Snail Parliament

Keszthely


What do you get when you take one woman's obsession, 14 years of loving labour, and 4.5 million snail shells? A 7m by 2.5m scale model of Budapest's Parliament, that's what. While it isn't quite the 'eighth Wonder of the World' it's touted to be, the attention to detail is remarkable. The actual parliament building took marginally longer to build: 17 years.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Keszthely attractions

1. Doll Museum

This surprisingly absorbing museum showcases two floors' worth of dolls dressed in folk costumes from all parts of Hungary. On the ground floor, there's…

2. Museum of Historical Wax Figures

0.01 MILES

This is a surprisingly fun way to acquaint yourself with the who's who of Hungary's rulers, poets, clerics and military commanders. The eclectic…

3. Torture Museum

0.01 MILES

Complete with buckets of fake blood and distressed-looking mannequins demonstrating various forms of medieval torture, this small museum also features…

4. Toy Museum

0.01 MILES

Depending on what generation you're from, the exhibits at this wonderful place will either make you smile in remembrance or gawp in fascination. Ye olde…

5. Erotic Panoptikum

0.05 MILES

Full disclosure: this is an X-rated wax museum. Kind of tacky – yes. Fascinating – absolutely. The tiny subterranean space brings to 'life' lust and sex…

6. Nostalgia Museum

0.06 MILES

This treasure trove of ordinary objects ranging from 1800s antiques to 'retro' items is fun to poke around in, and before you know it, an hour has flown…

7. Synagogue

0.08 MILES

Before WWII Keszthely’s Jewish community numbered 1000; at the end of the war it had dropped to 170. Today less than 40 Jews live in the town and attend…

8. Fő tér

0.16 MILES

Fő tér, Kezthely's colourful main square, received a facelift in 2012 – the result is a traffic-free, pedestrian-friendly expanse of white cobblestone…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "hungary/lake-balaton/keszthely/attractions/snail-parliament/a/poi-sig/1547973/359527",
      "destination": "Keszthely",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Hungary",
      "city": "Keszthely",
      "position": "superzone"
    }