Keszthely

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Keszthely
Festetics Palace
Coat of Arms of Keszthely
Coat of arms
Keszthely
Location of Keszthely
Coordinates: 46°46′11″N 17°14′53″E / 46.76965°N 17.24813°E / 46.76965; 17.24813Coordinates: 46°46′11″N 17°14′53″E / 46.76965°N 17.24813°E / 46.76965; 17.24813
Country  Hungary
County Zala
Government
 • Mayor Ferenc Ruzsics (Fidesz-KDNP)
Area
 • Total 75.98 km2 (29.34 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Total 20,895
 • Density 275.01/km2 (712.3/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 8360
Area code(s) 83
Website keszthely.hu

Keszthely (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkɛst.hɛj]; Slovene: Blatenski Kostel) is a Hungarian city of 20,895 inhabitants located on the western shore of Lake Balaton. It's the largest city by the lake and one of the more important cultural, educational and economic hubs in the region. Due to its favorable location and accessibility by both road and rail, Keszthely and the surrounding area is a preferred holiday destination.

Though settled since at least Roman times (the Keszthely culture of Romance pannonian language), the first historical evidence of the town Keszthely dates from a 1247 document. Since 1421, Keszthely has been a market town.

The Faculty for Agriculture of University of Pannonia is located in Keszthely. George Fejer, Hungarian author and librarian at the University of Pest, was born in Keszthely in 1766.

Location

The city of Keszthely is located in the northern west end of Lake Balaton, on the shore of one of the biggest lakes in Central Europe. The city is surrounded by forests and rolling hills to the north, plains to the south east and the lake. South from the city lies Kis-Balaton (Little Balaton), a swamp which is a part of the Zala river delta of and which acts as a natural water purifier for Lake Balaton. The swamp is particularly known as a water fowl habitat and enjoys international recognition and protection as a natural reserve.

The city also enjoys the proximity of Hévíz, a town famous for its spa and health services. Keszthely is very close to some northern Balaton wine regions which are known to produce high quality white wines from locally cultivated varieties.

Keszthely is easily and rather quickly accessible by car from both Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and Vienna, the capital of Austria. Direct bus services between Keszthely and Budapest run several times a day.

Climate

Climate data for Keszthely
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −1
(31)		 2
(36)		 9
(49)		 16
(60)		 20
(68)		 25
(77)		 28
(83)		 27
(81)		 23
(73)		 17
(63)		 8
(46)		 2
(36)		 14.7
(58.6)
Average low °C (°F) −5
(23)		 −6
(22)		 2
(35)		 7
(45)		 10
(50)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 16
(60)		 12
(54)		 9
(48)		 1
(34)		 −2
(29)		 6.3
(43.3)
Precipitation mm (inches) 56
(2.2)		 13
(0.5)		 23
(0.9)		 48
(1.9)		 79
(3.1)		 84
(3.3)		 43
(1.7)		 30
(1.2)		 58
(2.3)		 23
(0.9)		 15
(0.6)		 23
(0.9)		 495
(19.5)
Source: Weatherbase [1]

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Hungary

Keszthely is twinned with:

Image gallery

  • Keszthely town centre

  • Aerial photograph of the palace

  • Front view of the palace from the garden fountain

References

  1. ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Keszthely, Hungary". Weatherbase. 2011.  Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Łańcut Official Website - Foreign contacts". (in English) © 2008 Urząd Miejski w Łańcucie, Plac Sobieskiego 18, 37-100 Łańcut. Retrieved 2008-11-20. 

External links

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