UNESCO World Heritage Site #2 on this tour
Holloko (more properly, Hollókõ) is a medieval village about 2 hours northeast of Budapest by bus. It is practically a museum of old feudal life several centuries back, where earthen houses still line the village's two streets, and old ladies in traditional dresses sit under the shade on the porch and greet passers-by in a language not understood by probably 80% of the visitors. Except it is not a museum, but a living village with real people.
The Sights:
The main sights are the village, the people, and the castle, in this particular order IMHO.
You begin to appreciate the village of Holloko once you've seen some typical towns and villages in Europe. Most "old" town and villages have buildings in 17th-18th century Baroque style. Even older ones may have a complete 16th century Renaissance town square. And some may have a couple of Gothic towers or churches dating from the 14th century.
Holloko village though, is timeless. Regardless of what may be in fashion in the outside world, its physical isolation ensured that the village would carry on with its own unique style. Through the centuries, its houses had the same crude rock foundations and thick earthen walls. No trace of a renaissance facade or a baroque schoolhouse. The only "progress" through the centuries is the conversion from thatched roofs to tiles for fire prevention ever since a great fire burned down the village a century ago.
You can recognize the medieval layout of the village, starting from the old church at the centre of the village. There are only two streets, and all properties are divided into thin, long strips running at right-angle to the streets. There were the essential facilities of a doctor's clinic, a post office, a nursery school, and a general store. Anything more and you'll have to leave the 17th century and drive to the closest town.
Much of the village has now become catered to tourism, with an array of handicraft shops, quaint little house-museums, and two restaurants. My wife bought a wooden toy for about HUF500 (CAD$3). Just as I wondered whether they get enough visitors to keep the shops alive, two bus loads of elementary school students arrive to learn the history of their ancestors.
We went to two of these quaint museums. The first one was the exhibition of a wood carver's work. Not worth the HUF250 in my opinion.
The second was the Weaver's House, where the real exhibit was an old lady of at least 70 years. Upon paying the HUF250 entrance fee, she would put on a show of operating her traditional weaver's loom in a nimbleness that totally belies her age. The gift shop next door sells her work among other tapestry and embroidery items. Later on at the village entrance we actually saw her picture on a brochure of the local tourist agency, so apparently she's some sort of village celebrity.
The Falumuzeum (Village Museum) was on top of our list of places to visit, but it seemed closed down for some reason. We could only take a picture in front of the funny entrance to the basement.
The medieval village may be charming, but it wouldn't be complete without a castle to rule over it. So after lunch we took a 15-minute walk to the top of a nearby hill where a 13th century castle ruin still stands.
The ruin has been recently partially-restored, with rock and wooden staircases leading the visitor to the top for a great view of the hills of northern Hungary. The romance of a medieval castle ruin with a wonderful panoramic view was my wife's favorite part.
One side of the hill overlooked the Bukk national park, and on the other side lied the tiny village of Holloko, and the cattle grazing in the fields next to it. The kids on the school field trip were having a great time; there was even a play area where kids can duke it out with foam spears and shields.
The Food:
Var Etterem
Kossuth Lajos ut 93/95, Holloko
Missing a real breakfast that morning, we had an early lunch at the shaded garden of Var Etterem (castle restaurant), which was a great idea.
Hmm...real Hungarian gulyas, with so much meat and spices unlike the watery goulash I get at home. Tender grey beef with a mild paprika sauce and a kind of flour dumpling in a cheese sauce.
My wife had stuffed cabbages with sour cream. Soft, mild and quite tasty.
I forgot what the final bill was, but the two entrees cost about HUF2800 (CAD$18), so even after a beer and a soft drink it couldn't have been very expensive.
Accommodation:
We didn't stay there. But in case you're interested, you can rent a traditional village house from the website below. That would sound like a really interesting experience.
http://www.hollokotourism.hu/
Transportation:
The daily scheduled bus from Budapest leaves at 08:30 from the Stadionok bus terminal, which is served by a Metro station. So we had to get up early and catch some sleep on the bus. The two-hour bus ride goes through the Budapest suburbs then some lovely small towns and countryside. The bus was modern and comfortable and cost about HUF1720 (CAD$11) one way. When we got off at the final stop, the two of us made up two-thirds of the clientelle.
The return bus departs at 16:00. Missing it would mean spending the night in Holloko, so before we got off the bus at Holloko we asked the driver where to get on the return bus. It turned out that the same driver would transport us back, with the return bus-stop a mere 50 metres away. The bus would arrive at Budapest at 18:00.
Links:
Bus Schedules - http://www.volanbusz.hu
Holloko Village - http://www.holloko.hu
Holloko Castle - http://www.hollokoivar.hu
Holloko's Local Tourist Agency - http://www.hollokotourism.hu/
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