Hollókő () is a

Palóc The Palóc are a subgroup of Hungarians in Northern Hungary and southern Slovakia. While the Palóc have retained distinctive traditions, including a very apparent dialect of Hungarian, the Palóc are also ethnic Hungarians by general consensus. ...

ethnographic village in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

and a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. Its name means "Raven-stone" in Hungarian.

Location

The village is located in

Nógrád county Nógrád ( hu, Nógrád megye, ; sk, Novohradská župa) is a county ( hu, megye) of Hungary. It sits on the northern edge of Hungary and borders Slovakia. Description Nógrád county lies in northern Hungary. It shares borders with Slovakia an ...

, approximately 91.1 kilometres northeast from

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, the capital of

. It lies in a valley of

Cserhát Mountains Cserhát () is a mountain range in Hungary, part of the North Hungarian Mountains, divided between Pest and Nógrád counties. Its highest point is the Naszály with an elevation of 654 metres above sea level. Cserhát stretches from Cserhá ...

, surrounded by low peaks. The natural environment is protected.

History

In the middle of the 13th century, in the aftermath of the Mongol invasion, construction of Hollókő castle first began as a means to protect the area against future attacks. At this time, the area around Hollókő was held by the Kacsics noble clan. The castle was first mentioned in records in 1310. The original village was built just below the castle walls. The Ottomans captured the castle in 1552 and for the next 150 years, control alternated between Ottoman and Hungarian forces. At the end of the Ottoman era (1683) the castle and the village were finally abandoned and the present village grew up below. Many of the existing houses were first built around this time. The houses, which contain wood in their structure, have had to be rebuilt many times throughout the years due to periodic fires, the last being in 1909. In 1987, the village, castle ruins, and surrounding area were inscribed as a

Sights

* The protected part of the village – Lajos Kossuth and

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; sk, Alexander Petrovič; sr, Александар Петровић; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet of Serbian origin and liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary' ...

streets, 67 houses * Village Museum * Post Museum * Doll Museum * Craft Printing Museum * Hungarian Folk Dance House * Basket Shop * Arts & Tea House * Paloc PlayHouse * Borpatika * The House Of The Weavers * St. Martin Roman Catholic church * Hollókő castle * School Master’s House (Oskolamester háza)

Picture gallery

File:Hollókő - Castle.jpg, Hollókő castle File:Holloko1.jpg, Hollókő village File:Castle of Holloko with Panorama.JPG, The castle of Hollókő File:CivertanHolloko (2).jpg, Aerial view of the castle

References

External links

Aerial photography: Hollókő

Best Things to do in Holloko, Hungary - Asiana Circus

History, pictures and google map of Hollókő Castle
Populated places in Nógrád County World Heritage Sites in Hungary Tourist attractions in Nógrád County {{Nograd-geo-stub