Sárvár is a small town in western Hungary known for its castle and its thermal baths. The Nádasdy Castle sits at the centre of town, reached by a long stone bridge that once crossed a moat. The five-sided Renaissance fortress served as both a military stronghold and an aristocratic residence from the 16th century, and its lavishly decorated interior now houses the Ferenc Nádasdy Museum — one of Hungary's finest castle museums, with exhibitions on the town's history, Hungarian Hussars, and a rich collection of applied art.
The castle grounds include the Sárvár Arboretum along the banks of the Gyöngyös brook, where a 36-metre pyramid oak and several oaks over 400 years old are the star specimens.
The town's thermal bath draws visitors year-round. The mineral-rich water is used for treatments and general relaxation, and the complex includes indoor and outdoor pools. Sárvár sits in a pleasant stretch of the Vas County countryside, with gentle hills and farmland in every direction, and makes a good stop between Budapest and Vienna.