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The old town centre of Lendava invites you to explore its rich history, archaeological heritage, the legacy of noble families, stories of Jewish life, and many other chapters that have shaped the town over time. Today, Lendava is a modern, multicultural and multinational town, welcoming an increasing number of curious visitors eager to discover its unique character.
Lendava Castle
Where History and Art Meet
Lendava Castle rises above the old town on a steep hill surrounded by picturesque vineyards. With a history spanning over 800 years, the castle bears witness to battles against the Ottoman Turks and to the rich heritage of the noble Bánffy and Esterházy families, its former owners.
Today, the castle hosts permanent museum exhibitions, memorial rooms dedicated to local artists — including world-renowned sculptor György Zala and graphic artist Štefan Galič — as well as artworks from local art colonies. You may also catch one of the many exhibitions featuring major international artists.
Contact & Information:
Gallery–Museum Lendava
Banffyjev trg 1
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 578 92 60
Email: info@gml.si
www.gml.si
Lendava Theatre
and Concert Hall
The impressive building of the Lendava Theatre and Concert Hall was designed by renowned Hungarian architect Imre Makovecz, a leading proponent of organic architecture. The structure incorporates elements of Pannonian folk architecture and Hungarian mythology — most notably the mythical bird Turul, featured in its design.
With 444 seats, a large stage and professional equipment, the hall hosts a wide range of theatre, music and dance performances throughout the year. Overlooking the Catholic church, the castle and the synagogue, this venue offers both a remarkable architectural landmark and a rich cultural experience for visitors and passers-by alike.
Contact & Information:
Library – Cultural Centre Lendava
Trg Györgya Zale 1
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 2 577 60 22
Email: gledalisce@kkl.si
www.kkl.si
Lendava Synagogue
Reflecting the social role, culture, and historical fate of Lendava’s Jewish community, the Lendava Synagogue is the most important architectural monument of the town’s former Jewish population. Originally built in 1866, it is one of only two preserved synagogues in Slovenia — alongside the one in Maribor.
After decades of decline, the synagogue was restored in the 1990s and today serves as an exhibition and cultural venue. In 2014, it was declared Slovenia’s Holocaust Museum. The synagogue hosts a permanent exhibition entitled The Jews of Prekmurje and a cycle of graphic works titled Burning Scrolls by Israeli artist Dan Reisinger.
Contact & Information:
Gallery–Museum Lendava
Banffyjev trg 1
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 578 92 60
Email: info@gml.si
www.gml.si
Lendava Town Hall — A Building with History
In 1891, the Dolnja Lendava Savings Bank purchased the Hotel Krone, which had been part of the Esterházy estate and a key centre of hospitality in the town. The building was renovated to meet the standards of the time, featuring 12 guest rooms, an icehouse, bowling alley, café, restaurant, dance hall, stables for 40 horses and a carriage house.
Since its restoration in 2006, the building has served as Lendava’s Town Hall.
Contact & Information:
Municipality of Lendava
Glavna ulica 20
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 577 25 00
www.lendava.si
Museum of Bourgeois Life, Printing and Umbrella Making
This early 20th-century townhouse is one of the finest examples of Neo-Baroque architecture in the Pomurje region. Its richly articulated façade features one of the few remaining Baroque-style rooftop cupolas, and the beautifully preserved stucco work adds to its charm.
Since 2007, the building has housed the Museum of Bourgeois Life, Printing and Umbrella Making. The museum’s first room presents the development of Lendava’s bourgeois society. The period between 1867 and 1914 marked the town’s golden era. The exhibition also features the legacy of local pharmacists, including 19th-century pharmacy equipment. In fact, Béla Kiss founded the first pharmacy in Pomurje here in 1835.
Lendava also proudly boasted the Hungaria / Hungária Hazai Ernyőgyár Rt. umbrella factory, likely the first umbrella factory in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The second part of the museum showcases old printing presses, documents, and newspapers once produced in Dolnja Lendava — including the first three books ever printed on the territory of present-day Slovenia, written by Hungarian preacher György Kultsár.
Contact & Information:
Gallery–Museum Lendava
Banffyjev trg 1
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 578 92 60
Email: info@gml.si
Discover Bánffy Centre — History, Culture & Coffee
The house was purchased in 1887 by the respected Jewish lawyer Dr. Adolf Wollák, who had moved to Dolnja Lendava with his family. In the courtyard building, the town’s first Jewish prayer room operated during the second half of the 18th century, serving as the predecessor to the synagogue.
Today, the building houses the Bánffy Centre, part of the Institute for Hungarian Nationality Culture. The centre is an important cultural hub for Hungarian culture, popular with both locals and tourists. Visitors can explore Hungarian books and newspapers, enjoy a wide range of cultural and scientific events, or simply relax over a good coffee and delicious pastries while experiencing the atmosphere of bourgeois life.
The centre is named after the well-known Bánffy aristocratic family of Dolnja Lendava, one of Hungary’s most influential noble families in the 17th century and a key patron and supporter of local culture.
Contact & Information:
Institute for Hungarian Nationality Culture Lendava
Glavna ulica 32
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 2 5776 660
Email: info@mnmi-zkmn.si
www.mnmi-zkmn.si
St. Catherine’s Church — A Place of History and Faith
The predecessor of today’s church, built at the end of the 12th century, was destroyed by the Tatars. In the early 16th century, János Bánffy established a monastery in the northern part of the town, along with a church, which was later demolished by the Turks. This earlier church was likely grand and ornate — four of its reliefs are now housed in the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest.
The present-day church was built between 1749 and 1751 by a female member of the noble Esterházy family. The main altar features a painting of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the church’s patron saint, created by Italian painter Felix Barazutti. Four side altars further enhance the church’s Baroque style.
Beneath the presbytery lies a crypt where members of the Esterházy family are buried. The church also holds a gilded chalice, gifted in 1608 by the lord of the manor, Kristóf Bánffy.
Until 1777, Lendava’s parish was part of the Archdiocese of Zagreb; it later came under the Diocese of Szombathely, and following World War I, it became part of the Diocese of Maribor (then Lavant), and today belongs to the Diocese of Murska Sobota. The statues within the church also tell a special story of its rich past.
Contact & Information:
Parish of Lendava
Cerkveni trg 2
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 578 83 30
Email: zupnija.lendava@rkc.si
Evangelical Church — A Testament to Protestant Heritage in Lendava
Protestantism has a strong tradition in the Prekmurje region. During the Reformation, even the influential Bánffy lords of Lendava converted to the Protestant faith, leaving a lasting cultural and historical impact on the town.
Between 1931 and 1934, the Evangelical Church was built by master craftsman Josip Ascherl from Dolnja Lendava. Designed by architect Antal Kelemen, the church features Classical design elements and is a twin of the Evangelical Church in Csorna, Hungary.
The church’s interior features wooden furnishings, including the pulpit, and an altar painting by local artist Ludvik (Lajcsi) Pandur.
Today, the bilingual Hungarian–Slovene Evangelical community of Lendava consists of around 110 members, drawing from Lendava and the surrounding villages: Dolina, Čentiba, Trimlini, Petišovci, Dolnji and Gornji Lakoš, Dobrovnik, Kapca, Žitkovci, Genterovci, Dolga vas, Gaberje, and Radmožanci. Some members even come from neighbouring villages across the Croatian border.
Contact & Information:
Evangelical Parish of Lendava
Trg Ljudske pravice 12
9220 Lendava
Email: mitja.andrejek@gmail.com
Chapel of the Holy Trinity — A Place of Legend and Views
Standing proudly among the vineyards, the Chapel of the Holy Trinity overlooks the town of Lendava below like a white guardian.
A visit to the chapel offers a truly unique experience — the highlight being the preserved mummy of Captain Mihael Hadik, one of Lendava’s legendary heroes from the time of the battles against the Ottoman Turks.
Contact & Information:
Parish of Lendava
Cerkveni trg 2
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 578 83 30
Email: zupnija.lendava@rkc.si
https://zupnija-lendava.si
The Pyramid — The Highest Point of the Lendava Hills
The Pyramid, a stone marker at the highest point of the Lendava Hills, marks the region’s highest elevation at 327 metres above sea level.
In the past, this site served as a lookout and signalling point, warning local inhabitants of approaching danger during the time of Ottoman incursions.
Library — A Neo-Baroque Gem in Lendava
This elegant villa, originally home to the royal notary Oszkár Laubhaimer, was built in 1906 by an unknown architect from Budapest. The building is a unique cultural monument of Neo-Baroque urban architecture.
Its exterior is distinguished by four corner turrets and Baroque cartouches, while the richly decorated interior — now housing the public library — features elaborate stucco work and Art Nouveau stained glass, likely from the school of Miksa Róth.
In the courtyard stands a bronze sculpture of Miško Kranjec, created by sculptor Drago Tršar, erected in honour of the writer’s 100th birthday.
Contact & Information:
Library – Cultural Centre Lendava
Glavna ulica 12
9220 Lendava
Tel.: +386 (0)2 574 25 83
Email: info@kkl.si
www.kl-kl.si
