The fascinating hive stones and stone culture of Bükkalja

According to vjm.hu, Hungary’s regions are all homes to natural and artificial wonders that have been listed as Hungarikums for quite a while. We can discover wine regions, thermal spas, rural experiences, or the mysterious stone culture of Bükkalja.

One of Hungary’s most unique regions is quite fascinating due to its geographic evolution and geologic structure. The stone culture of Bükkalja plays an important role as one of the natural environments among Hungarikums.

However, the stone culture doesn’t only include the Bükkalja landscape, but also the peculiar relationship network of the locals, the importance of stone as a building material, the stonework profession, the cave homes and the wine cellars.

The stone culture of Bükkalja – which’s most archaic layer is formed by the hive stones – is a well-confinable, complex natural-landscape management-cultural system with historic roots and traditions.

You can find more details about the hive stones and the history, evolution and location of other stone formations on the Hive Stone Association’s website. Thanks to the tireless work of the association, the Hungarian hive stones were pronounced as protected natural monuments in 2014, and were listed as Hungarikum in 2016.

It is said that the hive stones have natural values and are cultural historic monuments at the same time. After the volcanic tufas that build up the Bükkalja were created by intense eruptions in the Miocene era, erosion, fragmentation, wind and precipitation formed the cones and the stone ranges of the area. But then came the mankind, who slightly transformed the surface.