Hollókő is a village in northern Hungary, in Nógrád County. The village was built in the 13th century and grew more during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a well-preserved village that shows the culture of the Palóc people, with traditional wooden buildings, homes, farms, and orchards. Because it is very well kept and shows how people lived before modern farming began, the village was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987. Its name means "Raven-stone" in Hungarian.

Location

The village is located in Nógrád county, about 91.1 kilometers northeast of Budapest, which is the capital city of Hungary. It is situated in a valley within the Cserhát Mountains, surrounded by small hills. The natural environment in the area is protected.

History

In the middle of the 13th century, after the Mongol invasion, people began building Hollókő Castle to protect the area from future attacks. At that time, the land around Hollókő was controlled by the Kacsics noble family. The castle was first recorded in writings in 1310. The original village (now in ruins) was built just below the castle walls. In 1552, the Ottomans captured the castle. For the next 150 years, control of the area changed between Ottoman and Hungarian forces. By 1683, at the end of the Ottoman era, the castle and village were abandoned. A new town later developed in their place, and many of the homes there were built around this time. In 1782, Hollókő was still a small village with only one street. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the town grew, and by 1885, there was no more land left to expand. The wooden houses in the town had to be rebuilt many times because of fires, with the last fire happening in 1909. In 1987, the village, castle ruins, and surrounding area were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Layout and architecture

Hollókő is a protected village that keeps many of the architectural traditions of the Palóc people. The town is mixed with traditional strip farming, and there are orchards, vineyards, meadows, and woods around it. According to Palóc customs, the oldest houses were built on both sides of the main street. Later families built their homes behind these houses. The barns are placed at the edges of the surrounding fields. The wooden buildings have wooden frames with whitewashed plaster walls and porches with roofs that extend over the street side.

Sights

• The protected area of the village includes Lajos Kossuth and Sándor Petőfi streets, which have 67 houses.
• Village Museum
• Post Museum
• Doll Museum
• Craft Printing Museum
• Hungarian Folk Dance House
• Basket Shop
• Arts and Tea House
• Paloc Playhouse
• Borpatika
• The Weavers' House
• St. Martin Roman Catholic Church
• Hollókő Castle
• School Master's House (Iskolamester Háza)