Castles of Hungary

Located in the town of Sárospatak in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hungary, Sárospatak Castle was built in the 13th century by order of Andrew II the Jerosolimitan. His daughter Elizabeth, who was later canonized, was born in the castle.

Elizabeth was sent to the rulers of Thuringia when she was four years old. Elizabeth was a kind soul with a heart of gold, and was married to Ludwig IV at age fourteen, only to be widowed six years later. She was much loved by the people for her generosity and graciousness. After her husband's death, the harsh inquisitor Konrad von-Marburg was appointed her confessor, and he was a cruel man. He demanded impossible behavioral standards from Elisabeth, and ordered beatings as punishments if she did not live up to these standards. He also ordered her to send her children away. Elizabeth gave all her wealth to the poor, and died at the tender age of twenty-four. Some speculate it was because of the treatment by Konrad. She was canonized a saint soon after, while her father was alive to receive the news.

In the 16th century, the town of Sárospatak was hit hard by the Plague, and lost many of its people. The Dobó family became owners of the castle and Krisztina Dobó married the founder of modern Hungarian lyric poetry, Bálint Balassi. Later, the castle was passed to the Rákóczi family. Ferenc II Rákóczi became the elected Prince of the Kingdom of Hungary and Prince of Transylvania. He also played a pivotal role in the revolution against the Habsburgs.

In the 17th century, secret meetings were held in a room in Sárospatak Castle by the participants of the Wesselényi conspiracy. Today the castle is a popular tourist attraction and if you'd like visitor's information, check out Hungary Starts Here/Sárospatak.


Creative Commons photo of Sárospatak Castle courtesy of Civertan Grafikai Stúdió.

Located in the town of Tata in Komárom-Esztergom, Hungary, Tata Castle was built in the late 13th century by the Lackfi family, the wealthiest family in Hungary at the time. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, however, and was a Roman settlement in the past.

In 1526, the castle was in the possession of Baron György Cseszneky who supported Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg against Voivode John Zapolya as King of Hungary. The baron soon found himself facing the forces of Zapolya who lay siege to Tata Castle. Cseszneky, knowing he would not be able to defend against such an army, surrendered the castle.

The castle changed hands several times during the Ottoman Occupation, and it was set ablaze by the Habsburgs in retaliation to Ferenc II Rákóczi's part in the revolution against Habsburg rule.

The town and castle experienced prosperity under the wealthy Count József Esterházy who purchased this and surrounding towns in 1727. The Gothic castle saw additions in several architectural styles after this point.

Today, the castle houses a museum and is a sight to behold with its beautiful gardens and lake setting. For visitor's information, visit Hungary Starts Here/Tata.


Creative Commons photo of Tata Castle courtesy of Zsoolt.

Located in the town of Visegrád in Pest, Hungary, Visegrád Fortress was built by order of King Béla IV of Hungary after the destruction of the previous fortress in the 13th century Mongol Invasion of Europe. the new fortification was constructed a soon after the destruction of the old one, some time around 1245.

The fortification consisted of two structures, the Upper Castle and the Lower Castle. Built high atop a large hill overlooking the Danube, the Upper Castle was solidly built with corner towers. Instead of digging out huge portions of the hill, this castle was built following the contours of the land. On or around the year 1427, the Lower Castle was constructed. This was a smaller building with a central tower, called the Solomon Tower.

During the Second Angevin dynasty, Visegrád Fortress became a royal residence of the House of Anjou. At this time a new curtain wall and courtly buildings were built at the fortress. Later, Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, the King of Hungary who ruled for 50 years, had another curtain wall built and added to the Visegrád Fortress complex. In the late 15th century, Matthias Corvinus was crowned king at the age of 15. He renovated Visegrád Fortress and used the fortress to house the Hungarian Royal Insignia.

In 1462 Vlad III Dracula was held by King Matthias Corvinus and kept under house arrest at Visegrád Fortress. It is believed he was incarcerated in the Solomon Tower, which was a residential tower, and was quite liveable. Vlad III was held until 1474, and returned to power by the king in 1476, he was killed in a battle with the Turks months later.

In 1544, Visegrád Fortress was attacked by the forces of the Ottoman Empire, and the fortress was considerably damaged, including the collapsing of portions of the Solomon Tower. The tower remained damaged until after the occupation of the Turks. In 1685, the fortress was abandoned by the Turks, and left a ruin. It was never inhabited again.

Renovation began on the Solomon Tower in the 1870's and wasn't complete until a hundred years later. Today, the tower houses The King Matthias Museum and the view from the Upper Castle is spectacular. The fortress is a yearly host to the Visegrád International Palace Games, which is a popular Renaissance fair which includes crafts, jousting, and traditional music. The Royal Palace is also worth a visit, which is below the fortress. For more information, go to Hungary Tourist Guide/Visegrád.

Creative Commons photo of Visegrád Fortress coutrtesy of Marko K

Located in the Palóc village of Hollóko, Nógrád, Hungary, Hollóko Castle was built in the 13th century amidst the hills of Cserhát. The entire village is a World Heritage site, and also sits in the middle of a protected nature reserve.

The castle started as a small fort with a keep and was extended over the centuries. It is believed that the earlier portions of the castle was built by the Kacsics nation. The castle was taken from the House of Anjou by Máté Csák in the 14th century, and was soon lost to the King Károly Anjou, who retook the castle. The castle was soon inhabited by the Baron Thomas Szécsényi who received the castle for his service to the crown. By the 16th century, Hollóko Castle lost its military importance, that coupled with the destruction visited upon the castle by the Habsburgs, was the beginning of its decline.

Restoration of the castle began in the 1960's and the castle is now open to the public and there is an extremely popular Palóc Easter Celebration in the village. There is also a popular myth connected to the castle, which states that imps disguised as ravens carried stone to the area and built the castle, hence the name Hollóko, which means Raven Stone. For visitor's information go to Travel Destination/Hungary.


Creative Commons photo of Hollóko Castle courtesy of G Kovacs.

Located in the town of Sümeg, Veszprém, Hungary, Sümeg Castle was occupied by King Béla IV during his reign, but it is believed the castle was already standing, and no one knows for sure who built the castle.

King Béla IV had a tumultuous reign, and when the Mongols attacked the king had a major fight on his hands. His army was not a match for the Mongols, and Béla IV ran to his western lands where Sümeg Castle stood. His lands to the east were being ravaged, the Mongols soon crossed the Danube and the king fled as far as Zagreb in what is now Croatia. King Béla IV tried in vain to seek assistance from his allies, even stating that he would pay homage to the Holy Roman Emperor, but still received no help. For some reason, the Mongols left Hungary, and Béla IV returned to a devastated country. He started rebuilding Hungary bit by bit, and because of this massive effort, he is honored in Hungary as the 'second founder of Hungary'. After a few more skirmishes, including one with his eldest son, peace returned to Hungary.

During the Mongol Invasion, many of Hungary's castles were damaged, and Sümeg Castle did not escape that fate. The castle was renovated and saw defensive improvements but this wasn't enough to save it from destruction by fire during the Turkish Occupation. The castle was rebuilt and was attacked by imperial forces during Rákóczi's War of Independence. The castle was once again set ablaze.

Today, the castle has been restored and houses a museum. The Border Castle Days are held here as well as medieval knight tournaments. For visitor's information check out Hungary Starts Here/Sümeg Castle.

Creative Commons photo of Sümeg Castle courtesy of Civertan Grafikai Stúdió.

Located in the town of Kalocsa in Bács-Kiskun, Hungary, the Archiepiscopal Palace was built in the 1760's on the site of where a 14th century castle once stood.

The town of Kalocsa is one of the oldest in Hungary, and it's bishopric was established in the year 1002 by Stephen the Saint, which became the archbishopric in 1135.



Kalocsa saw much misery during the Ottoman Invasion. The Turks entered the town in 1529 and attacked Kalocsa Castle. The castle forces were no match for the Turks, and the castle was seized. The townspeople were forced to run for their lives, and the Turks took control of the town. By the time the Turks left, Kalocsa was a wasteland. The castle was set ablaze, and the town had already been burned to the ground.

In the 1700's Archbishop Imre Csáky traveled to Kalocsa and began working to rebuild the town. It was a slow process, but with the building of the Archiepiscopal Palace in the 1760's as well as various schools, an astronomical observatory, and the cathedral, Kalocsa began to rise from the ashes.

Today, the Archiepiscopal Palace of Kalocsa houses an incredible library with rare books including one of the original Bibles written by Martin Luther, and an extremely rare 1540 Hungarian translated Bible, ancient manuscripts, and medieval codices. Archbishop Ádám Patachich left his private library of 19,000 volumes to the Archiepiscopal Palace upon his death in 1784, and his reading room is a golden-toned vision. Archbishop László Kollonich added to the library with the expert advice of historian István Katona. Today, the famous library houses over 130,000 volumes and the library is a historians dream. For visitor's information check out the Kalocsa tourist website.

Creative Commons photo of Archiepiscopal Palace of Kalocsa courtesy of Csanády.

Located near Lake Balaton, in the town of Keszthely, Zala, Hungary, Festetics Palace was built in 1745 Count Kristóf Festetics. The palace was built where a Petho Castle once stood, and has seen additions over the years. Many talented architects and craftsmen are responsible for this amazing Baroque palace.

The Festetics family were a wealthy family who believed in giving for the good of the community, and they were responsible for the building of schools, pharmacies and hospitals. The Georgikon was built by Count György Festetics, and is the first agricultural school of higher learning in Europe.

In 1799, work began on the palace library by order of Count György Festetics. The library is unique in Hungary as the only original aristocratic library in the country. The library contains some of its original wooden furniture built by a local carpenter.

Count Tasziló Festetics further added to the palace. The large elegant Mirror Room with its original parquet floor was built to entertain a host of people and is famous for its mirrors from Venice.

Festetics Palace is one of the largest palaces in Hungary, and houses the Helikon Castle Museum. For visitor's information, go to Hungary Starts Here/Festetics Palace.