday, Festetics Palace brimmed with hunting culture. The west passage served as a trophy corridor, and even the billiard room was lined with antlers and skulls, representing game from across the Carpathian Basin. These displays evoked family memories and dazzled elite guests. The Festetics estates were rich in wildlife thanks to expert game stewardship, and Keszthely hosted Hungary’s first higher-education program in forestry and hunting in 1806 at the Georgikon, founded by György Festetics I.
From Loss to a Landmark Collection
The original Festetics trophy collection vanished during and after World War II. To restore that lost chapter, a permanent hunting exhibition opened in 2008, assembling world-class trophies that both commemorate legendary collectors and engage newcomers and seasoned hunters alike.
Star Donations and Legendary Names
At its core is the several-hundred-piece collection donated by Ferenc József Windisch-Grätz, presented in full. The museum also highlights the curated trophies of Baron György Dózsa—among them multiple world records. Relics and trophies of Zsigmond Széchenyi and Kálmán Kittenberger take pride of place, and visitors can trace the professional legacies of Ákos Szederjei and Endre Nagy.
Life-Size Safaris, Five Continents
Thanks to cofounder Béla Hidvégi’s meticulous work, the museum’s life-size mounts of huntable big game from five continents, set in their ecosystems, are a major draw. A dedicated art and applied arts gallery—featuring firearms, paintings, sculptures, and porcelain—explores the bond between hunting and conservation.
New Wings: Mountains and Rainforest
One new wing recreates Asian and American highlands—Mongolia, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and North America—while another plunges into an African rainforest. Inside, a mountain zone shelters a mountain nyala; nearby, a watery habitat comes alive with a drinking spot and mud wallow where red buffalo, bongo, and sitatunga appear, and monkeys animate the canopy. Both dioramas are backed by ambient habitat sounds for total immersion.
Fresh Dioramas, New Rooms
Diorama corners have been rebuilt and refreshed with new taxidermy, updated rocky landscapes, colors, and vegetation. Two intimate rooms add character: one evokes a hunter’s study, the other displays Béla Hidvégi’s hunting firearms and awards.
A Monumental Painting Lands in Europe
Upstairs, the official replica of a massive painting by renowned American wildlife artist Brian Jarvi depicts 208 African game species. It’s the only piece of its monumental kind in Europe so far, donated by Béla Hidvégi in the lead-up to the upcoming world expo on hunting and nature.
2025.01.01. (Wednesday) – 2025.12.31. (Wednesday), Keszthely
