landmark
Pannonhalma Archabbey
A 1,000-year-old Benedictine monastery on a hill with a Gothic basilica and ancient library, near Gyor.
33 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeHungaryVeszprém
Pápa
Veszprém, Hungary · Europe
About Pápa
Pápa sits on the route: 20 minutes from Szany, 59km from Lake Balaton.
Pápa is in Veszprém, Hungary, with about 33,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Szany, about 19 km away.
Pápa [ˈpaːpɒ] is a historical town in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 28,549 inhabitants (2024), it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region.
Pápa is one of the centres of the Reformed faith inRead more
Transdanubia, as the existence of numerous ecclesiastical heritage sites and museums suggest. Due to the multitude of heritage buildings the centre of the town is now protected.
Pápa has a large historical centre, with renovated old burgher's houses, cafes, and museums, including the Blue-Dyeing Museum (Kékfestő Múzeum), set up in a former factory which produced clothes and other textiles dyed with indigo blue under a unique method.
The town is also noted for its thermal baths, particularly a newly constructed swimming complex, the Esterházy family's palace, its grand Roman Catholic church, and Calvinist secondary school; the town is an important religious centre. It also boasts a large park near the centre of town.
The town has been the main center of trade in the wines of the Somló wine region. Pápa was an administrative regional capital from 1945 to 1983.
Where to Stay in Pápa
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Pápa?
Within an hour or so of Pápa: Pannonhalma Archabbey (33 km), Sumeg Castle (41 km), Hegyestű Geological Visitor Site (51 km), Tihany Peninsula, Lake Balaton (56 km).
Are there any good drives near Pápa?
The nearest famous roads are Balaton North Shore Drive (Route 71).
Where is Pápa?
Pápa is in Veszprém, Hungary, about 19 km from Szany.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 32,990
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Hungary
- Region
- Veszprém
- Timezone
- Europe/Budapest
- Coordinates
- 47.3300, 17.4674
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Hungary
e-vignette required for motorways. Zero alcohol limit for drivers.
Full driving guide for HungaryTags
Worth the detour from Pápa
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Sumeg Castle
One of Hungary's best-preserved medieval fortresses crowns a bald limestone hill above the town of Sumeg near Lake Balaton, hosting jousting shows and commanding views over the Bakony hills.
41 km · about 45 min drive
photogenic
Hegyestű Geological Visitor Site
A quarried-open basalt volcano near Monoszló above Lake Balaton: a 50 m wall of vertical polygonal columns showing the inside of an 8-million-year-old eruption, with Káli Basin views from the rim.
51 km · about 60 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Tihany Peninsula, Lake Balaton
A lavender-scented peninsula with an abbey perched over Central Europe's largest lake, ringed by a scenic drive.
56 km · about 65 min drive
natural wonder
Lake Balaton
Central Europe's largest freshwater lake, known as the Hungarian Sea, a beloved summer destination with vineyards and resort towns.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Pápa
- 56 kmTihany Peninsula, Lake BalatonA lavender-scented peninsula with an abbey perched over Central Europe's largest lake, ringed by a scenic drive.
- 60 kmBalaton North Shore Drive (Route 71)Route 71 hugs Lake Balaton's northern shore beneath volcanic hills and vineyards, linking Balatonfured, Tihany and Badacsony in one of Central Europe's finest lakeside drives.
Driving in Hungary
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.58/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
- Vignette
- Required, around €16 for a short-stay sticker
When to drive here
April to October
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