Crossing Over – Nine-Holed-Bridge: The Hortobagy’s Arched Wonder (For The Love of Hungary Part 23)

Visitors from across the world travel to Hortobagy National Park for a variety of reasons. These include a chance to see the csikos (Hungarian cowboys) in action, to catch a glimpse of ruggedly exotic animals such as Racka sheep and for world class birdwatching. All of these I found fascinating, but first on my list was the most famous and important architectural work associated with the Hortobagy. The Nine-Holed Bridge sounds like something one might find at a municipal golf course rather than part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the bridge’s name is highly descriptive, it is also deceptive. A closer look at the bridge shows that the holes are actually arches. These help make the bridge an architectural wonder, unlike anything else found in the area.

Located along Highway 33, a half an hour drive from Debrecen at one of the main entry points into the park, this unique 19^th century architectural artifact surmounts the serpentine Hortobagy River. At the time of its construction, the bridge was the longest in the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it is a fascinating stopping point for tourists and architectural buffs, but when it was first conceived the bridge was a crucial piece of infrastructure, facilitating commerce and transportation. It bridged the watery divide between the Hortobagy and its economic hinterland. Without the Nine-Holed Bridge, the Hortobagy would have been a poorer place, both economically and architecturally.

Arched Wonder – The Iconic Nine-Holed-Bridge

A Developing Situation – Bridge Over Murky Waters
To understand the Nine-Holed Bridge’s historical importance as much more than a tourist attraction, it is crucial to realize just what it meant to the Hortobagy region when it was first constructed. Travel in this part of the Great Hungarian Plain was daunting and dangerous. Seasonal rains often turned the land into a morass overnight. Getting cattle, pigs and sheep to the region’s largest market in Debrecen could take weeks or months rather than days. At times, the Hortobagy was so inundated by seasonal flooding that only flat bottomed boats could proceed through the murky waters. The steppe was transformed as streams became rivers and rivers swelled into lakes. The latter was apparent at the Hortobagy River which was the largest watercourse crossed on the road to and from Debrecen.

Following the expulsion of the Ottoman Turks from the Great Hungarian Plain, development of the region slowly began to proceed in the final years of the 17^th century. Crossing what had become a trackless wasteland during a century and a half of Ottoman rule was a risk few cared to take. Every inch of the way was fraught with danger. Drowning in a sea of mud hole was a real possibility. Packs of hungry wolves lurked in the reeds as they waited to descend on unsuspecting herders. Stories abound of entire villages uniting to fend off ferocious attacks. There were also bandits and highwaymen ready to prey upon weary travelers. Taming this fetid land was a formidable task. To facilitate travel and make the region more accessible, a bridge was constructed over the Hortobagy River in the same place where the Nine-Holed Bridge stands today. By modern standards this wooden bridge would hardly be called substantial, but by the standards of the time it was a major piece of infrastructure.

Bridging The Hortobagy – The Nine-Holed-Bridge from the air (Credit: Civertan)

Building Bridges – The Great Facilitator
The bridge’s role of facilitating commerce in the Hortobagy was key to creating a viable economic trade across a large swath of the Great Hungarian Plain. This development was aided by an unprecedented period of peace in Hungary during the 18^th and most of the 19^th century. It allowed the more marginal areas to enjoy relative prosperity as stock grazing increased. Massive herds loosely guided by shepherds pastured on every available piece of dry ground. The bridge over the Hortobagy helped support this industry as more and more animals were taken to market after grazing upon the sublime steppe. Predictably, the wooden bridge began to buckle under the strain of thousands of hooves pounding the planks into submission. Repair costs were exorbitant just to perform simple maintenance and upkeep. The cost was mainly shouldered by Debrecen. The city burghers could not afford to allow such a lifeline of economic infrastructure to collapse. A new, more durable bridge was soon deemed necessary. Architect Ferenc Povolny created a bridge based upon classical design, hence the arches.

Classicism, or more precisely neo-classical architecture, was emerging anew during what would come to be known as the Reform era in Hungarian history. Many great construction works were conceived during this time period. Povolny’s bridge was one of them. It was designed to be made of stone, as it would better stand the test of time. The only problem was finding the proper materials to construct it. The marshy soil provided little of the material necessary to create a permanent structure. The construction crews tried using sand from the area to build its vaults. This proved little more than an exercise in futility. An idea soon arose to look further afield for materials that might be of more lasting value. The search led northward to the wine growing region of Tokaj, where a local entrepreneur operated a small stone quarry set among his vineyards. Though the stone was quickly collected, the boat transporting it downstream sank due to the excessive weight of the stone. A construction project which should have taken a couple of years, stretched from 1827 until 1833 when it was finally finished.

Crossing Over – Storm on the Great Hortobágy (Credit: Tivadar Kosztka Csontvary)

A Work Of Art – Bridging The Divide
The completed bridge was a work of art. One that was of both utilitarian and aesthetic value. It still is today. Visiting the Nine-Holed Bridge was a strange experience for me. To find such an exquisite piece of architecture on a largely featureless landscape was shocking. It also made the bridge’s appearance that much more appealing. I inspected the bridge from all sides, marveling at its widened entrance which soon narrowed, a design effect to funnel the livestock herded across it. Now automobile traffic races across the 170 meter long bridge in just a few seconds. A far cry from the days when thousands of Hungarian Grey Cattle sauntered across. Times have changed, but the bridge has stayed the same.

Romanticism & Reality – Csikos: The Hungarian Cowboys of the Hortobagy (For The Love of Hungary Part 22)

The most romantic aspect of Hungary is not to be found in the beautiful women that walk the high streets of Budapest. Neither will it be discovered in the vineyards that climb up the hillsides of Villany and Tokaj, nor in the fin de siècle architecture that still soars above the Old Towns of so many Hungarian provincial city centers. Instead, the most romantic aspect in Hungary is to be found in the most inhospitable place. A land with more animals than people, a natural wonderland and wasteland ironically protected for its cultural values. That culture, despite or perhaps because of the harsh environment, lends itself to romanticism. At least that was what I came to believe after taking a wagon journey out onto the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain in Hortobagy National Park. This was an opportunity for me and my future wife to see one of the great cultural landscapes of both Hungary and the world.

Frontier Mentality – A Reverence For Tradition
Cowboys are the great icons of frontier culture. Chiefly associated with the American West, they are tough and rugged, the essence of independence and individualism. The cowboy is symbolic of a time when man was locked in a fierce struggle with the natural and animal world. The essence of this struggle was conquest, subdue or submit, conquer or be conquered. The Hortobagy is Europe’s answer to the American West. It was and to a small degree still is today another quintessential breeding ground for cowboys. Yet finding them on the Great Hungarian Plain still managed to shock me.  I had expected to see exotic animals, wetlands teeming with bird life and endless expanses of grass covered steppe. Yet finding the Hungarian cowboy alive and well in the middle of nowhere was another matter altogether. To discover these romantic characters still roaming these flatlands was cause for an afternoon of reverential romanticism.

Known in their mother tongue as Csikos, Hungarian cowboys are as much a part of the Hortobagy’s history as the mind-bending spaces that are a hallmark of this desolate steppe land. The Csikos have been riding the range in eastern Hungary for a millennium, crisscrossing the vast expanses on horseback. Stock growing and sheep herding is as much a part of the Hortobagy as the seeming endlessness of the terrain. Time and technology have largely failed to transform the region or its few inhabitants. The Csikos on the Hortobagy today carry on in much more moderated form the traditions of their ancestors. I soon discovered this when our wagon ride halted on the steppe. and a group of Csikos suddenly appeared on horseback. Rather than the blue jeans that American cowboys have helped make world famous, they were wearing looser fitting bright blue pants and shirts. Black boots and vests, along with a wide brim hat completed this fashionable garb. Watching the Csikos gallop forth and then alight from their steads was a study in frontier stylishness. With their clothing fluttered by a gentle breeze, it was as though they were unfurling themselves upon the landscape. Their unique and colorful clothing acting as an impressive response to the bland natural surroundings.

Romanticism & Reality – Csikos are the Great Hungarian Plain’s Master Horsemen

From Another World – An Incredible Amount of Determination
Silhouetted against the cloudless sky with an autumnal sun burning bright and vibrant, the Csikos looked as though they had come from another world. To a large extent they had. A world where only the toughest managed to survive the endless succession of sunup to sundown days. Where weekends meant just as much work as weekdays while toiling outdoors in all four seasons. Struggling to graze and raise the massive herds of livestock that roamed the Hortobagy. The Csikos had been shaped by the unforgiving nature of this land. Only those as tough as the natural environment could survive. Weakness had no place in a world where the elements were the real opposition. Forging an existence out of the grass, dust and periodic bogs that laid upon this land took an incredible amount of tenacious grit.

Unyielding determination came to mind as the Csikos stood before us mounted on their dark steads. These muscular, sturdy men, many with flourishing mustaches, sun baked features and faces chiseled from stone, were the human embodiment of the will to survive in the Carpathian Basin’s most inhospitable landscape. A dismounted leader of the Csikos soon moved to the fore. He brandished a giant whip which he swung with great dexterity. As the whip cracked, each of the horses and riders focused their attention. Soon all the horses were brought to heel. They dropped to the ground and sat beside a still standing Csikos. The Csikos leader made several exhortations, calls that horse and rider obeyed. It was an impressively indigenous display of historical choreography that hearkened back to the earliest roots of historic Hungary, a cultural touchstone that was being kept alive by the men who stood before us.

Each person in our group was offered the opportunity to mount a stead with assistance from an accompanying Csikos. The thrill for me was less about getting atop the horse, than coming face to face with a Csikos. The one I met up close conveyed immeasurable strength. In concert with his exotic clothing, he looked like a historical character who had stepped straight out of central casting. It was impossible not to fall in love with the performance that was put on for us. Of course, I knew that these men were more substance than style. They led a hard life in an isolated region. Independent from the modern world, they were cut off from the comforts that have made the average Hungarian’s everyday existence a walk in the park. They had chosen a life of laborious hardship filled with satisfactions that those who came in cursory contact with them could scarcely imagine. For all the theater of their short performance, I knew this was largely an illusion. Their day to day existence was one of wearisome toil.

Staying Power – Hungarian Gray Cattle

Survival of The Toughest – Life In The Hortobagy
On the ride back from our journey, the wagon took us past a herds of Hungarian Gray Cattle and Racka Sheep. The animals, like the Csikos, mirrored the landscape. They were stout, with a look of forceful determination and inherent stubbornness. While docile, I was ever mindful that they could turn fierce in a matter of moments. To survive in the Hortobagy such traits were essential. There was nothing easy in this land for man or beast. While Romanticism may inform the popular image of the Hortobagy, it is toughness which allows it inhabitants to survive.

Mysticism, Mirages & Melancholy – Hortobagy National Park: An Impossible Frontier (For The Love of Hungary Part 21)

When I think of World Heritage Sites in Hungary, I think of history, culture and architecture. Foremost among these are two places that could not be more different. Budapest, along the banks of the Danube and the quintessentially Hungarian village of Holloko, tucked into an obscure valley deep in the Cserhat Mountains. The riverfront in Budapest evokes the most splendid European cityscape imaginable while Holloko conjures up thoughts of age old traditions and images of spectacular quaintness. Budapest and Holloko are respectively the best of urban and rural Hungary. They also happen to be World Heritage Sites because of their outstanding intrinsic value. These are the places that come to mind for most of those who have spent time in Hungary’s capital as well as its hinterlands.

As for spaces, geological, biological and ecological, it is much more difficult to find world class landscapes in the country. Hungary’s most well-known natural wonder, the inland sea of Lake Balaton, does not enjoy World Heritage Site status, but there are several natural areas that do. The most surprising of these I discovered in an area one would not normally associated with natural wonders. It was to be found on the Great Hungarian Plain in the eastern part of the country. Covered by an ocean of short grass, marked by sublime flatness, dotted with shimmering wetlands and set beneath an incomprehensibly huge sky, lies the Hortobagy. It is Hungary’s first national park, as well as an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Ironically this vast and expansive landscape was historically viewed by travelers as a formidable wasteland. Today, it is sought out as a destination by tens of thousands of tourists.

A Wilderness Sublime – Sheep grazing on the Hortobagy

Magical Bleakness – A Land Without Limits

A land of mysticism, mirages and melancholy, where time and distance take on an entirely different meaning, the Hortobagy is a landscape that seems to have neither an end nor a beginning. If the infinite exists on earth, than I just might be able to find it out on the Hortobagy. A land without limits, it was billed as much a state of mind, as a place. The park inhabits what might be termed an in between space. Famously noted by travelers as treacherous to cross due to searing heat, icy winds or freezing cold, bandits and a decided lack of natural landmarks. It was a place for nomadic herdsmen to graze cattle and sheep across vast expanses of land underlain by alkali soils. Inhospitable, mostly uninhabitable and hardly worth cultivating other than for stock raising, the Hortobagy was difficult to avoid for those traveling across eastern Hungary and even more impossible to forget.

In Hungary, the Hortobagy and surrounding land on the Great Plain is also known as the puszta, a term that is synonymous with emptiness. Though remarkably bleak, it is an entrancing landscape. Out on the puszta, the sky is so large and land so vacant that it is difficult to discern where horizons begin or end. Strangely enough, this also leads to optical illusions which gives the Hortobagy a magical quality. The kind of landscape where myths are shaped out of torpid air and mirages have been known to materialize on humid summer days. Historical accounts tell of travelers dazzled by illusion and disillusion. Some have reported seeing cities spring from the clouds, while others have sighted fantastical palaces forming in the near distance. These are but a few examples of the imaginary formations that appear without warning.

Laid Over The Land – Hortobagy River in the National Park (Credit: Wikipedia)

A Mesmerizing Isolation – Outer Space On Earth

The natural history of the Hortobagy is inseparable from the Tisza River, which is now dammed and held in a large lake to the west of the national park. While the mighty Tisza is now relatively tame, it long since left a distinctive mark upon the landscape. The alkali soil, the main component of the Hortobagy’s barren landscape, was deposited over ten thousand years ago by a wilder version of the Tisza. Back then, massive herds of wild animals roamed across the area, Later, domesticated animals grazed these grasslands into submission. The same processes still take place today on a much smaller scale. To witness the timeless rituals of nature, animal and man interacting in this sublime landscape, my future wife and I traveled by train from Debrecen to the small village of Hortobagy. This was where we entered Hortobagy National Park, paying to take a wagon out onto the expansive flatlands.

My initial impression of the Hortobagy could best be summed up as “nowhere to hide.” The plain expanded exponentially in every direction. The only vegetation to be seen, other than grass, were hazy clumps of tiny trees. These were so far away as to be barely discernible. It was difficult to tell if the horizon was ten or ten thousand miles in the distance. The further we traveled, the further away the horizon stretched. Everyone and everything, whether natural or manmade, was reduced to insignificance by the sky. A few minutes after leaving the village behind, I felt as those we had entered outer space on earth. The wagon was moving, but I had the sensation that it was going nowhere. The horses pulling it were running to stand still. The openness was mesmerizing and at the same time isolating. It was world unto itself.

Heading out to the Hortabagy – Hungarian cowboy on a wagon cart

Heading out to the Hortabagy – Hungarian cowboy on a wagon cart

The Wilderness Sublime – A Land Of Illusion

The idea that the Hortobagy was in the same country as Budapest seemed impossible. This felt like the most remote frontier I had ever visited. Light years away from the rest of Hungary. This land made me believe, if just for a moment, that nothing else existed outside of it. It was mind boggling to think that Debrecen was only a forty-minute car ride to the west. The otherworldly quality of the landscape was largely due to it being filled by absence rather than presence. The wagon had transported us to an entirely different universe, one where time hardly existed. I began to wonder if any living entity could stand to live here for very long. The lack of life, like so many things with the Hortobagy, turned out to be an illusion. People and animals had been integral to the region since time immemorial. As I was about to discover, they still were.

What It Is, Is What It Isn’t – Nyirbator: The Unknown Hungary

When I told a Hungarian friend that Nyirbator happened to one of my favorite places in his country that I visited he looked at me in astonishment. His reply was less than positive, “I can’t imagine anyone taking a trip to Nyirbator. They would have to pay me to visit that place.” Nyirbator is located in the far northeastern corner of Hungary, beyond the Great Plain that dominates the nation’s eastern half. It is a place few visit. Thus it suffers from the stereotypical view that “there is nothing there.” This is pretty much the same opinion that most Hungarians and travelers have of the northeastern portion of the country.

The ice coated train station at Nyirbator, Hungary on a cold winter day

“There Is Nothing There” – The Opposite of the Truth In Eastern Hungary
Besides Hortobagy National Park – a landscape and wildlife refuge that looms large in the Hungarian historical imagination – eastern Hungary is seen as poor, flat and boring. It is a land of agriculture rather than industry, much less technology. Even during the late 19^th century golden age of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, eastern Hungary was the poorest region in both the nation as well as the entire empire. It was even more downtrodden than Galicia (present day western Ukraine), a province known to as a byword for backwardness. Perhaps this less than desirable reputation is what makes a visit to eastern Hungary and specifically Nyirbator such an enchanting surprise. One will not find overwhelming prosperity in this small city, but neither will they find abject poverty. They will find a large provincial town that has a deep and rich history, once home to a great and tragic European family.

Nyirbator is one of those places you couldn’t imagine existed until you go there. At first site it is a miracle of matter of factness, an oversized village of cracked sidewalks, colorful squat sized houses, ever barking dogs and people going about their businesses with a noticeable lack of zeal. It seems that the 13,000 Hungarians who live in Nyirbator are asleep with their eyes open. Things may have changed over the years, but what use would it be to take notice. The traveler who makes it here probably got lost at least twice. It is a highly improbable destination, but that makes it no less charming. Nyirbator will never make off the beaten path lists. It is either on the unknown or forgotten path and that is how it will probably always be.

Even the most exacting guidebooks devote at most a page or two to Nyirbator. The main impetus for a traveler going there is more than likely vague. Maybe it was a couple of striking photos on Wikipedia of the city’s Calvinist Church and Bathory Castle. Maybe it was the well known (and feared) historical family name of Bathory. Then again maybe it was just a day trip, in the depths of winter to escape a day inside. Yet photos are one thing, the experience quite another. A nation and its secrets are not given up easily, sometimes these are best found in quiet, provincial communities. Places that still maintain remnants of a unique and fascinating past. The uniqueness is all the more striking because of its unexpectedness.

Bathory Castle in Nyirbator

The Bathory’s – Nyirbator’s Royalty
Nyirbator’s fame comes from the Bathory family, who made the place their administrative center for the vast estates they held throughout the Kingdom of Hungary. The family crypt was placed here as well. Of course, the most famous of the Bathory clan turned out to be the woman known to history as the Blood Countess, Erszebet (Elizabeth). She is thought to have murdered somewhere between 35 and 600 girls. Yet the blood lust of one deranged family member should not overshadow the greatness of many other family members who were significant political, military and cultural figures.

Bathory is derived from the word “bator” which means brave. This certainly fit the description of one Istvan (Stephen) Bathory (1533 -1586) who was not only the leader of Transylvania, but also became King of Poland. He was the seminal military leader of his day and is now considered to have been one of the best Polish Kings in history. The Bathory family supplied multiple voivodes (governors) of Transylvania and palatines (prime ministers) of Hungary. Many different Bathory’s ruled Transylvania during the 16^th and 17^th centuries while other areas of Hungary were occupied by the Ottoman Turks. The Bathory’s golden age coincided with that of Transylvania’s, as the territory gained the status of a semi-autonomous state during that time.

Nyirbator bears tombs, churches, a mausoleom as well as one magnificent section of castle that were all bequeathed by the Bathory’s. Their rule over the town was total. They owned lots of land, virtually owned most of the people and even owned most of Transylvania (they had holdings in parts of 16 counties). Even the vampiric Erszebet (1560 – 1614) was wealthier than the Habsburg emperor at the time. When her husband Ferenc Nasdady (the famed Turk killing Black Knight) died it was said that it took months just to count her wealth.

The Calvinist Church & the Wooden Belfry in Nyirbator

Historical Justice – The Architectural Gems of Nyirbator
Two must-sees in Nyirbator reflect the town’s prominence in the Middle and late Middle ages. These are the Gothic-era Calvinist Church and the late Renaissance-style Wooden Belfry which towers close to it. The church was constructed in 1480. As such, it is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, a style quite rare to find in Hungary. On a cloudless winter’s day when the sky is deep blue, the church’s blinding white exterior is a stark reflection of Protestant austerity. A stone’s throw away stands Nyirbator’s massive Wooden Belfry – the largest in Hungary. It acts as a counterpoint to the church, yet at the same time it’s hard to imagine one without the other. The wooden belfry’s spires and eaves recall Transylvania. This is a bit of historical justice.

Though Transylvania proper is located a couple of hundred kilometers from Nyirbator, it was here during the mid-16^th century that the Habsburgs agreed to return that land to the Kingdom of Hungary.  The church and belfry seem to be engaged in a conversation of dissimilarity and inseparability, this is perhaps an architectural parallel to the relationship between eastern Hungary and Transylvania. One cannot seem to exist without the other. There are other historical discoveries to be made in Nyirbator as well. These include a Baroque Minorite Monastery and the Istvan Bathory Museum. There is also a refurbished section of Bathory Castle replete with a series of astounding waxworks of both the Bathory family’s famous and infamous denizens. Each one of these attractions is within strolling distance of another.

A wintry path to the Calvinist Church & Wooden Belfry in Nyirbator

What It Is, Is What It Isn’t: Getting to Know Nyirbator
It might be said that Nyirbator is an acquired taste. It is not for everyone or for that matter hardly anyone since most tourism in the city consists of those who live in the region or at most travel in from a couple of hours away. That being said, Nyirbator’s allure can best be summed up by the fact that what it is, is what it isn’t. It is not on the beaten path. It will never be filled with throngs of tourists and it is of no interest to the historically ignorant. It isn’t going to be featured on the front of any glossy tourist publications and it does not exist to charm or entertain. What it is though: is inspirational, authentic and unknown. The last of those is what it will probably always be. That is except for those lucky few travelers who stumble upon the remnants of its late medieval magnificence.

Semsey Kastely – Bringing The Past Back To Light

The term castle has a fantastical meaning for many of us who grew up in the United States. This is most likely due to the influence of pop culture icons such as Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom castle, which looked as though it was conjured up in the eclectic imagination of an architectural wizard. A close second to the glistening spires and sparkling facade of the Magic Kingdom castle, was a stereotypical house of horror, placed high upon a rocky precipice. This type of castle was a profusion of angular spires and defensive turrets, sprinkled in with a liberal dose of foreboding atmospherics. In other words, the haunting abode of Count Dracula.

When I first traveled to Europe I was somewhat shocked to discover that most castles are not like this at all. Though appealingly designed, they hardly match the stereotypical image. Castles come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from little more than walled enclosures to full blown defensive works the size of a small town. Castle architecture is dependent mainly upon the historical era in which it was constructed as well as its purpose. For instance, hilltop castles were more fortresses than homes. These reached their zenith during the Middle Ages when warfare was near constant and the precariousness of existence placed security as the highest priority. Beginning in the 18^th century, stylistic changes occurred due to an era of extended peace across much of continental Europe. This ushered in a new architectural age for castles which has come to be defined as the Baroque.  The Baroque era of castle architecture in turn gave way to the classicist style movement, characterized by an aesthetic of stately grandeur. Both of these styles left an indelible mark on the castles of central and eastern Europe.

A Shining Example of Historic Restoration
Much of this legacy can be seen across Hungary today.  At last count there were some 2,000 castles in Hungary, only about a third of which are protected. Its most famous and notable castles, were built during a time span beginning in the 18th century and continuing all the way up until the first decade of the 20^th century. While many Hungarian castles have attributes which conform to stereotypical images, the Hungarian word for castle – kastely – also takes into account other stylized creations. Many kastelys are more like gigantic manor houses. At one time these happened to be the home bases of the large landed estates which covered Hungary up until the First World War.

Semsey Kastely prior to refurbishment

Semsey Kastely as it looks today

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting one of these recently in Balmazujvaros, a small city on the Great Plain of eastern Hungary. The structure on display, close to the town’s main square, is known as Semsey Castle. It is one of the finest examples of classicist architecture to be found in Hungary today. The Castle’s name comes from the noble Semsey family who held title to the rich agricultural land surrounding the town for generations on end. Semsey castle just had a grand reopening on December 5th. On display were the fruits of a two year refurbishment project funded by the European Union to promote the rich cultural heritage of Balmazujvaros. One look at the eye popping yellow exterior was enough to magnetically focus the gaze. At first glance, the exterior seemed almost too blindingly bright, that was until I viewed photos of the kastely prior to the refurbishment.  Before (see above photo) there was only a drab, decaying façade, the product of decades long neglect by the communist state. Now (see next photo) the façade emanates a revelatory brightness, a ray of structural sunlight perpetually shining at the heart of this small city.

Semsey Family Tree Painting

The interior is not to be outdone either. Each exhibit room is furnished with richly upholstered ottomans that visitors can use to rest while pondering the displays concerning the town’s local history (a number of famous Hungarian writers were from here), as well as the cultural wares and traditions of the area’s people. These included exhibits on the gulyas (Hungarian cowboys), who had spent the past several centuries roaming the nearby, vast landscape of the Hortobagy, an area which is today protected as both a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even with the displays only in Hungarian, the archival photos and original artifacts visually communicated the wealth of tradition that this otherworldly landscape of sky and horizon surrounding Balmazujvaros has bequeathed upon its inhabitants.

A New Reality
On a personal note, perhaps the most engaging exhibit for me was a singular painting of the Semsey family tree. Starting just above the base of the tree’s trunk were a series of blossoms representing a succession of generations, the first of which began over 750 years ago, in the middle of the 13^th century. Before my eyes was the visual realization of a family which had inhabited this land from the Dark Ages up through modern times. The painting provided an artistic representation of the venerability of Hungarian existence in the Carpathian Basin.

A visit to the Semsey Kastely is more than just a way to reconnect with the opulence and elegance so integral to the life of the great estates and landed gentry. It is also a way to redefine what a castle actually means. It is a well spring of culture, tradition, and the arts. The Semsey Kastely stands as both part of a grand architectural tradition and outside of it. It helps redefine the concept of a castle, presenting the visitor with a new idea, a new reality, much more vibrant than anything that could have been imagined.