Things to Do in Northern Hungary

The Castle of Diósgyor (Diósgyori Vár) was built in the 12th century by King Bela IV and peaked in importance during the reign of King Louis the Great, largely due to its location near the road leading from Hungary to Poland. Once surrounded by a four-meter deep moat, the castle featured an inner castle built around a rectangular courtyard, four corner towers and a Knights’ Hall that measured 25 meters long and 13 meters wide. It served as an engagement gift for six Hungarian queens, earning it the nickname “the Castle of Queens.” The castle fell into ruin by the end of the 17th century and was completely rebuilt in 2014. At that time, the rooms of the castle were reconstructed to resemble those of the original castle and it was furnished with medieval era furniture.

Today, the castle hosts plays that revive the Middle Ages and various events from Hungarian history, as well as the annual Kalaka Folk Festival each July. There is a large waxworks exhibition in the outer castle, which is one of the largest in central Europe, and in a small mint on the ground floor, tourists can make commemorative coins.