Today, it plays host to numerous exhibits, ranging from those about minerals to military history.

Boldogko Castle history

Whilst the exact date of construction of the castle is unclear, it was built after the Tartar invasion and protected the Kosice road and hernad valley as a fortress. There was a written reference to the castle in 1282.

The origins of the castle are shrouded in the mist of time, but the general belief is that it was built by either the Tomaj or Arpad family. The castke changed hands multiple times throughout the following centuries from 1388 when King Sigismund pledged it to Peter Czudar, passing through multiple stages of ownership until it became property of the king again in 1471.

The castle was further extended in the 15th century by adding an irregular four-sided tower on the southern side, a horseshoe shaped gate tower and an outer barbican on the eastern side.

In the years that followed, several noteworthy figures were associated with the castle. Poet Bálint Balassy spent a lot of time in the castle. He wrote one of his popular poems ‘Borivóknak való’ here. The castle served as a muse for others as well, Dezső Szabó wrote a tale, Jenő Vécsey a symphonic poem about the fort.

After changing hands several times, Leopold I ordered it demolished at the start of the 1700s, making it uninhabitable. During its renovation, the castle received some neo-Gothic design, which makes pinpointing the original structure difficult.

The castle belonged to the Zichy family from 1890 to 1945, until its nationalization. Archeological excavations and renovations started in 1963, creating a hotel in the keep. It remained in that status until the early 1990s, when it became home to one of the largest exhibitions of military history and tin soldiers of Central Europe. The sand table shows the battle of Muhi in extreme detail with more than a thousand tin soldiers.

The castle has been through two phases of reconstruction since then. In 2002, two towers received a canopy, the cellar was connected to the wine house, and a 100-meter long wall walk was built to the rock of Oroszlánszikla, one of the most characteristic parts of the castle.

Boldogko Castle today

In 2013, the keep received a roof and a great hall was created inside. The treadmill was renovated; anybody can have a go at it. An overlook and several historical exhibitions were created, for example on mineralogy, heraldry, vexillology and a smithy was built with a mint also. One hall contains items related to military history, as well as the prison and torture chamber.

Getting to Boldogko Castle

is in the northeast of Hungary, in the Zemplén region. To drive there, take Road 3 from Miskolc, and then turn onto Road 39. Turn north onto the nameless road just before the exit sign of the village; it leads to the car park. The nearest bus stop to the castle is Boldogkőváralja, arkai elágazás.

History of Buda Castle

In the 13th century, the then separate cities of Buda and Pest were endangered by Mongol raids, to which Pest succumbed in the 1241-1242. A few years later, King Bela IV decided to fortify Buda, a project completed in around 1265, offering his subjects defensive walls within which to shelter.

The first incarnation of Buda Castle dates to the 14th century, when it was built by Stephen, Duke of Slavonia (younger brother of the king) but since then it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, including by King Sigismund, and later altered by the Ottomans in the 16th century when they repurposed the castle as gunpowder storage and a magazine.

The castle was destroyed in the late 17th century during the great siege of Buda, and rebuilt as a much smaller Baroque palace in the 18th century. Construction was halted due to a fire and only finished significantly later for the Queen of Hungary. It was never really used as a royal residence – the Queen spent little time in Buda. Instead, it was temporarily used as a nunnery and university

In 1791, the castle was once more used as a royal residence for the new palatinate of Hungary. Several rebuilds happened during the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly following severe damage during the Second World War.  As a result of the constant changes to Buda Castle, it’s difficult to identify the periods to which each part of the site dates.

Buda Castle today

The castle is often under layers of scaffolding, and parts of it are still undergoing major restorations. The building houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Castle Museum, and the National Széchenyi Library, all of which are open to the public. The Castle Museum also has a short history of the city of Budapest which is interesting. All parts of the castle are closed on Mondays. 

Getting to Buda Castle

The site overlooks the city, on top of a hill: you’ll probably spot it from elsewhere in the city before you visit. There are multiple steep winding roads to access, or you can hop on the funicular  which runs from Alagut up to the castle itself. Come over the Danube via the Széchenyi Chain Bridge to tick off several sites in one.

History of Christian Necropolis of Pecs

Built over 1,600 years ago, the early Christian Necropolis of Pecs provides a remarkable example of late Roman burial practices and funerary cult. The sepulchres are regarded as the largest single Christian tomb complex outside Italy.

Sopianae, the Roman settlement upon which the town of Pecs was built, was founded in the early 2nd century. In 100 years, it would grow into a thriving city and a significant centre of Christianity.

The first burial chamber at the site – known as The Peter and Paul Tomb – was discovered in 1782, and is regarded as the best-known early Christian structure in Pannonia, the Roman province in today’s western Hungary. The early Christian Mausoleum, which dates to around 370AD, was discovered in 1975 and was the largest building in the Roman town of Sopianae.

Christian Necropolis of Pecs Today

A remnant of what was the Roman town of Sopianae, one aspect which makes the Christian Necropolis of Pecs special is its unique architecture. The site is made up two levels, with subterranean tombs and above-ground chapels. The visitor centre includes the Mausoleum, six two-storey burial chambers, and two larger, single-space buildings.

Visitors to the Christian Necropolis of Pecs can see their remains as well as several fascinating funerial murals.

Getting to Christian Necropolis of Pecs

From the centre of the historic city of Pecs, the Necropolis is a 6 minute drive via the Rákóczi út road. There are a number of buses which stop at Cella Septichora, after which the site is a minute’s walk.

History of the House of Terror

From 1937, the building of the House of Terror slowly became the headquarters of the pro-Nazi Hungarian Arrow Cross Party. When the party took power in 1944, the House of Terror, then known as the House of Loyalty, was used as a prison. Victims, many of whom were Jewish, were tortured and executed.

Even once the Nazis had left Hungary, The House of Terror maintained its notoriety and brutal reputation as the prison and headquarters of the Soviet Political Police (the AVH). It remained as such until 1956, when evidence of the horrors inflicted within its double-thickness walls (designed to muffle screams) was erased and, the building of the House of Terror later became offices.

The museum was created in 2000, under the directive of Viktor Orban’s center-right government, as a memorial to the suffering of the victims of both regimes, known as the ‘Double Occupation’. Today, the House of Terror stands in commemoration of its horrific past, with exhibitions about its history, that of its owners and its victims.

The House of Terror today

Critics have claimed that the atrocities committed under the Communist regime get far more space and detail than those under the Fascists, but in truth, everything detailed is pretty grim. The museum provides a window into a lesser-talked about period of Hungarian history, and is certainly a sobering site. Allow a couple of hours for a visit as there’s a lot to read and take in.

Getting to the House of Terror

The House of Terror is in central Budapest, at 60 Andrássy út. It’s a 20 minute walk from Budapest’s Parliament building, otherwise the nearest metro stop is Vörösmarty utca, a 1 minute walk away, or Oktagon, a 5 minute walk away (if that).

History of the Hungarian Parliament Buildings

The architect of the Hungarian Parliament Buildings, Imre Steindl, was chosen following a competition to design them in 1885, but became ill in the course of their construction. In fact, by the time they were completed in 1904, he had become blind. Construction itself was a mammoth effort: it’s thought around 100,000 people were involved in construction, with over 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40kg of gold used in the Gothic revival design.

The dome is 96m tall, reflecting the fact that 1896 marked the 1000th anniversary of Hungary’s existence. During Communist rule, when the nation was known as the People’s Republic of Hungary, a red star was put on top of the dome. This was later removed in 1990.

Today, the Hungarian Parliament Buildings are home to the National Assembly of Hungary as well as a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can enjoy the many works of art both inside and outside these incredible buildings, from frescoes and stained glass to the many statues scattered throughout.

The Hungarian Parliament Buildings today

The Hungarian Parliament Buildings are part of the main Budapest UNESCO World Heritage site, and the outside is picturesque – soak up the view in a café on the square. Note that you can only visit the Hungarian Parliament Buildings by way of a guided tour – tours in English run regularly but can get booked up quickly in the summer. If you’ve got specific time constraints, it’s worth booking ahead via Jegymester.

The tour is well worth your while – a glimpse inside the ornate rooms is always special, and there’s a kind of magic and awe evoked by buildings walked by such powerful people the world over.

Getting to the Hungarian Parliament Buildings

The buildings are on the River Danube: the nearest metro station is Kossuth Lajos tér, a couple of minutes walk away. However, the buildings are easily within walking distance from other attractions in central Budapest.

Excavated since the 1950’s, the ruins of the two temples of the Iseum can be seen today and part of the site has been reconstructed. The remains of the original site, some of which have undergone significant modern restoration, are now contained within a wider museum complex.

The Iseum history

The Iseum is the third-largest Toman era church of Isis known in the world today, only the main churches of Alexandria and Rome were larger. The enormous shrine complex was built in the first half of the 2nd century BC outside the walls of the Roman town.

Evidence suggests that the shrine was in use until the middle of the 4th century when it was pulled down, its marle carvings used for lime burning and its stones used in construction. The site then became an Early Christian cemetery.

The ruins of the shrine were first discovered in the 1950s and excavation continued for may years after this.

Experts believe that based on its size, standards of construction, the richness and diversity of material finds found here, the Savaria shrine was the centre of the cult of Isis in the Danube-region.

Recent research has significantly shaped the image of the sanctuary and provided important data on the site. In the period before the church was built, an important industrial area of ​​Savaria operated on the site of the Iseum.

The most important of the finds found in the Iseum are the façade reliefs already mentioned, which are unique in Pannonia in terms of size and design. Fragments of the cult statues preserved in the sanctuary are also beautiful in their fragility: the head of a small image of Serapis, and the finely carved marble torsos of Amor and Psyche, considered to be ancillary figures of a group of Venus statues.

Important memorabilia were also found from the fountain of the church: vessels, bells, bells, which may have played a role in the ceremony held here.

The Iseum today

The most recent innovation of the site was completed in 2012 was part of a significant investment project and present a myriad of Iseum’s archaeological finds, and feature a historical exhibition of Pannonia, an ancient province of the Roman Empire.

The former shrine built for the goddess Isis, is now extraordinarily renovated and provides a peculiar, eerily beautiful open air place for operas and plays during the summer. In the Ruin Garden, there are still the traces of a sanctuary for Mercurius and an eight-angled bath as well as the cobbles of the Amber Road which once sliced through whole Europe from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.

The Iseum Savariense Archaeological Workshop and Archipelago Isis Savaria Home is the name of the modern museum building built on Roman foundations that is operating today.

Getting to the Iseum

The site is accessible by public transport. The nearest train station is Szombathely and the nearest bus stop is Városháza.