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Hollókő – a charming town in the mountains
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Holókő hides in the picturesque landscape of the Cserhát Mountain in Hungary. It is worth a visit whether it is summer or winter!
The legend of Hollókő
As magyarorszagom.hu writes, the town’s fantastic history goes back to the XIII. Century.
‘Hollókő’ means ‘Ravenstone’ in English
and this name is in connection with a legend. According to the story, the lord of the castle captured a beautiful girl, but her nanny was, in fact, a witch. The nanny made a deal with the devil that he would help her release the girl. Servants of the devil concealed themselves as ravens and stole the stones of the lord’s castle. Castle of Hollókő was built from these stones later on.
History and sights
If you come nearby, don’t miss on checking out the remains! The amazing exhibition of weapons, cannon-balls and engraved objects will definitely compensate for climbing up on the steep hill. If it’s not enough, then the breathtaking view of the entire Bükki National Park will doubtlessly convince you.
Because of the tached roofs, the town was burnt several times until the middle of the XX. Century. In 1909, the town successful renovated its buildings to their original look. However, this time clay brick walls and tiled roofs were used to avoid similar accidents. Nevertheless, the typical middle-aged arrangement of the town remained clearly visible. There is only one main street from which smaller streets branch off.
In the middle of the city, there is the Roman Catholic church since 1889. It has wooden towers and a tiled roof. The 67 peasant cottages have characteristic, tilted roofs and carved wooden backs.
The inside of the houses
Inner set-up of the furniture follows the palóc ethnic group’s style from the XVII. Century. It means three separated rooms. Stepping inside from the porch, we can see a kitchen and a dining room first. During winter time, this place was the warmest because of the fireplace. The pantry opens from the kitchen and dining room. People used it to store food and agrarian tools. Older relatives used to rest here during the evening. The so-called ‘clean-room’ looks to the front and it is the most decorated room in all houses. In Hollókő, on the contrary of other towns – the ‘clean-room’ functioned not only for hosting guests but also for the lord of the house and his family.
