Castle of Füzér
2021. 04. 19.

The castle is located near the village of Füzér, in a beautiful natural setting, on the top of a volcanic mountain in the Zemplén Hills, on the border with Trianon. The castle probably existed before the Tatar invasion, and is believed to have been built by the Aba clan in the Árpád period. Its peculiarity is that it may be one of the first privately owned stone castles in Hungary. According to a document which mentions Füzér for the first time, Béla IV gave Füzér as a gift to his daughter, Princess Anna, from whom his brother later forcibly took it. In the 13th century, the castle was bought by Andrew II, and was part of the royal estate until the Tatar invasion, when it was returned to the Abas by donation. After the Battle of Rosgony, it was confiscated by Charles Robert and became the property of Drugeth and then Perényi. When Gábor Perényi died in 1567 without a son, the castle passed first to the Báthori and then to the Nádasdy family. After the Wesselényi conspiracy, the castle was confiscated and burnt by the imperial army. After centuries of decay, the castle's value was once again recognised during the Romantic period, when it became a heritage site. In the Middle Ages, the hillside below the castle was cut into a hedge for protection, and later it was barren due to intensive grazing. On these barren rock and rubble surfaces, a specific vegetation, the specially protected rocky grassland, has developed. The rocky grassland is home to many rare and protected species of plants and animals. In 1941, the castle and the castle hill were put under protection by Governor Miklós Horthy. Archaeological excavations were carried out from 1977, renovation work began in 1992 and the so-called Lower Castle was built between 2014-16, with the renewal of the chapel, palace wing and lower bastion of the Upper Castle, making it one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Hungary today. The renovation of the castle continues within the National Castle Programme, with the second stage of the reconstruction of the Upper Castle of Füzér being completed. Thanks to its historical monuments and natural beauty, the castle hill is a popular excursion site, crossed by the National Blue Route. The castle can be an excellent tourist destination when wandering in the Zemplén and is well worth a visit.

Interreg
European Regional Development Fund
Building partnership

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