The meeting of culture and beer: Zirc Abbey Manufactory

Zirc Abbey has many attractions: many people know it for one of the most impressive Baroque churches in the Balaton Highlands region, others come for the organ concerts and arboretum performances, but more and more people are visiting the visitor centre for the award-winning abbey beers.

Brewing beer has been a tradition in Zirc for centuries: the Historia Domus of 1735 – a book documenting the events of the monastery – dates the beginning of brewing in the abbey after the expulsion of the Turks. Another example is the Seres Lake in the arboretum, named after the water used for brewing beer in the 18th century. Beer brewing ceased in the village around the 19th century, and it was not rediscovered until 2015, when the Zirc Abbey Manufactory was opened in a new guise. Initially, three beers based on recipes developed by local experts were available: an unfiltered wheat beer, a Pilsner-style lager and a Belgian-style ale, but over the past seven years, the repertoire has expanded to include several specialities. For the connoisseurs, we highly recommend trying the unfiltered light wheat beer with lavender and orange peel, but we can also recommend the unfiltered semi-brown beers!

Beer specialities made within the Abbey walls can be tasted in the Abbey Beer House any day of the week, accompanied by a variety of cold beer rolls or even a roast sausage. There is also the opportunity to visit the brewery at pre-arranged times, where you can learn about the history of the brewery and the beers it produces, as well as gain an insight into the production processes. The visit lasts approximately 1-1.5 hours, depending on the beers tasted and the curiosity of the visitors. However, even those who do not drink beer can take part in the 4- or 6-batch tasting tour.

If you visit the visitor centre of the Abbey, you should also check out the cultural programme. We can start our tour with the church, built in 1732, whose main altar is the largest altarpiece in Hungary, made in the Baroque style. It is a breathtaking sight as you enter the church interior. The two unique organs and Franz Anton Maulbertsch’s paintings also add to the atmosphere of the already impressive space. The exhibition of the history of the Order, which is located in the former orange house of the Abbey, provides an insight into the history of the monks of Zirc, going back hundreds of years: personal testimonies, written and material relics document the colourful history of the place from the foundation of the Abbey in 1182 to the present day. Don’t miss the Cistercian Historical Library either, where you can find written records from the 18th century onwards, in a collection of more than 65,000 books. Both the basilica and the library are open with a guided tour from Tuesday to Sunday, but the schedule may be altered by liturgical events, so it is advisable to check before you go there. Among the monuments of the Abbey, we should also mention the King’s Hall and the Red Tower, which can be visited together. The King’s Hall was primarily the Abbey’s reception room, where royal guests of noble birth were accommodated and high ecclesiastical dignitaries were received. Three fully restored rooms are now open to the public, evoking the opulent elegance of the period. The Red Tower, named after the 146 red marble steps leading up to it, was probably used as a lookout and observatory, and today offers a magnificent panorama of the Zirc Valley for those willing to climb the spiral staircase.

Once you have had your fill of historical adventures, it’s time for some nature: the arboretum has something to offer all year round. A pleasant walk takes you around the aforementioned Seres Lake, and in the English Garden, you can get to know the flora and fauna of the Bakony Mountains. If you are lucky, you might even come across a few deer or squirrels.

Another interesting fact is that it is rumoured that the drink of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 programme will be produced within the walls of the Zirc Abbey Manufactory!  The official beer of the European Capital of Culture is expected to be a top-fermented, filtered speciality, with an alcohol content of 5% and fermented with light Belgian yeast.