Hollókő Castle

Northern Hungary


Hollókő Castle commands a striking view of the surrounding hills from 365m-high Stalk Hill (Szár-hegy). Climb to the top of the pentagonal keep to look out across fields and forested hills without a trace of human occupation. Exhibits inside focus on weaponry and heraldry. There's a rather bogus mock-up of a medieval banquet from the time of the castle's inception.

The fortress was built at the end of the 13th century and strengthened 200 years later. Captured by the Turks, it was not liberated until 1683 by the Polish king Jan Sobieski (r 1674–96). It was partially destroyed after the War of Independence early in the 18th century but the shell is intact. Reach it via signposted paths from the top of the parking lot and the western end of Kossuth utca.