Day 62, some UNESCO sites of Hungary

ok guys, next stop, Hungary....let's say hi to Zsuzsa quickly before we fly over Pecs......
Hello Zsuzsa!!

Did you know that in the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pécs)??

These are important both structurally and architecturally, since they were built as underground burial chambers with memorial chapels above the ground.
The tombs are important also in artistic terms, since they are richly decorated with murals of outstanding quality depicting Christian themes

Oh, look Sita there is the UNESCO sign

at the visitor's site in Cell Septichora( The Early Christian cemetery which is known as the largest building likely to be built for burials)....no, we are not stopping over.....

Wow, there is Budapest, the capital......one of the world's most outstanding urban landscapes.....

Hmmm, once again I am getting some strange looks from companions because we have now flown over these famous tourist attractions, UNESCO sites and we
havent stopped..........so where are we going to??

Well, we are going to a day of medieval tournaments where we are going to see combats with historic weapons, historic music, dances, puppet shows and other folklore events.
Yes, it is in a deliberately preserved traditional settlement, a village which developed mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries and is a living example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century, the only village in the country which is both at the centre of a nature reserve (141 hectares) and a World Heritage site, and its about 100 km northeast of Budapest.

The village conservation area consists of 58 houses and a small church, and is a representative of single street village type characteristics of the region. In the middle of the village, stands a small church with a wooden steeple and shingle roof, which was built in 1889. Some of the traditional houses were transformed into museum: Post Museum, Weaving House, Doll Museum and Hollóko Village Museum.

So have you guessed where we are going to??

Yes, Sita, you are right....you know your UNESCO sites really well....its Holloko......and there is the Castle of Hollóko...

which was built in the 13th century on the hill above the village and still dominates the village today.
There is a small museum within the castle.

In the mid 13th century following the Mongol wars, the building of the pentagonal keep of the fortification started. The castle was gradually extended over time; machicolations, battlements and dwelling places were added.

The castle walls are preserved in relatively good condition; the space within holds a waxwork, a gun exhibition and a lapidarium.

The traditional peasant houses, surrounded by the gentle slopes of the Cserhat recalls the world of the old Hungarian folk tales.

Here we found a wonderful example of the harmony that was created between nature and architecture.

The castle on top of the neighboring hill determined the life of the villagers for a long time.The Kacsics family built the pentagonal tower in the middle of the XIII c.which was continuously rebuilt and enlarged.

Today a legend is connected to the name of the Kacsics family.
Apparently a member of the family, Andras (Andrew) kidnapped the daughter of the neighbor nobleman and had her closed into a room of the castle.

The nanny of the girl who was a witch called for the evils to help. They turned into ravens and carried the stones of the castle away. That is where the name of Holloko (Ravenstone) might derive from!!

The panorama of the Cserhat is breathtaking from the nicely renewed castle.We really enjoyed the Holloko Castle Tournament and the friendly hospitality of the people in this village.......it certainly felt like we had gone back in time...to a more peaceful time.........