’Historical sites’ heritage tour - A journey among legends, miracles, terrestrial and celestial palaces

The road-section between Nyíregyháza and Nagykároly is not accidentally called the historic main street of the Nyírség, where the monumental relics of the area line up. The largest church of the Lutherans, the Nyíregyháza Evangelical Church is considered the most beautiful Baroque building in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county. Máriapócs, where the miracle happened, sanctum of the nation, is one of the largest Mary Shrines in the Carpathian Basin. Nyírbátor Gothic church, which is the resting place of the Báthory family, is Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county’s, and perhaps all Hungary's most prestigious historical site. In the Church of the Minorites can be found the most beautiful Baroque-age altars. If we travel a little further, the most beautiful castle of Partium unfolds before us in Nagykároly. During our heritage tour, we can become a time traveler in the timelines of Gothic, the Renaissance and the Baroque, the history of arts, which is made really magical by many legends and wonders.

St. László heritage tour - Journey through worlds of churches, palaces and castles

Under the St. László tour route, we start our journey following the heritage of St. László. The thematic route includes such churches, memorial sites and places, which have strong bindings to St. László, one the most famous saint of the Hungarian history. Besides the memories of the medieval ages, we can stop next to so many stunning places, like the Andrássy Castle in Tiszadob – Fairy Field’s Loire castle -, the ancient soil-fort of Szabolcs, the castle of the Vay family - the largest Renaissance castle of the Great Plains -, or Kisvárda’s monumental fortress and Tuzsér’s beautiful baroque-stlye castle. The St. László heritage tour is a path among the historical memories, the culture and art relics; a path of medieval religious heritage and the most beautiful aristocratic architecture’s renaissance, baroque and eclectic monuments. An ancient journey from the Plain’s ‘Puszta’ through the world of backwaters, right into the heart of a bygone water world, Rétköz.

In Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, a serious cult emerged of St. László, not by accident. In 1092, in a still standing church of Szabolcs, he brought his famous laws in a synod. He also overcame, in 1085, the Besenyőd horde breaking down in the country, not far from today’s territory of Kisvárda. For the memory of this victory and for the honor of the Lord, the church was erected. Anarcs settlement’s mediaeval church is a patrotinium of St. László. The Laskod Reformed Church – just a few kilometers from Kisvárda – possess one of the early one, ​​at the beginning of the 14^th century-made "Saint László legend" mural cycle. A St. László depicting coronation scene is shown on the mural of the Baktalórántháza Reformed Church, which has a particular value as the baby Jesus in the Blessed Virgin’s lap puts the royal crown on the head of Laszlo, indicating the gesture of the God’s will. Saint László owns a privileged position in the Hungarian historical consciousness (as one of the most well-known and most famous Hungarian ruler) and has a significant role in the Hungarian religious history as well, having outstanding role in the strengthening of Christianity. Furthermore, the role and place of Saint László is very important in Hungarian religiousness, because after King István and his son, Prince Imre, he was the third and last Hungarian monarch, who was canonized by the Church.

‘Route of the Reformation’ heritage tour - A journey through the world of Gothic, the Reformation and the cradle of Hungarian literature

The most beautiful group of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county’s medieval churches is located in the Upper-Tisza region. Seeing their size and decoration, they are not accidentally called the jewel box of the land. Nevertheless, these churches are the outstanding memories of the Gothic in the Carpathian Basin, are also the most beautiful examples of the art of the Reformation. Faced with these churches and their beuties, the idea of the puritanism of Reformation is questioned. The fate of this land links with a thousand threads to the Reformation. In the light of events of the history of religion, we can righly consider the region as the Hungarian cradle of Reformation. These churches were home for many determining event of religious history, which contributed to the advance and the consolidation of the Reformation in Hungary. This land was becoming famous not only of his churches. Szatmár-Bereg is unique corner of Hungary and also a cultice pilgrimage of literaly history: birthplace of the Hungarian literature’s giant spirits and determinig works of the Hungarian literary history. That is the land, where the Naitonal Anthem was born in 22^nd January, 1823; this land was inspired Sándor Petőfi; this is the “fairy island”, where Zsigmond Móricz spent his childhood.

Besides the built and spiritual heritage, the untouched nature and the vegetation of the Plains make this land truly special – our way is accompanied by river-slashes landscapes of nature conservation areas. What makes our heritage unforgettable are the people of this land and the gastronomy. In this distant countryside, you can still feel the spirit of the place, which pervade and fascinate – you see it once, you fall in love forever.

Heritage Tour of Partium - Road along the Historical Heritage of Partium

The territory of Partium serves as the gate to Transylvania, it was the bridge between the two parts of the country, being inserted between the former Principality of Transylvania and the Kingdom Of Hungary. It served also as a bridge for art, and this can be seen on the monuments of this historical area. Partium deserves much more attention, it is an underestimated tourist attraction among the others in the Carpathian Basin, because the tourist usually just cross this land, however its natural and cultural heritage is a very special treasure. We can’t even imagine how many outstanding attractions are located at a few kilometres apart from the Hungarian border. The Heritage Tour of Partium is dedicated to discover the northern part of Partium, visiting landmarks and places like the Károlyi castle in Nagykároly, the most beautiful castle, the fortress in Erdőd, the biggest fortress, or the Reformed church of Ákos, which is the biggest church built in the Middle Ages. As far as literary history is concerned, the Partium is rich in memorial houses and the heritage tour includes the villages where Ferenc Kölcsey and Endre Ady were born.

Bereg area, Transcarpathia heritage tour. A journey to the sunken paradise of Transcarpathia

Two countries share the area of the historical Bereg today: one half with his wonderful medieval churches remained in Hungary, the other half has become the most Hungarian region of Ukraine. Through our heritage tour starting in Bereg area we can get to know Transcarpathia’s entire historical heritage. Transcarpathia is a sunken paradise of medieval churches, palaces, castles and historical sites. With the removal of the tinplate plates and cement plasters, after professional historic restorations, the true beauty of medieval churches show themselves in sequence, from under the thick lime plasters, wonderful medieval frescoes came to the surface. The medieval churches of Transcarpathia are the eastern boundary of Western Christianity, where the Gothic ends and where the land of wood churches and orthodoxy begins. Both the region of Transcarpathia and the churches have stormy past. Many of them were destroyed after the Mongol invasion, with gaining ground of the Reformation, many of them were obtained by the Protestants or burnt down in the freedom struggle of the early modern age, and in Soviet times, became an atheist God's house museum in many cases. Today, the river of time and history calmed down and the Church heritage has become a tourist attraction. The memories of bloody times are preserved by castles and ruins once guarding the boarders, scouring the path of war. This area is home to a number of strengths, Transcarpathia dazzling castles recall the former richness of the landscape. During the tour of the Carpathian Basin’s historical heritage, this region is not to be missed to visit.