Eger & Hollókő: the back story

About Eger & Hollókő: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Budapest Editorial Team

North-east of Budapest, the hills of northern Hungary hide two of the country’s most charming places: the baroque wine town of Eger, famous for its castle, and the village of Hollókő, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The siege of Eger

In 1552, a small garrison led by István Dobó held Eger Castle against a huge Ottoman army, a story every Hungarian child knows from the novel Eclipse of the Crescent Moon. The castle still stands above the town, with walls, bastions and museums.

A baroque town

Below the castle, Eger is a lovely baroque town, with a great basilica and, a reminder of the later Ottoman occupation, one of the northernmost minarets in Europe from that era, which you can climb.

In 1552, a small garrison at Eger held out against a huge Ottoman army.

Bull’s Blood

Eger is famous for its red wine, Egri Bikavér, Bull’s Blood. In the Valley of the Beautiful Women, just outside the centre, dozens of cellars are cut into the hillside, where you can taste wine straight from the barrel.

Hollókő

Hollókő is a small village of whitewashed wooden-roofed houses beneath a castle ruin, where the traditions of the Palóc people are kept alive. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Our advice: trains from Keleti station reach Eger in about two hours. Hollókő is easiest by car or on an organised trip. Stay a night in Eger to enjoy the wine cellars without hurrying back.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eger & Hollókő: the back story before you go.