Lillafüred (Miskolc-Lillafüred) is a town in
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much 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 south, Croatia and ...
. Officially, it is a part of
Miskolc
Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...
, though it is almost 12 kilometres away from the city, in the
Bükk
The Bükk Mountains () are a section of the North Hungarian Mountains of the Inner Western Carpathians. Much of the area is included in the Bükk National Park.
Geography
Although Kékes, the highest point in Hungary, is not here but in t ...
Mountains. Lillafüred is a tourist resort.
History
Count
András Bethlen
Count András Bethlen de Bethlen (26 July 1847 – 25 August 1898) was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Agriculture between 1890 and 1894. He studied law in Budapest and national economy studies in Brussels and Leipzig. He was ...
of the
Bethlen
The House of Bethlen is the name of two Hungarian ancient noble families, ''Bethlen de Iktár'' and ''Bethlen de Bethlen''. Although both families have similar coat of arms, they have no proven mutual ancestry. Both can trace their noble lineage ...
family, who served as Hungary's
Minister of Agriculture in the 1890s, initiated the development of a holiday resort near Lake Hámori. He named it after his niece, Erzsébet (nicknamed: "Lilla") Vay, a member of the
Vay family and sister of
Elemér Vay, the
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of
Borsod County
Borsod was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The capital of the county was Miskolc. After World War II, the county was merged with the Hungarian parts of Abaúj-Torna County and Zempl� ...
at the time. The
Lillafüred Palace Hotel, a central feature of the resort, was later constructed by
István Bethlen
Count István Bethlen de Bethlen (8 October 1874 – 5 October 1946) was a Hungarians, Hungarian Aristocracy (class), aristocrat and politician, statesman and served as prime minister from 1921 to 1931.
Early life
The scion of an old Bethlen ...
.
Tourist attractions
Lillafüred Palace Hotel (Palotaszálló)
The Lillafüred Palace Hotel was designed by
Kálmán Lux and built between 1927 and 1930 in neo-
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
style. One of the hotel's restaurants is named after
King Matthias. Its
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows show the castles of historical Hungary. The hotel is surrounded by a large park with rare plants.
Hanging gardens
The
hanging gardens
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World listed by Hellenic culture. They were described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of tree ...
are below the hotel, between the streams
Szinva
Szinva is a stream in northern Hungary, a tributary to the river Sajó. It originates in the Bükk Mountains. It is long, of which can be found in the city of Miskolc, through which the stream flows from west to east. More than 70 bridges have ...
and
Garadna. The highest waterfall in Hungary, at 20 meters in height, can be found here. The waterfall itself is artificial. The internal water tubes form the "Anna Cave" at the bottom.
Caves
There are three natural caves not far from the hotel:
*
Anna Cave
The Anna Cave (also called ''Petőfi Cave'') is a natural limestone cave in Miskolc- Lillafüred, Hungary, near the waterfall.
The cave was discovered in 1833, when opening a shaft in the limestone in order to provide the iron furnace at Hámor w ...
, with plant fossils preserved in limestone;
*
István Cave
The István Cave (''Stephen I of Hungary, St. Stephen's Cave'') is a limestone cave in Miskolc-Lillafüred, Northern Hungary.
The cave was formed in the Triassic period and is about 710 m long. It was discovered in 1913. According to local legend ...
, a large
dripstone cave
Dripstone may refer to:
*Hood mould or dripstone, an architectural feature for handling rain water
* Dripstone, a type of speleothem (cave formation) that includes for example stalactites
* Dripstone, a type of water filter
A water filter remov ...
;
*
Szeleta Cave, a cave where many
Paleolithic relics have been found.
Lake Hámori
The artificial lake was formed in the early 19th century by the damming of the Szinva and Garadna, to supply the iron furnace with water. The lake is 1.5 kilometres long. In the summer, boats and paddle boats can be rented.
Ottó Herman's house
A small museum dedicated to the well-known ornithologist and polymath
Ottó Herman. (Not to be confused with
Ottó Herman Museum
The Ottó Herman Museum is the largest museum in Miskolc, Hungary. It holds more than 600,000 artifacts. Its main focus is on archaeology, mineralogy, arts, history, and ethnography.
History
The museum was founded in 1899 under the name Borsod ...
, which is in downtown Miskolc).
Miller's Rock
There are two different local legends explaining why there is a crucifix on the top of the rock. According to the better-known version, the daughter of a rich miller jumped down from the rock with her lover, the miller's poor apprentice, because her parents didn't allow them to marry. The other legend claims an old miller jumped from the rock when he learned that his young wife was cheating on him. This second version is less commonly known, but it was mentioned by the famous author Mór Jókai in one of his books.
Fehérkőlápa
The area south from Lillafüred Valley gets its name ("marsh of the white stone") from a rock which provides views of the area, and a nearby marsh. The place is within Bükk National Park. There is a guesthouse there, which is depicted in
Vilmos Kondor
Vilmos Kondor (born 1954) is the name (possibly pseudonym) of a successful Hungarian author. He's been dubbed as "the creator of Hungarian crime fiction".
His seven crime novels, known as the "Sinful Budapest" or "Budapest Noir" Cycle, depict t ...
's novel
Budapest Noir.
Trout farm
A trout farm is situated a few kilometres away from Lillafüred, and from there visitors can buy freshly grilled or smoked trout.
The narrow-gauge train that departs from Miskolc makes a stop at the farm on the days it is open. The stop is after the main Lillafüred stop.
Hámor Rock
Used by rock climbers, climbing competitions are held at Hámor Rock every January.
References
External links
Lillafüred official tourist portal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lillafured
Neighbourhoods of Miskolc
Resorts in Hungary