A visit to the cemetery surrounding the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria built in the mid-13th century offers a moment of quiet reflection in what is likely the oldest burial ground in Zalaegerszeg still in use today.

This small late-Romanesque “little sanctuary,” as the distinguished archaeologist Flóris Rómer affectionately called it, has endured centuries of prayer as well as inevitable decay. No wonder that by 1690 it was described as “deserted and half-ruined.” Around 1717 a  refurbishment was given to the church, though by 1748 it again stood in poor condition. During the 1978 restoration, the original 13th-century stone framing of its southern entrance was once more revealed.

The square bell tower with its pointed tin roof was added after 1780, and by around 1860 the church had acquired its present Classicist appearance. Most recently restored in autumn 2016, the building once again shines in its former charm atop Besenyő Hill, overlooking the Aranyoslapi Spring, which belongs administratively to the parish.