CISTERCIAN ABBEY (ZIRCI CISZTERCI APÁTSÁG)

The abbey of Zirc was founded in 1182 by Cistercian monks from France, the country of origin of King Béla III's wife, prevailing at that time. The main building and the large church were rebuilt in the th century. From the old abbey, there is only the top. Classified by historical monuments and in a precious setting, the large library features remarkable woodwork and inlays. Among its 60 000 volumes are manuscripts of the th century, a incunable book and a universal history of Schedel. It is one of the richest provincial libraries in the country, open to the public only with a guided tour. An interactive museum on the history of the order is furnished with testimonies and personal objects of the monks. An English park surrounds the abbey with the flora and fauna of Bakony.