Hollókő

Easter Monday is also celebrated in Hungary, and we spent much of the day with the Simko family at the village of Hollókő, enjoying the Easter Festival. It rained a lot but that did not dampen our interest or enthusiasm. Hollókő is the only village in the world that has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. One of the best known facts about the festival (and the holiday itself) is that the boys/men say a verse to the girls/women, and then spray the girls with perfume, or sprinkle or splash with water. People actually live in the village, but most of the buildings are used as shops where people display their handiwork.


Street entertainment.



Part of a show we watched. These boys are saying their verses in preparation for sprinkling water on the girls.



Women in traditional Palóc dress.



A local resident sitting on her porch, displaying her hand crafts.



Kürtős kalács being made on the charcoal. Best translated as "chimney bread".



Sharing a kürtős kalács. This one was brushed with butter and rolled in crushed walnuts.



The village church is in the center of the village. Built in 1889.



Castle ruins. This 13th century fortress was destroyed by the Turks.