Salgótarján - Salgó Castle

History
Salgó is a Hungarian stronghold near to Salgótarján (Nógrád county), 120 km from Budapest.

In the beginning it was only a square-shaped stone tower. The people called it ’Salgó’ meaning ’shine’, however it’s still not clear whether the name ’Salgó’ was the name of the volcanic peak, or they started to call the place by this name after the tower was erected. This fortified tower was built by the Kacsics clan, who were the lords around these hills in the 13th century. According to certain consideration the building of this tower related to the Mongol invasion (1241-1242), because all over Hungary only the fortified towns or castles could resist the Tartar’s army. The sieges of fortresses were not the Tatar’s cup of tea. After the invasion the king, IV. Béla ordered and supported the fortifications of manor houses and towns and the building of new strongholds.

Salgó started as a small tower (7,5 x 9,5 m) and a small castle-yard. It is thought that the cellar of the tower was used as a prison. The water-supply was a difficult one on this volcanic rock, therefore in the lower level of the peak, under the tower, they constructed a water-collecting cistern. This rock-castle had two cistern, a huge and a smaller one. The water was essential, not only for drinking but also fire fighting.

In 1460 the Hussites captured the small fortress of Salgó. King Mathias the First recaptured it in the same year and gave it to Imre Szapolyai. This time was the great age of Salgó. The lower castle-yard was built in that time and the upper castle-yard became roofed-over. This part of the yard became a living space. The lord of the castle didn’t live in Salgó but his substitute, the castellan lived in this upper yard living building. In the lower castle-yard there were the stables and the storehouses. In the 16th century a huge pentagonal battlement ( 14 x 15 m) was built in the east side of the rock.

Even this reinforced building could not resist the Turkish (Ottoman) attack. Legends were told, that Kara Hamza bey, the governor of Szécsény and Hatvan, took the castle by ruse. He made his soldiers lay tree trunks on to gun carriages and push them under the fortress. The soldiers in the tower thought that the trunks were real guns because they couldn't see well in the fog. They handed over Salgó. In the reality the fortress was shelled into ruins by the Turks. They set the artillery on the top of the neighbouring hill, opposite to Salgó called Kis-Salgó (Small-Salgó) or Boszorkánykő (The cliff of witches).

The father of Bálint Balassi, the great Hungarian poet, got the fortress (however the Turkish was in it). After his death his sons Bálint and Ferenc Kövér couldn’t decide who was the owner. It was an acrimonious lawsuit of long standing between them.

In 1593 Michael Pálffy and Christof Tieffenbach reoccupied Salgó. Bálint Balassi died in 1594 in the siege of Esztergom. The nephew of Bálint inherited the ruins of Salgó but he left it alone. The ruins became overgrown with grass and shrubs. When Sándor Petőfi another great and famous poet of Hungary climbed up to the ruins of Salgó in 1845 the atmosphere of the ruins made him write his romantic poetry: Salgó. This is a tragic story about Kompolti clan the lords of Salgó who tyrannized the region, which were under their power. The story is based on a traditional legend.

Nowadays Salgó is a well-known, beauty tourist spot.

source: Wikipedia

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Rezi Castle

History
The ruins stand on the suddenly narrowing ridge of the 418-metre hill. Although only a few remaining wall sections and the protective battlements still remain of the hilltop castle built in the 13th-14th century, the view is fantastic.

The elongated, irregular shape hillside fortress had an internal tower. Only the eastern portion of the keep and the eastern and western walls of the castle remain with the traces of windows and barrel vaults. The remaining walls are between 8 and 10 metres high and 120-180 centimetres thick.

It appears that the square-based keep on the northern end of the cliff was the first portion to be built. In front of this is a courtyard with a high enclosure where a round and a square tower once served to protect the gate entrance built on the southern wall. A deep and 2-metre wide dry moat was cut into the rock in front of the fort that could be crossed only over the drawbridge.

Can be visited at any time.

source: Hungary starts here

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Regéc Castle

History
The castle Regéc stands on top of the 625 m high Várhegy (Castlehill), which is situated between two villages Mogyoróska and Regéc.

The first evident about the castle dates back to 1307. The castle was built by the members of the Aba nation possibly in the XIII-XIV century. In the next centuries it was a royal possession. During the middle age the following families owned the castle, Szapolyai, Serédy, Alaghy and Esterházy.

The castle's hey day was when György Rákóczi the I., ruler of Transylvania took over the castle due to the peace treaty of Linz in 1645. In its secure courtyard Ferenc Badinyi tought the 6 year-old Ferenc the secret of the Latin language, which made his childhood difficult.

The castle served its last military purpose during the revolution, lead by Thököly, when it became a war material storage place for the "kuruc". In 1685 the mercenaries of the "keizer" blow up the wall by gunpowder.

In the 1990's the excavation of the deteriorating castle of Regéc was started thanks to the initiatives of the localpatriots.

source: Northern Castles

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Pécsvárad Castle

History
Among the most significant Hungarian heritage from the Middle Ages is the castle built on a Benedictine monastery commissioned by King St Stephen. The building complex is now used as a museum and a hotel.

The shape of this polygonal castle was developed in the 13th century. The best-preserved part is the cannon tower of the southeastern corner, the Old Tower (Öregtorony). It currently serves as a hotel.

The ruins of the abbey can be seen in the northwestern section of the castle. Next to these is the triple-nave abbey church consecrated in 1015. One of these naves has been excavated; it is 15 metres long and closes with a semicircular apse. The sanctuary is decorated by Romanesque windows and figurative frescoes from the 12th century.

The monastery chapel also dates back to the time of St Stephen. It may be approached from the entrance at the medieval drawbridge on the north side.

The loopholes of the Romanesque mansion can be discerned to the west of the entrance. To the east is the entrance to the castle museum that provides an insight into the medieval flourishing life of the oldest Benedictine monastery in Hungary.

source: Hungary starts here

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Ónod Castle

History
In the South-Eastern direction from the town of Miskolc on the Sajó river-bank stands the castle of Ónod, the walls of which witnessed many bloody historical events in the past centuries.
We gradually learn more about the history of the castle thanks to the archeological excavation of the present days. In the 14th century the church of the peasant village of Ónod was situated in this place. Péter Czudar turned this church into a fortified private castle. Two hundered years later Péter Perényi, the guardian of the crown ordered to demolish this old block of buildings and instead he ordered to construct a castle with four corner bastions in accordance with the most contemporary Italian-style military theories of that time.
One of the tasks of the army, stationed in the castle was to through back the Turkish attacks. In 1639 the castle's defenders succesfully fought back the attack of the Ottoman army from Eger, but by the end of the century their post had been destroyed.
Because of that the "kuruc" national assembly took part on the otherside of the river in the fields of Köröm in 1707. Related to this event there is a legend about the famous "kuruc" spy Panna Czinka, who was a very good violin-player. She was charged with treachery and executed under the order of his majesty in the outskirt of Ónod, in a place, called Nyakvágó (decapitating).
source: Apartman Eged Vendégház

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Nagyvázsony - Kinizsi Castle

History
Kinizsi castle originating from the 14th century was extended in the 15th century in a Gothic style and refurbished in the 16th-17th century. Today the castle is a stage for Renaissance games and festivals.
Go through the gate of the outer round bastion into the castle, then cross the bridge across the 'wolf pit' pit full of water and pass through the inner gate tower into the courtyard.
This courtyard is surrounded by the buildings of the palace. Here stands the 29-metre high keep or 'old-tower' which is today a museum.
From the courtyard steps lead to the chapel in which the most important sight is the red marble lid and its remnants of Pál Kinizsi's sarcophagus. The gravestone originally safeguarded the earthly remnants of the forceful commander in the church of the Pauline monastery he had founded. However, after the crumbling walls had collapsed onto the gravestone the sarcophagus was dug out and then broken open by treasure hunters in 1708. Pieces of the broken gravestone were placed in the castle.
Weddings are still held in the castle chapel. Castle games are held every day at 11 am and 3 pm in July. At the Kinizsi Festival held annually on the first weekend of August, the lord of the castle himself appears in the company of his wife to observe the knights' tournament, the performance of the Italian flag throwers and the battle of the Hungarian and Turkish troops.
source: Hungary starts here

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Magyaregregy - Márévár Castle

History
Máré Castle, in the southern Transdanubia village of Magyaregregy, was built in Gothic style in the 13th century on the remains of a Roman watchtower, and later rebuilt in Renaissance style. According to legend, Máré was a soldier who lived in the castle with his wife, and another soldier, Miklós, lived nearby. When the king called the soldiers to the army, Máré left, but Miklós stayed. Miklós and Máré's wife fell in love and eventually had a daughter. When Máré came home from the war, he went into a rage, destroyed the castle and killed his wife. The daughter born out of wedlock survived by hiding in the cellar, but before Máré's wife died, she cursed her daughter, making her the protector of the castle's treasures. The curse imprisoned her daughter in the cellar and she will not be free until someone dares to kiss her in the form of a bull, a snake or a frog.
source: caboodle.hu

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Kisnána Castle

History
At the southern part of the Mátra, where the high mountain ranges are turning into downs - there you will find Kisnána, a village situated in a picturesque site equally suitable for hiking, hunting and relaxation.
The knight's castle of the Kompoltis is the best known sight of the village. Only the donjon, gatehouse, castle walls, and the church tower reminds us of the old times.
The castle was built by the Kompoltis, a family originated from the Aba clan. The Kompoltis were expanding to the extent possible, and laid down the foundations of a safe home a short time after the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241-42. Then the fortress was being slowly formed into a genuine baronial residence.
Although the castle of Kisnána was never reinforced with outer round bastions and battlements, its high and strong walls offered a safe shelter against unexpected attacks in the age of longbows and catapults.
The Kompoltis were followed by the Losonczys. László Móré, a robber baron feared throughout the country was their relative. He and his cruel men were plundering the Hungarians, Turks and Germans, equally. He scraped together an enormous fortune, but finally he drew upon himself the hatred of the pasha of Buda.
The robber baron had to run away to the fortress of Kisnána with the pasha's armies at his heels. László Móré resorted to a trick: thinking of the besiegers' greed he threw down many gold pieces to them. But he could not stop the Turkish soldiers by that, so Móré's eyrie was occupied and the baron was taken to the Seven Towers, a prison in Constantinople.
Even today, some villagers are telling old tales about Móré's treasure that was hidden in the ground somewhere in the fortress. Of course, no one has found the treasure so far, but the legend lives on...
source: ektf.hu

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Hollókő Castle

History
Among the hills of Cserhát the castle of Hollókő stands on a cliff only for a few steps away from the Old village, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The castle is visited by many tourist all-year-round.
According to contemporary documents the earliest buildings were established by Kacsics nation, among them were the pentagonal old tower. In the XIV. century Máté Csák took over the castle, from whom the army of King Károly Anjou took it back. In the next decades it belonged to the baron Szécsényi family. Though its owners tried to build up its defences, by the XVI. century it lost its military position.
In 1550 György Kapitány captain of the castle fighted his famous duel with the Aga of Szandavár. After the expulsion of the Turks the castle became useles and were partly destroyed by the Habsburg army. Then the local inhabitants continued with removing the stones of the castle. The restoration, started in 1960-es put an end to the destruction of the castle and made it possible to open up a castle museum behind its old walls at present.
According to the legend András Kacsics kidnapped his neighbour's wife and kept her in his castle. The lady's wet-nurse - being a witch - managed to convince the devil to help her to set the lady free. The devil's sons changed into crows and disassembled the castle stone by stone, in this way the lady became free. But the crows carried the stones into the hill of Szár and built the castle of Hollókő at its present location.
Nowadays only some remainders of the wall of the inner castle and the cannon of the outdoor castle remained.
source: Északi Várak

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Döbrönte: Szarvaskő Castle

History
On the north coast of the Bakony Mountains, on downs over the valley of the Bittva brook ridge the spectacular command castle of Döbrönte was built. The castle was built by Benedek Himfi, who was a Bulgarian viceroy and the reeve of the bakony king’s hunt, with the permission of King Lajos I. for the protection of his property. According to chronicles it was built in 1367-74.
In the 15th century the Himfi’s sank armod, brigand, loot, and their castle became a robbercastle. They stormed the surrounding villages including the monastery of Pannonhalma, so King Mátyás condemned their property for a short time and he donated it to the Kanizsai’s.
Imre Himfi, the captain of Visegrád was the last member of his family. His castles and property was given to Ferenc Essegvári and his only daughter. The captain of Pápa and Somló Szapolyai’s had the castle of Döbrönte rebuilt and extended after 1526. He had the outdoor castle and this defender cannon built. During the Turkish occupation the Essegvári family became poor and they couldn’t maintain the castle so it was held by the king guard after 1550.
About 1640 the successors of the Essegváris lived there, but in the second half of the 17th century it began to fall.
The irregular ground-plan castle of Döbrönte, which was standing on a rocky edge, was an indoor towered castle with 1.5 to 2-meter-thick walls. The window openings which can be seen on the remainders of the wall originate from the 17th century reconstruction. The castle was rounded by rampart and chase, then additional chase and rampart dissevered it from the inner, palatial castle of Benedek Himfi viceroy.
Nowadays only some remainders of the wall of the inner castle and the cannon of the outdoor castle remained.
source: http://fured.loczy.sulinet.hu

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Miskolc - Diósgyőr Castle

History
Diosgyor castle started life most likely as an earthwork castle in the 12th century and which was later destroyed during the Mongol invasion of 1241–1242. The current castle, which stands today, is a result of an order by King Bela IV who, after the Mongols withdrew from the country, ordered that every hill top had to have a castle constructed upon it. Diosgyor was oval in shape with a rounded donjon, encompassed by a polygonal outer wall.
The castles hey day was during the rule of Louis I, who modernised and refurbished the castle. These modernisations included an inner castle which was built around a rectangular courtyard and had four towers, one on each angle. The first floor contained the storerooms, whilst the second floor contained the rooms and the Knights' Hall. As well as the fore mentioned, the castle was surrounded by a four meter deep moat. The modernisation programme was finally finished during the rule of Mary, who was Louis’s daughter.
In 1364 the nearby town of Miskolc came under the control of the Diósgyõr estate. Whilst in 1381, the Peace Treaty of Turin was signed at Diosgyor castle. The treaty compelled the Italian town of Venice to raise the flag of the Anjou dynasty in St. Mark's square every Sunday.
Diósgyõr castle started to loose its status when the personal union between Hungary and Poland ended (Louis had shared the two countries between his two daughters Mary and Jadwiga.) Over the perusing centuries the castle became a holiday home for the ruling monarchy.
During the time of the Ottoman occupation of the southern territories of Hungary, Diosgyor castle was further fortified against the advancing armies. The present ruling family turned it into a large fortress, and had an Italian-style rondelle constructed in the north-western tower with enforced bastions replacing the smaller turrets. These were the final alterations to take place at the castle as from 1564 the owners changed frequently, and the castle slowly deteriorated.
In 1596 the Ottoman army defeated the Christian army at Mezõkeresztes with Diósgyõr falling into the hands of the advancing army. For the next 90 years, Diósgyõr was under the control of the Ottoman Empire until 1687 when it was freed from Turkish rule.
In 1953 restoration of Diosgyor castle was started with only the areas being restored were those threatened with collapse. In the north-eastern tower there is an exhibition of the history of the castle, a weapons exhibition and the waxworks showing the singing of the Torino Peace Treaty. The south-western tower is in ruins.
Sadly, today instead of the rolling hills and countryside of it former past, Diosgyor castle is surrounded by concrete buildings and the trappings of a modern city.
source: Guide to Castles of Europe

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Csókakő Castle

History
As part of the system of borderline fortifications in the Vértes Mountains, Csókakő Castle was built and first owned by the Csák clan in order to guard the main road between Győr and Komárom. The first written document dates back to 1299. The name originates in Chowka, an early nickname for Stephen. It was King Charles I who, recognising the strategic importance of the castle, made it a royal possession in 1327. Later it became the property of various noble families. Following the Turkish occupation, German soldiers were stationed in the castle which, as its owners did not care much about maintenance, gradually fell into ruin. The outstanding strategic position of the castle was due to the steep, almost vertical hillsides on three sides. It was only approachable from the west, where it was defended by a ditch, a drawbridge and a gatehouse with loopholes. Today the ruins nestle on a rocky ledge above the small settlement built among vineyards. The first inhabitants were settled here by Count Lamberg in the 1750s. These days, the village is a favourite centre of rural tourism owing the beauty of the landscape, the history of the region and the fiery wines.
source: Közalapítvány / Pro Vértes Public Foundation for Nature Conservation

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Bánd, Essegvár Castle

History
In the boundary of the village of Bánd there’s a little but steep slope where you can find the relic of 9-10-meter-high towers. Besides these are only a part of the outer walls remained from the castle. The castle was built in the middle of the 13th century. At this time it was owned by Pankotai Lőrinc from whom the Essegváris bought it in 1309. They were followed by the Kőszegis, the Rozgonyis, then the Újlakis from 1457 to the dying out of the family. During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary the castle wasn’t mentioned so it’s likely that after the fall of Veszprém it was destroyed. In a 1641 list it appeared again as a ruin. source: Castles and palaces in Veszprém county

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Szeged Castle

History
The castle of Szeged was built parallel to the river Tisza with an irregular layout but roughly rectangular in shape. On every corner of the castle stood a circular tower built for defensive purposes, and the walls on everySzeged Hungary Church side were also fitted with rectangular towers. The castle’s palace was situated west of the southern gate and was turned into an artillery storage space from the 18th century. The circular tower on the south-eastern side of the castle was far bigger than the other towers. It was later named the water tower because it stood on the banks of the river. The thickness of its walls surpassed all others so experts think that it was originally a medieval old tower.

In the 18th century the castle was surrounded by a water filled ditch which was 18-19 meters wide and 3-3,5 meters deep. The water of the ditch was fed by the river Tisza. Although it is not a proven fact the castle was most probably planned by the French engineer Villard de HOnnecourt, who was invited to Hungary by King Béla the 4th.

The building of the castle started in 1247 due to the privileges given by King Béla the 4th right after the invasion of nomad tribes. It is most likely that the building of the castle was carried out by replacing the existing wooden castle walls and towers with stone built ones. The first official document mentioning the castle is from the reign of Róbert Károly when the castle was managed by master Pál who was the son of Dénes from the Dorosma clan. As a king’s castle the ownership of it changed many times with the reign of Hungarian kings.

In 1524 after King Lajos the 2nd paid off a debt of 2000 forints the castle of Szeged was passed on to the archbishop of Esztergom.

After a Turkish attack the Szeged Hungary Hotel Squarecastle was rebuilt by the order of King János in 1528. 14 years later the city of Szeged and the castle was sieged again by the Turks and was finally captured. The strengthening of the badly damaged castle was almost immediately started by the Turks (castle walls were built higher, the water filled ditch was cleaned and deepened, ditches and bastions out of dirt were erected to protect the city laying south of the castle). According to historical sources the number of castle guards was 323 in 1545 and 348 seven years later. The name of the first Turkish ruler of the Szeged area was Mustafa.

The recapture of the castle started with an assault on October 5th, 1688. The troops were lead by captain De la Vergne who died of severe wounds sustained during combat. Baron György Wallis took over command and other leader worth mentioning who took part in the battle were Barkóczy, Petneházy and Bercsényi Jr and baron István Károlyi. Since the defenders of the castle did not receive any help they surrendered the castle on October 23rd.

In 1704 during the war of independence with the leadership of István Andrássy and Ádám Vass 8000 soldiers tried to capture the castle of Szeged but failed. Later in July Ferenc Rákóczi the 2nd also took siege of the castle but was also unsuccessful.

Szeged Hungary Walking StreetAfter the Szatmári peace treaty the castle was strengthened between 1714 and 1716 according to the plans of De le Croix Paitis.

The irony is that the demise of the castle was not caused by war or the enemy but by the force of nature. Due to the Great Flood of 1879 the eastern wall and north-eastern tower fell into the Tisza river. Since the ruined castle lost its significance and was deemed just a big obstacle in the rebuilding of the city the residence of Szeged started to demolish the remainder of the castle walls.

The only remnants of the once important castle are the water tower still found on the banks of the river and small ruins of the castle interior from the time of Mária Terézia.
source: hungaryrooms.com

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Sirok Castle

History
On the east range of Mátra vulcanic peak can be found the robust block of Castle of Sirok. As a result of the reconstruction work taking place in the present days a solid road service leads to the monument so we can reach the many centuries old walls with comfortable strolls.

We take our footsteps to a special scene because the builders of the castle in the 13th century used the inner side of the mountain as well and they engraved tunnels and smaller or bigger rooms into the volcanic stone.

It was taken from Aba clan by King Károly's troops from Anjou dynasty, the people of the surrounding villages had to serve the lands of the castle. In the 1560's gun bastion lower castle was built but it was useless because the cowardly guards gave over the castle to the Turkish without any fight. More than hundred years past when the imperial mercenary took it back who partly exploded the defending walls.

Without owner the weather constantly destroyed its walls until 1960's since when the castle, which is in harmony with the nature, has been reconstructed in several steps. Nearby the so called Barát (Friend) and Apáca (nun) cliffs are situated. According to the folk tradition these cliffs are hiding a couple who grew stiff because of love unhappiness.
source: www.latvany-terkep.hu

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Füzér Castle

History
On the Northen part of the Zemplén mountains stands the castle of Füzér in a cliff. You can drive your car until the parking lot, situated next to the houses of the village, from here a beautiful walking path leads to the hilltop.

Füzéri vár rekonstrukciós rajzaIt is likely that one of the members of the Aba family ordered to build the castle. It was first mentioned in a charter from 1264. Many times it was part of the King's properties, then it was possessed by baron Perényi. In 1526 Péter Perényi, guardian of the crown - after the crowning of János Szapolyai - hide the crown in the castle of Füzér for a year. In the XVI. century the owners of the castle fortified it in accordance with the military theory and built an Italian tower around the castle gate. The last pledge taker was Ferenc Bónis. The general of the town of Kassa ordered to set the castle on fire to avoid becoming a hiding place for the rebels.

Later Károlyi landlords commissioned Kálmán Lux, architect to carry out the most urgent preservation works on the castle, which was in a deteriorating condition.

From 1970 István Feld and Juan Cabello archeologists examined the remains. Since 1992 the excavation and restoration works are carried out under the supervision of Zoltán Simon. Meanwhile the society of castle friends was established by the local inhabitants. In the summer castle plays revive the history of the castle.
source: fuzer.hu

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Boldogkő Castle

History

The castle was built for the order of king Béla IV, after the invasion of the Mongols in 1241-42, by the Tomaj family. It was first mentioned in 1282, when it became the property of the king. In the next centuries the ownership of the castle changed several times, eg. it was owned by king László IV, Aba Amádé, Károly Róbert, the Drugeth family, king Zsigmond, Czudar Péter, Brankovics György, king Matthias, Szapolyai János, Báthori István, Martinuzzi Fráter György, the Bebek family, Rákóczi György I., etc. The Germans blew it up in 1702 - like nearly all other castles in the Kingdom of Hungary - after the lost war for independence led by Rákóczi Ferenc II. Its last owners were the Zichys before the nationalization in 1947.
source: karpatok

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Csesznek

History
The medieval castle of Csesznek was built about 1263 by the Baron Jakab Cseszneky who was the swordbearer of the King Béla IV. He and his descendants have been called after the castle Cseszneky.
Between 1326 and 1392 it was royal castle when King Sigismund changed offered it for the Garai family in lieu of the Macsó Banate.
In 1482 the male line of the Garais died out and King Matthias Corvinus donated the castle to the Szapolyai family. In 1527 Baron Bálint Török took it up.
During the 16th century the Csábi, Szelestey and Wathay families were in possession of Csesznek. In 1561 Lőrinc Wathay repulsed successfully the siege of the Ottomans. However, in 1594 the castle was occupied by the Turkish troops, but already in 1598 the Hungarians recaptured it.
In 1635 Dániel Esterházy bought the castle and village and from that time on Csesznek was the property of the Esterházy family till 1945.
source: wikipedia

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