Posted by: Raissa Bemelmans Posted on: Thursday 22 June 2006, 16:40

The Castle of Diósgyőr, which has an important role among the monuments of Hungary, is situated at the foot of the Bükk mountains in a beautiful natural environment.

The Castle of Diósgyőr, which has an important role among the monuments of Hungary, is situatedat the foot of the Bükk mountains in a beautiful natural environment, 8 kilometres from the centreof Miskolc. The Castle’s „golden age” was in the 14th century when King Louis the Great had itbuilt as a magnifi cent gothic royal castle. From the time he came to the throne of Poland, as well,he had been spending several months of a year in the Castle with his entire royal court, half way between Cracow and Buda. After his death, the Castle of Diósgyőr became the Queens’ engagementgift and provincial residence. That is why it was widely known as „The Queens’ Castle”.

Exhibitions in the castle

In the Castle’s Round Bastion, an exhibition shows the arms of the medieval Europe. In the northeasttower, waxworks demonstrate the ratifi cation of the Peace Treaty of Turin that ended the King’s war with Venice. The Castle’s Kazamata boasts the largest wax museum of Central- Europe, which illustrates the life of the fl ourishing Middle Ages in six scenes (e.g. the shield-donating ceremony of Kassa city). In the north-west tower, there is a mint with a working pressing-machine, with which the guests may prepare coins on their own, and an exhibition of the Castle’s history.

The beautiful scenery of the surrounding forest attracts the visitors to climb the tower’s spiral stairs. The „Castle Festival of Diósgyőr” starts in May and lasts until the middle of September in 2007 offering a diversity of joyful events for all tourists as follows: 12 May 2007 - „SPRING OF THE QUEENS” - renaissance dream in the Castle of Diósgyőr. It was a nice custom in the Middle Ages that the kings of Hungary gave the queens the Castle of Diósgyőr as an engagement gift. In the 15th century, King Mathias’ wife, Beatrix changed the palace into a real renaissance court. This atmosphere is evoked by the springwelcoming ceremony in the Castle that begins to awake from its Sleeping Beauty-dream. As if by a magic, the palace fi lls up with life, and the court-amusement beginsin honour of the Queen...

1-3 June 2007 

„BORSOD SPINNERY” – international folklore festivalThe program, which recalls folk traditions, has a wide range of noted Hungarian and internationalperformers. The visitors may get acquainted with the folk music, dances, the culinary and cultural traditions of the Carpathian basin.

28 July 2007

„GOLDEN ARROW” - historical archery competition Archers in period dresses and coming from different places of the country and abroad pit their wits against one another with traditional bows.

4-16 August 2007

DIÓSGYŐR THEATRE EVENINGS The romantic surroundings, the sight of the towers above the open-air theatre, and the natural scenery of the ancient castle walls provide veritable summernight atmosphere for the cheerful, easy-fl owing comedies, and the more serious plays, either.

11-12 August 2007

MEDIEVAL CASTLE DAYS in the favorite castle of King Louis the GreatThe historical event, which revives the Castle’s „golden age”, illustrates the time of the knight-king, Louis the Great in the 14th century. This is a real historical travel through the ages: characters in period dresses and scenery of the time restore the past.

14-15 September 2007

GAME & WINE DAYS OF THE BÜKK FOREST

The Castle of Diósgyőr, which is situated in the picturesque environment of the Bükk mountain, was also a fashionable hunting-seat for the monarchs. The program comprises culinary demonstration ofgame food, exhibition of greens, crops, and spices, jam cooking competition of forest fruits, winetastingand wine-growing consultation, wine-pressing, and musttasting.

Sights in Miskolc and the region

The centre of Miskolc and the historic Avas hill. The centre of Mis- monuments. The Gothic Church of Avas is well worth a visit, where the clock in the medieval bell-tower signals the passing of time in every quarter of the hour with its characteristic chimes. It is a pleasant walk from the Church to reach the wine-cellars with their unique atmosphere on the Avas hill. Otherrecommended sights include the breathtaking iconostas of the Hungarian Orthodox Church Museum or the beautiful building and the theatre museum inside the first stone theatre of the country. Miskolc-Tapolca A ten-minute car-drive from the centre of Miskolc takes you to thewonderful ancient park, the openair swimming pool, and the boating lake of Tapolca, which provides pleasant relaxation. Enjoy the services of the unique Thermal Cave Bath, which awaits you and your family with its natural cave tunnels, 30 ºC karst water, wellknownfor its benefi cial therapeutic effects, and the up-to-date spa and wellness complex that wasbuilt on the Cave Bath. Lillafüred and the Bükk National Park It is a ten-minute bus journey from the Castle of Diósgyõr to reach Lillafüred, one of the country’s most beautiful resorts with a mountain climate. Visiting the Mathias Hall of the Hotel Palota on the bank of Lake Hámori, you should not miss out the period dishes served with a dash of renaissance music.

Afterwards you can take a leisurely walk in the gorgeous hanging gardens and enjoy the sight of the country’s highest waterfall. Bükkszentkereszt – the mountain holiday village The village lies at a height of 600 metres at the boundary of the Bükk National Park. The crystalclear curing air, and the subalpine climate is an excellent place for active tourism and calm recreation, either. Web: www.bukkszentkereszt.hu Tours around Northern Hungary“A World sets you free” – Borsod- Abaúj-Zemplén County is surely like this: fantastically romantic, enrapturing diversifi ed and radiating imperturbable tranquillity. People living here are friendly, sincere and open.

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County is a four-season county, where one can fi nd the programs and sights at any time of the year. The heights of Bükk Mountain await the lovers of winter sports, ski tracks and ski lifts operate at Bánkút, and the longest chair-lift in the country is to be found at Sátoraljaújhely. Szerencs is the gate to the ZemplénMountains, the moment one enters through it, inviting intact nature tours await. In the castles of Sárospatak, Füzér and Diósgyőr, or in the castles of Boldogkőváralja and Regéc in Abaúj, your imagination may soar into remote historical periods. Hundreds of monuments, castles and museums offer a time of rich content. Our natural medicinal and thermal waters help you preserve your health.

You can enjoy the great power of water in a pleasant environment in the Thermal Bath Compound of Tiszaújváros, in the Cave Bath of Miskolc-Tapolca unique in Europe, in the Bath of Bogács, or in the Zsóry Medicinal Bath and Open-air Swimming Poolof Mezőkövesd. An entrancing world unfolds itself before your eyes if you visit the world-famous Stalactite Cave of Aggtelek. The vast cave system including the complete realm ofthe caves of the Aggtelek Karst and the Slovakian Karst is the part of the World Heritage. Tokaj, the capital of Hegyalja, at the meeting point of the River Tisza and the River Bodrog, awaits you with the „the king of wines, the wine of kings”:

Tokaji Aszu

The wine-growing region of Tokaj-Hegyalja is also part of the World Heritage. Matyó Land is the cradle of folkculture - you encounter ethnographic traditions, the living reality of folk arts at Mezőkövesd and its vicinity. Nearly all settlements of our county await visitors with rich offerings of cultural programmes round the year, including such prominent festivals as the Opera Festival of Miskolc, the Zemplén Festival, the Borsod or the Abaúj Art Days, the Vintage Days at Tokaj-Hegyalja and at several settlements of Bükkalja.

Bron: Géza Maczonkai

manager of tourism

professionaltourism@yahoo.com

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